Wood Bed vs. Metal Bed

[crazy longhorn]

STEEL for function! A wood bed is a very nice looking floor, but I opted for a custom steel floor in my old longhorn. this was done to stiffen the truck up & let it "drive straight" under full throttle the cross sills are 2x3x 1/8wall tubing, with a 3x3 at the rear, & all are tied together with 2x2 tubing(welded tight). its not as pretty as a wood floor, but it stiffened the he!! out of the rear of the truck......i dont have to guess which way the @ss end is going when the throttle is opened up anymore! it goes straight like it should I figure a little spray in liner over a tread plate floor, should look decent crazyL

[MOTHERTRUCKERS]

I did an aluminum diamond plate lwb fleetside years ago, heres a little breakdown at present prices 5x10 sheet of 3/16 polished aluminum diamond plate from ALRO Steel 367.81,(4x8 will not work) 3 12 ft lengths of square aluminum tubing 121.80 (cross members) rebraking and drilling front bed panel 60.00, welding and drilling new shelf in rear sill for plate 40.00, fitting plate to bedsides, welding crossmembers to plate and drilling outer mount holes 10hrs@ 30.00 300.00. polished ss bolts,washers and nylock nuts 55.00. very nice bed you can't use or even touch on a hot day if the sun is shining bright. His next truck after rethinking his options was an oak bed floor with our cross splined and routered edges cleared with PPG 2021 clear and polished strips and bolts. Much better and way less money with a 5 year replacement warranty on the wood.

[fast71]

Harold Shepard is yours swb,if so would you be interrested in doing some swapping on a straight steel floor.I have been told that i have one of the straightest floors around.

[RShaips]

What about rubber floor mats ? anybody found one that fits a SWB? I need one, I was told nobody made them for our trucks, also told that a 88-90's ford truck bed mat can be cut a little to fit nice, anybody know ? Thanks

[shortymac83]

I wonder what it would look like to do up a wood bed in diamond plate? Paint the rails body color, so it's not all shiny, then lay wood and clamp the plating down with the bed rails...hmm...naah, I"ll go with varnish.

[pat]

I was wanting to change my shortwide bed to metal, then Line-X it or whatever, but it looks like that will be too much work. Ill probably end up doing it with wood and making a carpeted plywood or a rubber mat.

[toddtheodd]

I guess I got lucky. The bed of my truck is nice and straight. And so far 2 other board members have told me that. The first time somebody pointed it out, I didn't even know what I had.
Todd