Bed Wood Replacement ? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**Ironhorse** · 01-18-2005, 10:14 PM

I'm asking this for a friend at work since he has no computer. What he does have is a REALLY nice '72 GMC 3/4 4x4 LWB he has had since new. (Tried to buy it from him before i really knew him well enough. He kindly pointed out the front tag "Not For Sale" ! ) Ordered it with 350 V8, 4 speed, A/C, and a wood bed. Liked the looks of it on a new truck. Since new he has replaced the bed once before with an oak floor. Now it needs replacement again and he and I got to talking about using the new deck wood, Tre-Max or something like that. I thought I had seen a post complete with pictures some months ago but can't seem to find the post. Anyone remember who that may have been, think the trunk was LWB with possibly a red paint job, used dark (black ?) bed wood. Really made the dark bed wood stand out. Looked great.

ed455 · 01-18-2005, 11:26 PM

I used the composite decking material.

Kas68c10 · 01-19-2005, 10:11 AM

how did you do this? more info please!!!

ed455 · 01-19-2005, 11:16 AM

Well the board are approximately 6" wide (5.75" if I remember correctly) In a stepside the work out perfectly with having to rip any of the boards. GMC Paul's web site has the dimensions of the grooves for the bed strips. The two biggest obstacles are the thickness of the boards and the fact that the original boards with assorted widths. The way to overcome those obstacles are 1. Rout the boads down to 3/4" thickness at the bed cross bars OR plane the entire board to 3/4" thick. Since they are easier to work than wood, either option will work. I went with the router. 2nd problem is the width issue. The cross bars have to be redrilled for even spacing. This makes two bolts difficult to get to but not impossible.

Set up a dado head on a table saw for the bed strip grooves using GMC Paul's technical information. Buy an extra board or two to practice on and cut it unto three or four sections. I ruined one practice board getting the grooves right using these practice pieces. I figured I would. Lowes has a Delta table saw for $88 that will do this job and you will need a router or planer. I tried to get the board planed but all the local wood working shops were gun shy about the material and their planer blades. No reason for their concern because the stuff works like a dream and makes no airborn dust at all. But they paid for their tools, not me.

The material is impervious to weather and they have a 100 year warantee on it. I think I'll try to outlive the warrantee.

Solver · 01-19-2005, 12:29 PM

how about some more pics of those boards installed in your bed

**Ironhorse** · 01-19-2005, 06:59 PM

ed455, Thanks for the reply. Sounds like just the set up my buddy is needing for his GMC. I will pass along the info and let him take it from there.

ed455 · 01-19-2005, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solver

how about some more pics of those boards installed in your bed

Right now the bed is full of stuff. ie, my seat, a new tailgate, new floor mat, etc. I will try to get a better pic this weekend.
Ed

sixty8c10 · 01-19-2005, 11:33 PM

this is just what i was looking for, thanx

Kas68c10 · 01-20-2005, 09:52 AM

Will it be as strong as the original ? What brand of deck boards did you use ?

ed455 · 01-20-2005, 07:04 PM

Whatever brand Lowes sells. It's strong enough for a deck with a lifetime warantee, so that's strong enough for me.
Ed

bucket · 01-20-2005, 08:00 PM

It is probably Trex. I have built decks with it. Good stuff.

01-18-2005, 10:14 PM	#1
Ironhorse Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Wellington, Ks Posts: 10,294	Bed Wood Replacement ? I'm asking this for a friend at work since he has no computer. What he does have is a REALLY nice '72 GMC 3/4 4x4 LWB he has had since new. (Tried to buy it from him before i really knew him well enough. He kindly pointed out the front tag "Not For Sale" ! ) Ordered it with 350 V8, 4 speed, A/C, and a wood bed. Liked the looks of it on a new truck. Since new he has replaced the bed once before with an oak floor. Now it needs replacement again and he and I got to talking about using the new deck wood, Tre-Max or something like that. I thought I had seen a post complete with pictures some months ago but can't seem to find the post. Anyone remember who that may have been, think the trunk was LWB with possibly a red paint job, used dark (black ?) bed wood. Really made the dark bed wood stand out. Looked great. __________________ 1971 Chevy 1/2T 4x4 LWB 350 V-8 Was sm465-now 350TH/np205 Tilt, Tach, Towhooks Original Truck AM/FM Wellington, Ks

01-18-2005, 11:26 PM	#2
ed455 Captain Ed Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Port Charlotte, FL Posts: 1,241	I used the composite decking material. Attached Images

01-19-2005, 10:11 AM	#3
Kas68c10 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Freeland,Michigan,USA Posts: 312	how did you do this? more info please!!! __________________ 1968 SWB Stepside, 250,pwr disc brake and tilt pwr steering, 5 spd tranny, HEI,Accel coil,K&N filter,Seat from a later truck with built in seatbelts, front and rear sway bars, moved gas tank to under the bed, headman hedders, new chrome bumpers,one wire alternator,Weber k550cub carburator...WORK IN PROGRESS, Freeland MI , Just bought a 72 Jimmy!!!!!!!!!!!

01-19-2005, 12:29 PM	#5
Solver Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Storm Lake, Ia Posts: 1,449	how about some more pics of those boards installed in your bed __________________ 1972 Cheyenne Super 20 LWB-Blue 1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB-Black 1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB-Red 1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB-green 1972 GMC 4x4 LWB-White 1971 Cheyenne 10 LWB-Ochre 1971 Cheyenne 20 Longhorn-Copper 1971 Cheyenne 20 Longhorn-Black 1969 Custom 10 LWB-lt blue 1968 GMC 3/4 ton-green 1968 1/2 ton swb stepside-silver 1967 Chevrolet CST 10 LWB-green 1967 Chevrolet custom 20 LWB-Maroon

01-19-2005, 06:59 PM	#6
Ironhorse Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Wellington, Ks Posts: 10,294	ed455, Thanks for the reply. Sounds like just the set up my buddy is needing for his GMC. I will pass along the info and let him take it from there. __________________ 1971 Chevy 1/2T 4x4 LWB 350 V-8 Was sm465-now 350TH/np205 Tilt, Tach, Towhooks Original Truck AM/FM Wellington, Ks

01-19-2005, 11:16 AM	#4
ed455 Captain Ed Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Port Charlotte, FL Posts: 1,241	Well the board are approximately 6" wide (5.75" if I remember correctly) In a stepside the work out perfectly with having to rip any of the boards. GMC Paul's web site has the dimensions of the grooves for the bed strips. The two biggest obstacles are the thickness of the boards and the fact that the original boards with assorted widths. The way to overcome those obstacles are 1. Rout the boads down to 3/4" thickness at the bed cross bars OR plane the entire board to 3/4" thick. Since they are easier to work than wood, either option will work. I went with the router. 2nd problem is the width issue. The cross bars have to be redrilled for even spacing. This makes two bolts difficult to get to but not impossible. Set up a dado head on a table saw for the bed strip grooves using GMC Paul's technical information. Buy an extra board or two to practice on and cut it unto three or four sections. I ruined one practice board getting the grooves right using these practice pieces. I figured I would. Lowes has a Delta table saw for $88 that will do this job and you will need a router or planer. I tried to get the board planed but all the local wood working shops were gun shy about the material and their planer blades. No reason for their concern because the stuff works like a dream and makes no airborn dust at all. But they paid for their tools, not me. The material is impervious to weather and they have a 100 year warantee on it. I think I'll try to outlive the warrantee.

01-19-2005, 11:33 PM	#8
sixty8c10 MY EX DRIVES A BROOM Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Herington, KS Posts: 869	this is just what i was looking for, thanx __________________ They say nobody's perfect. I'm a nobody, so I must be perfect. Building Nemo -1968 C10 Long Bed FRED -1947 KB-2 International

01-20-2005, 09:52 AM	#9
Kas68c10 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Freeland,Michigan,USA Posts: 312	Will it be as strong as the original ? What brand of deck boards did you use ? __________________ 1968 SWB Stepside, 250,pwr disc brake and tilt pwr steering, 5 spd tranny, HEI,Accel coil,K&N filter,Seat from a later truck with built in seatbelts, front and rear sway bars, moved gas tank to under the bed, headman hedders, new chrome bumpers,one wire alternator,Weber k550cub carburator...WORK IN PROGRESS, Freeland MI , Just bought a 72 Jimmy!!!!!!!!!!!

01-20-2005, 07:04 PM	#10
ed455 Captain Ed Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Port Charlotte, FL Posts: 1,241	Whatever brand Lowes sells. It's strong enough for a deck with a lifetime warantee, so that's strong enough for me. Ed Last edited by ed455; 01-20-2005 at 09:31 PM.

01-20-2005, 08:00 PM	#11
bucket Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 923	It is probably Trex. I have built decks with it. Good stuff.



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