Using 88-98 fleet floor on 67-72 bed?

[gringoloco]

I saw a post a while ago about someone thinking of doing this. Anyone ever heard of it?

The cross sills line up exactly and there are plenty of rust free examples around.
The wheel wells are also in the right place.

I'm thinking if I have the dimensions/ bolt hole placement for a 67-72 floor, I could modify one to work well.

Anyone have measurements of a stock steel floor?

Comments/ suggestions? Is this too far fetched?

[SCOTI]

I haven't seen it w/a 67~72 but did w/a 73 & later truck. The owner did a few other mods but it looked clean & you couldn't tell it wasn't a stock steel floor.

Since these trucks share many other common parts (drivetrain & suspension) I don't see why a bed floor wouldn't work.

[gringoloco]

Good to know its been done before.

So, does anyone have measurements, or know where I can find them?

Thanks,

Chris

[Bob B.]

I don't have the measurements on me, but I know that the 88-98 beds are tapered. They are a bit narrower at the rear.

[badpeanut]

Could the '73-'87 or '88-'98 bed floors be used for patch panels on a '67-'72 or are the ribbed profiles different?

[dennislbrooks]

I was one that mentioned using the 73-87 bed floors -- if I do another I will take that route. I believe it comes in 2 halves, not sure. If you need the dimensions on a 67-72 swb -- I have a plywood template I can measure. If you decide to do this, give us step by step and every tree you hit.

[boundstaffpress]

My bed floor is rusted out, and I am planning on this same swap. 88-98 would sure be easier to find.

Let us know. I'll be eager to hear how it comes out.

more later
Justin

[stueber68]

I am looking to reshaping a 68 long wide floor to go in place of the wood floor of my short step. I think I may have even found out how to compensate for the cross sill height difference. Still trying to make sure. The bolt holes just have to be drilled once you cut it to length and width and you have to relocate the rear most cross sill to bolt it down.

[dennislbrooks]

Harmon's and probably others have the metal bed floors in 2 halves. 96"x38" right and left for about $115 each. I do not have an LMC catalog for 73-87.

I reused the oem sills--drilled out I think it was 115 spot welds. I purchased a new rear sill.

[chevy71super]

I bought the halves mentioned above. It was a lot of work but it looks fairly good. (I will try and get pictures.) I used an air chisel to separate the original bed floor from the cross sills. The new halves need to be cut down to size (mine was a short box) and welded together in the middle. Metal is much thinner than stock so warpage can be a real problem. You must be patient. It ended up being more work than if I had replaced it with a wood floor.

[boundstaffpress]

My problem is mostly with the rear edge of my bed.

Don't the bed halves stop before the "ribbing" lays flat and turns down to form the end of the bed?

This is the section I need. I would rather replace with a full floor and sills instead of fabricating this piece.

[dennislbrooks]

Understand thin pieces--my corragated bed has a 14 gauage deck plate floor under it--added 150 lbs but does not give at all when you are on it. There are some guys that have good used swb steel bed floors out there.

[gringoloco]

Great lookin' truck Dennis. I would love to get those dimensions if its not too much trouble. How's the bedliner holdin' up?

If I can pull this off it will be documented, photographed, posted and hopefully FAQd.

Unless, of course, someone close has a decent floor for sale with sills?

[dennislbrooks]

My template--sure would let you use it if you were closer -has all the holes in it also -- is a symetrical half of 35.5" by 78". or 71" wide by 78" long. Do a sanity check on yours.

Just to show you how stupid I can get --- every side of everything in the bed was disassembled , sandblasted, and coated top and bottom with Zero- Rust. Then all assemble and painted as a unit. The bedliner is color matched - PermaTech- a urethane and is doing great.

[gringoloco]

Thanks, it looks like a piece of artwork hangin' on the wall there.

[chevy71super]

I cut the bed about 1/4 inch long at the pack and used a hammer to pound the ribs over the last cross member and tack welded. I was pleased with the result, it looks very "factory". However I noticed in this month's Classic Truck magazine (red 67 on the cover) that Classic Industry (I believe) is selling reproduction steel floors for 73-87 trucks. With some work they may fit 67-72. Worth a phone call to check cost and get some measurements.

[pound41]

I haven't done my yet but I saw a post a guy had done on Colorado K5 before rockerboxes and all the parts were available for his blazer. He refabbed it all. What he did at the end if the bed to get the tapered look was he had his measurements and he cut out a couple of small pieces of pie shaped metal from the end of each rib. Tapped them down. I am not explaining it very well. but the way they over lapped he was welding metal to metal seams. when he was done grinding it looked factory. A really nice job.