73-87 steel bed in a 1963?

[63GMC305e]

Although my GMC is a 1963, I thought I'd try posting in this 73-87 forum for your knowledge in this matter...?
My standard fleetside (swb) bed is trashed- wood and metal bits all a-tangle.
I would like to weld in a steel bed. The 73-87 steel beds are still available in pristine newness. I was wondering how different the short-beds are, in the wheel-well dimensions? The longbeds seem VERY close, but I haven't been able to find a shortbed 73-87 in a local junkyard anywhere so I can measure it.

Anyone able to measure the distance from the front bed panel, to the front and rear wheel well edges at the floor, in a shortbed 73-87? Or from the tailgate edge? Thanks!

[mongocanfly]

welcome...
it may be much easier to replace your wood floor than welding in a whole floor and getting it right...lots of welding....there have been several steel s10 bed floors welded into the stepside beds....

[63GMC305e]

"welcome...
it may be much easier to replace your wood floor than welding in a whole floor and getting it right...lots of welding....there have been several steel s10 bed floors welded into the stepside beds.... "

It probably would be. I am a fair welder, and have tackled some crazy projects. I'm not a fan of wood beds anyhoo-- it's my ranch truck, kept outside.

Just wondered if anyone could pass on the location dimensions of the wheel wells, in a 73-87 shortbed fleetside. No info at all on the WWW except for longbeds! :-(

[kipps]

I'm interested in what you do with this. I've heard of using squarebody bed floors and supports to fasten the 60's sides to. My brother has a '60 long bed that will need similar treatment. The bedsides are flopping, and pretty much everything down there is trashed. The only way to put it back to original would be complete fabrication. Seems using a good squarebody bed as a base would be a lot easier.

If you don't get much response, you might try changing the title of your thread to something like "measurements needed on a short bed." That might catch the eye of folks with short beds.

If you find that the short bed is not exact, you'd probably be better off cutting down a long bed instead of modifying a short bed.

[RADustin]

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/1211c...ed-floor-swap/