Hey guys. Im trying to get ready to pull off this kind of notch here pretty soon. If you saw in one of my recent threads, im gonna grab some new tires to help with some traction issues im having. And in doing so the tire thickness is going to grow between and inch or two depending on the size i decide on. prolly gonna go the 285/50 route vs the 235/35 i have now which will gain me around a 2.5" lift in the rear. this will significantly rake the truck which i personally DO NOT like. so in order to keep it level i will need to drop it back another 2" which i will do by some drop shackles i just purchased. But i will need to notch my frame more and i dont want to cut into the bed more than i have to since i use it.

I know i need to buy the tube steel and some plate steel for the sides but i cant find any info on what the thicknesses are. im not gonna buy a kit as i can fab it up myself. my question is....what is the sidewall on the 2x tube steel and the flat stock that the kits or guys fabbing these up? i wanna say at least 1/4" but some pics i see on the net look thicker... like 5/16 or maybe even 3/8.

i dont want to spend more than i have to but i want it to be structurally sound as i will be towing a 20' boat. what are you guys using so i can get the right stuff?

here is a pic of what im talking about