Bed to frame connecting rods

[greendayhbt26]

the rods that are in front and back of the wheel wells in my 98 s-10 are rusty and i wantd ti remove them so i could paint them, i was just wondering if by taking these off, the body would bend or warp in any way? would i be better off leaving them in and painting them or taking them off

thanks

[dugie6551]

No, you won't wreck the bed or sheetmetal, UNLESS you get hit in that area or you take the bed off. I have an 84 S10 with no supports and it's not a problem. If these supports are really badly rusted you might not be able to take them off easily. Check the bolts that are attached to the bed sides and if they will not come off easily then you should cut them off. You will twist the sheetmetal if the bolts are "stuck".