Bed Floor (wood or diamond plate)

[kombreeze]

I'm debating on what I should do with my stepside. Should I replace the rotting wood with new wood. If I do that what kind of wood should I use? I plan on using it as a truck. Nice lowered but use what it's meant for. So my other option is to feel the back with a diamond plate. Years ago I bought a 63 that was done that way. Only thing is who would I even call to get something like that. It looked fabricated and the guy that I got it from had got it like that too....(tow yard). What kind of beds have you guys done.

[67chevy2wd]

I saw one at a small car show the other day the guy laid alumnim sheets down in place of the wood and then put the straps over the aluminun. I thought it looked pretty good. Thinking about doing it myself.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Diamond plate is heavy!!! Go with wood. My dad and I installed treated "deck boards" in my 67 back in 1997 and this is how they look recently. Didn't even use any bed strips. The only thing about using the deck boards was that they raised my bed about 1/8" but with a stepside, how are you going to be able to tell?? I've recently painted the truck and I am going to sand them down a tick and stain them all purty again (they were never stained )

[samwise68]

i say go with diamond plate.

i plan on doing it with my K20. and look at it this way as for being heavy - more traction should it be needed. always a plus, in my opinion.

[glock35ipsc]

Aluminum diamond plate is extremely lightweight. But it may be too light for hauling anything substantial

[Longhorn Man]

glock beat me to it... alluminum diamond plate will weigh 1/2 as much as the wood... if not less.
Polish it, and it'll look sweet in the shade, and in the sun, it'll give you sunburn under your chin and in your nose.
The cool part on the diamond plate, you can still toss things in there (light weight items) and won't damage it as quickly as you would damage a wooden floor. (talking upper end cruise-in type level here) However, the alluminum will need polished a few times a year, if you let it go, it'll be a total b!tch to make it shine again.

[kombreeze]

Where can that Diamond plate be purchased....I've not a clue on where to get a sheet that size.

[cdowns]

check your local yellow pages for a metal supplier or go to a local welding supply company and ask them wjere you can get it local

[Longhorn Man]

78 inches long by 50 inches wide is all that's needed... isn't that about the normal sixe?

[kombreeze]

Thanks for your help all of you.....this forum is great.

[Stepside_Sweden]

I have diamond plate in mine, it's really nice , i'll take some pictures of it.
It's not so heavy it's a mix of stainless steel and something else - so it's lighter than ordinary diamondplate.

But i recon you can use ordinary stainless aswell, it's quite strong, so you dont need to use very thick plates so in the end i think its lighter than wood anyway.