Steel Bed Floor?

[Mikecc6]

If you use the 67-72 steel floor in a 64-66 fleetside, do you use the 67-72 wheel tubs or 64-66?

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by Mikecc6

If you use the 67-72 steel floor in a 64-66 fleetside, do you use the 67-72 wheel tubs or 64-66?

The 60-66 tubs are the only tubs that fit your bedsides.
The 67-72 and the 60-66 floor pattern is the same.

[Mikecc6]

Thanks PMD, appreciate the info

[67Monster]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Something I thought of doing many years ago but didn't was to make up some formed steel 'planks' and bolt them together side by side. These would have to be made on a press brake or a sheet metal brake. They would be flat on the top and then would have 2-90* bends on each side to form a sort of 'C'. These would have a somewhat smooth surface but still resemble the wood floor. I don't know how cost effective it would be either......just an idea.

Coworker took his wood bed apart and did just that with diamond plate. Looks pretty nice, though I don't have a picture of it.

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by markeb01

I used diamond plate aluminum for mine, although there have been times I wished I'd used steel diamond plate instead just to increase the weight on the back half of the truck.

To build the floor I used a piece of 3/4" marine plywood the same width as the floor, then split it down the middle so I could slip it under the angle rails on the sides, leaving a joint down the middle. Before installation I coated the wood on all sides with fiberglass resin (no cloth just resin) to completely seal the wood. I then rested 48" wide diamond plate on top and bolted it in place. I didn't have any way to get it under the angle rails, so it's centered and just touching the edges of the rails.

For 10 years I had a Gaylord bed cover installed so nobody could see it anyway. It's certainly not show worthy, but for a working truck it's easy and looks nice. The only pictures I have are very poor quality but show how it looks.




I've crawled under and looked at it and other than having 10 years of road dirt on it, the wood looks good as new with no deterioration.

.
Somebody did Steel Diamond Plate in mine.

[Brad54]

Hmmm... Diamond plate in the back of my '62 long-step 4x4 would be pretty easy, and probably a lot cheaper than a wood bed kit...

-Brad

[Budman56]

Hello guys I finally got around to doing my metal bed swap, so here is how it went started saturday morning and finished with the install sunday evening. it was pretty straight forward, I removed the old wood and slats then the sides tailgate and front header. after all that was done I started by putting the metal bed on the truck and then bolted the side and header on. once that was done i had to cut the front header 3/4" and rewelded it back to gether so it could be bolted to the bed.

[Budman56]

part 2

[Mikecc6]

Nice job!

[TheLast929]

I just bought my '69 Long-Horn (8.5 foot bed!)from the original owner's son last year. They were both metal workers and replaced the wood floor about 15 years ago. They used steel diamond plate. I forgot what thickness, but I remember thinking "dang that's thick". The sub-flooring is all square tubing welded to the frame. So needless to say I won't be pulling the bed off this thing for some time!

[rudy62]

I used 3/4" spacers to make up for the space difference.

[Idaho64GMC]

Originally Posted by Budman56

part 2

Budman, what year was that steel floor? Looks really good.

I'm wanting to put an 86 bed in my 64 and wondering if anyone has done it that can offer advise. Looked like some mixed reviews earlier in this thread but wondering if there is any updated information to be shared.

Thanks

[rudy62]

I put a 72 metal floor in my truck bed. I know that these trucks used the same parts up to a certain year in the 80's. I wanted a bed floor as close to my year as possible, because in my mind I hoped it would be less work.

[66-PMD-GMC]

I've been using 67-72 steel bed floors on 60-66 trucks for many years. 63-66 is a drop on and bolt up situation since the frames are identical to 2nd gen C10s.
I'll likely never use wood for a bedfloor again.
Especially since steel floors are a fraction of the price of wood.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Idaho64GMC

Budman, what year was that steel floor? Looks really good.

I'm wanting to put an 86 bed in my 64 and wondering if anyone has done it that can offer advise. Looked like some mixed reviews earlier in this thread but wondering if there is any updated information to be shared.

Thanks

Since there are no formed sections on the floor sides where the gas filler/s would be located on the bedsides, that steel floor would most likely be 67-72.

[Idaho64GMC]

For anyone who was like me and wondered about the 73-87 bed floor, it does work. I just completed the swap on my 64 GMC with an 86 GMC bed floor and it was quite simple to do. I will share photos soon of my swap.

[60apache]

Originally Posted by Idaho64GMC

For anyone who was like me and wondered about the 73-87 bed floor, it does work. I just completed the swap on my 64 GMC with an 86 GMC bed floor and it was quite simple to do. I will share photos soon of my swap.

please post pictures, I am wanting to do a steel floor swap in my 1960. when I do it, it will be a raised bed floor cause I'm doing a porterbuilt rear section. I have been looking at the different years and 73-87 is half the price of 67-72 and I measured today and the width is the same but length may be a tad off. The good thing is the holes are not pre drilled in it and that will be good since it is raised and I plan to weld it in.

[Jcox68rt]

I used an 87 long bed I picked up for $100. I cut 12” out of front and 8” out of rear and used the fender wells also. I also raised the bed floor by 3-3/4” to clear gas tank filler and new suspension. Worked out slick.

[Auctioneerhere]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

I'm getting the 67-72 bed floor swap down.
I've done a number of them they are 99 % bolt in.
A spacer in the front or fold the header panel bottom up 3/4" higher.
And two notches for clearance on the back support rail..
That's it for a fleetside conversion. .

I just put a 70 GMC 8ft. steel floor on my 61 4x4 frame & it does not line up with any of the wood bed mounting holes.

I will have to add or adjust body mounts for the bed to bolt down properly.

[cwcarpenter98]

Originally Posted by Auctioneerhere

I just put a 70 GMC 8ft. steel floor on my 61 4x4 frame & it does not line up with any of the wood bed mounting holes.

I will have to add or adjust body mounts for the bed to bolt down properly.

It lines up with the 63-66 frames but not the 60-62 frames because of the difference in width of the two frames