Wood floor delete from box ideas

[NiftyFifty]

Curious, anyone deleted the wood floor in their box and go to a solid steel or aluminum floor? Just like to see what others have done, should have my box back this weekend and I want to make it sold before I start working with the filler on it. I'm building a custom box top, so I don't want a show wood floor that will never be seen.

Looking for the frame work you built to attach back to frame and potentially what you covered with. I'm thinking aluminum myself.

Thanks

[Plymouthy Adams]

Curious, anyone deleted the wood floor in their box and go to a solid steel or aluminum floor? Just like to see what others have done, should have my box back this weekend and I want to make it sold before I start working with the filler on it. I'm building a custom box top, so I don't want a show wood floor that will never be seen.

Looking for the frame work you built to attach back to frame and potentially what you covered with. I'm thinking aluminum myself.

Thanks

if you have it sold should not the other guy be working the bed or is that a condition of the sale...

[Jeff Balazs]

Before I bought my Pilothouse I looked hard at a 57 that had diamond plate aluminum in the bed. It looked like the owner had just left out the divider strips and cut the metal to fit in place of the wood. I walked around it it and it felt pretty solid but the rear axle was locked up so I never got to hear if it squeaked a lot. That would be the one thing about metal in the bed that would bother me. It has to be done carefully or it can be noisy.

 

Jeff

[Dave72dt]

I think the word was supposed to be "solid", not sold.  The easiest and least expensive would probably be a sheet of plywood.  The wood is also used as a spacer between the box sides and the crossmembers.  You would need to build spacers when using some kind of metal bed to align running board holes or redrill those holes.  I'm not sure how they would fit up with the vertical edge of the boards either.  They may or may clear the bed if the bed was dropped..  You would also need to fab in some support at the front bed panel since the would sits on top of the lip.

[NiftyFifty]

if you have it sold should not the other guy be working the bed or is that a condition of the sale...

Solid....not sold....autocorrect strikes again!

I'm thinking of building a 1" square fame to fit the box, then the metal on top of that, but then I will have to make up the new cross pieces that mount box to bed.... Figured if someone had been there and solved all the issues, might save some time. I don't want any wood at all in the box, so plywood is out

[Dave72dt]

Use 3/4" instead of the 1", maybe some 3/4 x 1 1/2 or 2 rectangular if you can get it, where the bed strips would go and some self tapping screws to fasten them to the stock cross pieces, lay your flat stock over the top and plug weld or screw to the rectangular tubing. You could also bolt the flat stock and "strips" to the original cross pieces if you don't mind the heads sticking above the surface, countersunk bolts if you want it smooth.

[pflaming]

Things slide all the time on metal floors and if it is exposed to the sun, forget about getting into it. There is a reason why so many moodern trucks have some form of rubber pad. I used a 3/4" piece of marine plywood. Still happy with it.

[NiftyFifty]

It will have a box top, and I don't ride in the back , and its working days are long behind it..building as a cruiser/car show toy for spring to fall only...its spent the last 4 years hauling vintage sleds to car shows, those days are done too

[clarkoh]

I did a customers 51 with regular plywood, sprayed with bedliner material and added the steel strips on top.  Not the greatest looking, but functional and pretty much water proofed.  Used 3/4 exterior glued.  3/4" is the trick to keep the crossmembers and the tailgate in the correct plane so the running boards and fender all come out close.

[55 Fargo]

You could go with "Aluminum" trailer decking, with metal or wood braces along supports to creat correct thickness and height.

This is a porduct, but of course isa large order supplier. I suggest getting ahold of some commrecial trailer builders, or Fort Garry Industries in Winnipeg for prices and availability.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/aluminum-trailer-decking_1803546478.html

[NiftyFifty]

There is a good metal supplier locally here, or I will order out of the US...pricing through a middle man would be too costly in my mind. I can adjust the box height a bit by raising the running boards if needed, but only allows for maybe 1/2" difference without it being noticeable. I want zero wood, not a sliver in the truck..so the tubing idea works best for me and I'm going to likely cover the two edges on the box sides that would cover the outer edge of the stock wood, or cut those right off as their pretty rough on the box I have. There might be an option to use stainless in the box floor as well, the local scrap place sometimes gets used sheets in that I may be able to make into 2 or 3 sections.

Quick question on a completely different topic, anyone know if their drip rails over the doors are factory brazed at the end or should they be welded front to back? Mine are both brazed with brass on each end and it was under the blue original paint...just curious as their fairly messy jobs

[Dave72dt]

My '51 is spot welded, no brass, ends or otherwise.  A pillar itself, may have been at the very bottom, just past the drip rail

Edited September 3, 2014 by Dave72dt

[NiftyFifty]

TTT, just curious if any other members have already done this job or not. Been so many years since I had a box on my truck I can't remember how it all attaches. Is it just the bolts running through the bed strips and cross members that hold the box on? As in strips are bolted to front and back and that's what hold it all down?

[ggdad1951]

see this:

 

http://p15-d24.com/topic/30202-building-your-own-wood-bed/?hl=wood

[ruff1148kr]

You have to check this guy out !  saw his stuff at Daytona a few years back  makes metal beds for all types of old wood bed trucks

 

make them that they look so good you have to touch it to see if it is wood or metal. Had a many designs of wood grain and art . Real cool.   http://www.smokeyroadrodshop.com/

 

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2015 by ruff1148kr

[NiftyFifty]

see this:

 

http://p15-d24.com/topic/30202-building-your-own-wood-bed/?hl=wood

Thanks, just one question...the lip on the front panel sits above the wood right?

[Merle Coggins]

Thanks, just one question...the lip on the front panel sits above the wood right?

 

As I recall the wood sits on top of the front panel lip.

[Dave72dt]

Wood on top, front and rear

[Jeff Balazs]

You might consider putting down a plywood deck and skinning over the top of it with metal.

[greg g]

Well the studebaker I have has a metal bed.  I will put the diamond tread garage floor mats in it once I get there.  They would work over Ply wood.  

 

http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/StaplesProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogIdentifier=2&partNumber=234851&langid=-1&cid=PS:GooglePLAs:234851&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=234851&KPID=234851&kpid=234851&gclid=CNT-g_jzlsUCFdgdgQodDRkAwQ

[Tommy]

I did this years ago on an old Ford.

I used 11 Ga. steel, but aluminum would work fine. I tossed the top strips but did install the cross braces on the bottom. I made a cardboard template of the bed and the metal supplier cut the piece to fit.

LOTS of holes to drill. I assembled the whole bed and plopped it into place.

The steel was thinner the original wood so I made wooden spacers to make up the difference so the bed sat at the proper height. A tedious, but not difficult project.

[NiftyFifty]

Ya, I'm in for some work, because my box side strips that you would attach too were basically gone, so I had them cut the remaining off and grind it smooth, that way I can just attach the tubing right to the box side, but I'll have to get my height correct to have the fenders line up I guess. I still have the lip on my front panel, but it's rotten too, but I'll keep it for now so i can have the correct height. I'm going in next week to have new cross pieces bent and a rear pan, as mine was too damaged to save. I've leaning closer to no tailgate now too...just flat boxed steel like the front panel that is solid....no plans to put anything in the box but a small tool box and my bags if we're traveling.