Steel bed in a 64?

[1964C10]

I have been looking at the bed size measurements and it looks like a 68 longbed fleetside steel bed will fit into a 64? Has anyone ever done this?

[protrash64]

Ive seen one but didnt know what the donor vehicle was....I thought 73-87 chevy/Gmc. It was a shortbed. Its definitely possible to do.

[1964C10]

Thanks for the info!

Looking at the pictures of a steel bed, it appears that the rear cross sill is integrated into the floor. Also from reading other posts, the front panel needs to be different obviously to make up for the difference in thickness between the steel and the wood. The sides on my truck are in decent shape but the angle strips are just about gone so I know I will have to reweld those. My main question is whether the width is the same, the cross sills are in the same location and if the wheel wells will fit.

[Captainfab]

I could compare some measurements tomorrow and let you know. I'll be getting my steel floor bed for my '68 ready to be blasted tomorrow so I'll right there anyway.

[1964C10]

That would be awesome!! I think the most critical measurements would be the spacing between the cross sills and the size of the areas in front and behind the wheel opening right?

[elmer64]

Member Ob1monkey just put a steel floor from a '67 into his '66. I'll have him post up some pics.

[1964C10]

Thanks! would love to talk to him as well and find out what it involved, hangups etc.

[ob1monkey]

I'm really bad about pics but will try to get some tonight of it. the measurments are near perfect. you need to move the front panel lip up or I just added a 3/4 inch square bar and drilled it to match. I used the whole floor cross sills in all they all fit great my mounting hole were off by little. had some friend help eye it in place the redrilled the holes. they were really close almost perfect,could just have been my truck yours might line right up. the tailgate fits the rear cross sill with no rubing and it looks awsome. I will try to remember to take pics tonight.

[1964C10]

Thank you! I'd appreciate it! I forgot that the steel beds come with the cross sills welded on. Where did you find your bed? Here in SoCal there aren't many u-pull-it yards so that might take awhile.

[ob1monkey]

craigslist, paid 150 for it. bed was in great shape tried selling the rest for 25 a panel but to no avail. guess down here the 67-72 beds are everywhere.

[1964C10]

Thanks!....looking right now....

[Captainfab]

Although it sounds as though you've found your answer I will reply as promised. With the measurements I took today I would say that the steel floors will fit the '60-'66 fleetside beds.

[1964C10]

Thank you for taking the measurements!! I have not been able to find anything here locally so I am definitely looking at other options if I want it done at some point in time lol.

[Captainfab]

I have a bed floor out of a '74 lwb at the shop. I'll take some measurements and see how it compares. It may be easier to find a '73-'87 bed floor?

[ob1monkey]

sorry about the delay photobucket was screwed up for some reason. but here are a couple.


this one shows that the body lines even line up correctly

[1964C10]

Save to computer, save to computer lol....Thank you Ob1! that looks like a perfect fit.

[BTCHN 1963]

OB1monkey,
Could you take a picture or two of the underside? Also you mentioned in your first post that you had to put a 3/4" spacer under your front bed panel, coould you take a picture of that also. Did you have any problems with the frame mounting holes?

[originalJD]

I've always wondered about this subject. Now that I've seen it, I think I like it. I'm gonna try it first chance I get.

[Captainfab]

I measured up the '74 floor I have and the width is about 1/4" wider, the length is a little long, but the main problem is with the wheel wells. The '73-'87 wheel wells are longer, so unless you are willing to try and make them work, you would have to ass some metal to be able to use the older wheel wells. And then the crosssills aren't in the right place. So overall it would be a lot of work to use a '73-'87 steel bed floor in and older truck.

[Alan's Classic]

Originally Posted by ob1monkey

sorry about the delay photobucket was screwed up for some reason. but here are a couple.


this one shows that the body lines even line up correctly

Pics don't work

Originally Posted by 1964C10

Save to computer, save to computer lol....Thank you Ob1! that looks like a perfect fit.

If you saved the pics can you post them up. 198plus is thinking about having me do this to his bed. Thanks

[1964C10]

Thanks for taking those measurements John and verifying that, now we wont waste money on the wrong year bed!

[ob1monkey]

I will repost them I think photobucket has been having lots of problems. As for the underside photos give me a week or so and I will get some the truck is very low and hard to get under(even when its aired up I can brley get under it.)

[ob1monkey]

I guess the wifey decided to move the photos into albums on the account last night. must have screwed up the link code. here are the pic again.

[94tx]

Here's a bad shot of my steel bed, in a 65 swb fleet. The PO told me he used a bed floor out of a 73-87 gen C10 bed. Looks like it was a really good fit too.

[Captainfab]

Originally Posted by 94tx

Here's a bad shot of my steel bed, in a 65 swb fleet. The PO told me he used a bed floor out of a 73-87 gen C10 bed. Looks like it was a really good fit too.

What was done to get the crosssills to bolt up, mainly forward of the differential? How well do the '73-'87 wheelwells fit up to the bedsides?