Has anyone ever converted a wood bed to steel bed floor?

[71c10tim]

just curious, as i have a wood bed with amazing bedsides and a steel bed with bad sides but a good bottom.

So far ive read using the search button is ill have to swap the front panel for the shorter steel bottom.

or should i just keep it wood bed?

thoughts/reactions?

[casper71]

That is correct, just replace front panel. It is more of a preference as to use steel floor or replace wood. Good luck.

[GR8-68]

Rear cross rail is also different, I prefer wood myself, but that is all preference and probably the intended purpose of the truck. And also I am a woodworker so I love the beauty of wood

[El Dorado Jim]

you are correct, change the front panel, you will have to cut the welds at the back of the bed also, where the bedsides join the bottom piece, and then reweld them to the new bed,I have done this on my son's truck,pretty easy to do and I prefer the metal over the wood,the wood will warp when wet and obviously rot out over time

[In The Ten Ring]

I wish I could get you a pic but my truck's bed is loaded with spare fenders. My dad bought my truck new and by the '80's the bed was rotted out.

My dad was a welder for a coal company and they let employees have whatever left over material they wanted. Dad made his own bed, out of 1/8 inch steel.

He welded the same material onto the bedsides and perhaps the front too although I have never looked. The welds are all the way down, seamless, and without warping. This would have been done with a Lincoln Electric 225 AC welder. I imagine he was using what was called a "Super 1000 Mild Steel Rod" (no longer made under that name) but I cannot be sure on what rod.

He did it at our old home and the bed will hold water.

He plug welded it to the frame, which means 4 bolts hold it to the frame with the bolt heads welded to the new bed floor and their heads ground down smooth. He has removed the new bed at least once, at our old home, by himself.

The bed is a fine one, when walked on it flexes a bit and makes the sound you could imagine that much flat metal making when it flexes. It works great and in dad's words "would last a long time."

The truck is a stepside.

If I buy another truck with a wood bed, that's what I would go back with. I'd use that plastic-type of "wood" such as my parents used on their back porch. It has faded out in the sun but no cracks, no splinters, no knots, no splits. 10 years it's been out there and is still perfect for bare feet.

[GR8-68]

Well Wood is just like metal it has to taken care of to preserve in the elements. Wood or metal will last as long as you take care of it. Just a matter of ones opinion and whether they want to take care of their bed or not.

Sounds like a tough bed inthetenring

[Metaldoc]

Composite decking, no maintenance.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by GR8-68

Well Wood is just like metal it has to taken care of to preserve in the elements. Wood or metal will last as long as you take care of it. Just a matter of ones opinion and whether they want to take care of their bed or not.

Sounds like a tough bed inthetenring

You are right. Thank you also for the bed compliment.

My truck has hauled some impressive loads....I recall once (I was a very little boy then) dad pulled onto a coal mine and an end-loader filled the bed with coal.