Looking For Wood Bed Floor Install Tips

[Dodge68charger]

I'd Like To Install My Own Wood Bed Floor. I'll Purchase The Wood from a Local Big Box Store.
Just Wondering If Anyone Has Any Tip or Info On How To Do This. Thanks
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[Zeroman]

I don't know what tips are looking for, but here is some bed wood info.

https://gmcpauls.com/47-72_BedWood_Info.htm

[Sweeet67]

Be ready to either break or cut or drill most of the bolts holding it in. Unless they are fairly new. I cut a slot with a dremel tool in the head of the perimeter bolts, so I could put a screwdriver on them. Have an air or electric ratchet to install the new bolts. Triple check the hole location of the bed mounting bolts before you drill holes. Possibly even marking the location off of the old bed wood if it’s still together enough to mark. Spend plenty of time and materials to get the wood coated well before you install. You won’t be wanting to take it out again anytime soon. Remember, you like working on your old truck!

[davepl]

Here's a tip: If installing in a painted truck, don't stab the cab with the bed rails with you're inserting them.

[tdangle]

Originally Posted by davepl

Here's a tip: If installing in a painted truck, don't stab the cab with the bed rails with you're inserting them.

Speaking from experience??

[AussieinNC]

Speaking from experience, most big box lumber nowadays is junk...

Try and locate a decent lumber yard for your stock...

Some folk use Trex style composite materials...watch the thickness as its usually too thin to match the original lip depth

Also, how were you thinking about bolting the boards down?

Maybe do a search on the forum for bed boards and check out the threads and some horror stories...

There are a couple of really good cabinet builders on the forum...that can supply you with custom cut and drilled and routed bed board sets ready for you to finish...one is GR8-68 ...he is a great guy and provides excellent workmanship...

Hope this helps

[jayoldschool]

I've done two beds. Cut the boards from scratch for each one. TREX fascia boards for my truck, and hickory in my buddy's. Did the cuts on a radial arm saw for mine, and table saw for his. Built mine flat, did his standing up. Up is much, much easier... but you need a bunch of guys to lift. I installed mine myself with an engine hoist and a strap.

[sick472]

I made my bed from scratch. It was a metal bed and I converted it to wood without a kit. I'm sure there is an easier way, but I'm hard headed that way. A few tips...

1.) Treat each board as it's own. Cut them long, install and mark the fitted length and cut again. Mark them somehow so you know exactly where the go, as much as we would like to think that the second one from the right could be flipped over to the second one from the left...it probably won't!

2.) Be prepared to assemble, mark lengths/holes, disassemble, and resemble, check for fit, mark again, dissemble, waller holes, reassemble...you get the picture.

3.) Always check for squareness at each step. I used ratchet straps crisscrossed beneath the bed and a measuring tape to ensure the bed was square each time I fit boards.

4.) I used 3/8 bolts for fitting the bed up around the perimeter which is a real pain, but once it's done, I switched to 5/16 bolts and they were guaranteed to drop in. The holes were big enough for the 3/8 bolts, so dropping 5/16 in the end was now easy.

5.) I built my bed on the truck piece by piece. At the end, it was fairly obvious that the bed was not going to just lift off the frame in it's complete assembly. The bolts going through the frame brackets had bound such that lifting it off would likely scar the threads (my bed was build to hid all the hardware so it did not have the though carriage bolts that are typically going through the wood). Hind sight, open the frame and bracket holes up by a 1/4 inch. Luckily, the bed does not need to come back off.

6.) Be very picky with respect to the lumber and be ready to install it very soon after you buy it. Box store lumber tends to warp on you unless you buy the hardwoods and that can get pricey quick. You can stack the lumber and strap it tight to help reduce the warping, but in the end, it will be the bed assembly that keeps it straight. Hard woods are not that big of a deal here, but your white woods can do some pretty squirrely stuff if left unrestrained.

7.) Cheap step bits from harbor freight are a great tool.

8.) These folks have alot of great info...Mar-K...look here...

http://www.mar-k.com/index.php/tips-and-tricks

9.) and, make sure you read the "Test" articles on the above page for when it comes to wood and treatments.

A few show off pics...

[jayoldschool]

^^Those extra wood panels are really cool, nice work.

I used the GMC Paul's dimensions, btw.

You need a friend. I did my bed myself. Put bolt in, get underneath, lock washer, washer, nut... then crawl back up to put a weight on the bolt so it stops popping out. Then back under. Don't do that. That red bed we did so fast. One guy putting bolt in, other zipping the washers/nuts down with a cordless impact.

I agree with the step bit, and I also agree that you will have to wallow out some holes.

Get it done!

[ho70]

I just did mine and it wasn't pleasant. I used a special socket to get the old bolts off as they are square nuts (https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...p.html#srp)You can use an 8 point socket but I couldn't find one anywhere. Most broke and some I used a grinder on the heads. I painted the strips and it cost me 350 bucks in matched color aerosols to paint the strips and fenders. The fenders were new and came stuck together and it took an hour to get them apart and they were out of shape and still don't line up. I purchased boards already milled and got the wrong board twice-still waiting on the new ones. I used sickens deck finish and it takes 30 hours in between coats. good luck