American Expedition Vehicles Brute Bed - Manual (Page 3)

Page 3 of 7
A. PAINTING THE BED AND TAILGATE ASSEMBLIES
OVERVIEW
The Brute bed is delivered as an assembled unit requiring no fabrication. The bed will need to be
prepared and painted. Preparation of the bed includes smoothing exterior spot welds and seam
sealing all the seams.
Minor assembly of the bed consists of:
• Installation of the fender flares
• Installation of the ground strap
• Installation of an optional spray-in urethane bed liner.
• Installation of the stock taillights.
Minor assembly of the tailgate is required and involves:
• Bolting the tailgate to the bed.
• Installation the tailgate latches and bed support cables.
• Installation of the license plate bracket.
The Bed assembly, once painted will be mounted to the frame and aligned with the rest of the body.
This process is easy but can be time consuming to achieve a perfect fit. We generally allow two
hours for alignment and any shimming if required.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Install the hinges to the tailgate using the supplied hinges and hardware provided in the
Brute Hardware pack. The tailgate is now ready for paint prep and paint.
2. Drill any required holes. If you are planning on drilling any holes and or trimming the
wheel openings for the AEV Highline Body Kit, bed tie downs, or any other accessory,
now is the time.
3. Using the FUSOR 123 or equivalent catalyzed seam sealer, tape, seal and sand all
exterior seams.
4. Prepare all spot welded areas for a light skim coat of autobody filler. Block, prime, seal
and paint per autobody collision repair standards. If you are planning on using a spray-in
bed liner, there is no reason to paint the inside. We recommend bringing the spray-in
liner up over the rails and down the outside approximately 5/8 to 3/4 inches to line up with
the horizontal exterior seam in the corners of the bed.