First had to cut metal out welded all the way around. Added extra braces from a 75 bed I had. Made brace spacers from lexan with hole saw. All cross braces leveled front to back. Cut trex type decking to lenth. This had a groove down both sides. Measure width of bed and figured out how much space to put in between. Cut alluminum strips to place in grooves between boards Bed floor is not bolted down it's just laying on braces There is a angle at front and rear over the edge. I'll post pictures but may not be in order. Doing it this way I can take it out and put back without removing bolts.
What kind of aluminum strip did you use and how was it cut down???
Dan
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Work next door to a window company and it was some scrap off a sheet they had. Maybe 3/16 thick. It fit the groove very well. Used a metal shear to cut.
So just a vertical 3/16' thick strip of aluminum then,
What keep them in place between the boards???
Dan
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Do those strips rest in the side grooves of the boards (edge to edge)?
Dan
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Are you going to add bed strips? It would be real easy to do, except for all of the drilling in the aluminum. With some careful planning, you could predrill all of the aluminum on a drill press before assembly. I would make the holes larger than the bed strips bolts so that it will be easier to fish the bolts down through the cross sills. BTW, you do not need to worry about having a groove in the bedwood where the bed strips lay like original bedwood. The bed strips work just fine laid on top of your flat boards. I did one of my beds with those kind of deck boards. It looks just like it should.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
In one picture, it looks like the aluminum is vertical soo itnis visible between each board, but in another it looks like it is being used like a tongue or a biscuit between the boards to keep them locked together.
Do you have a profile pic from the end that shows where the aluminum is relative to everyrhing else?
You are really going to town on this project. New bed, T5 conversion, all the progress!
Alluminum does act as a biscuit between. Rattles no. Hit a big bump it can kinda bang once and awhile. Plan was to put a rubber strip made from some inner tube on the rails. Just never got back to it. Been driving it to much and it's useful the way it is. As far as moving along. I do ok but have had the truck 2 years. I just tinker on it when I get the chance. I spend more time planning a project than working on it. But with correct planning things go a lot smoother. Thanks fellas
