The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Repairing / replacing floorboard

I ordered a L & R side floorboard. While working on her today I’m trying to figure out why the cab appear s lower in the right. The right front corner of the floor is rusted out but I can’t find why it’s lower on the right. I replaced a rusted out support bolt today.
I’ll post pictures if that helps.
The new floorboards don’t appear to be correct. Do most of them require cutting and more fabrication?
I was planning on just putting the new sheet metal over the old stuff using sheet metal screws & some kind of sealer & silencer material.
Thanks for advice!

Your last photo shows the rocker rusted away from the A pillar, which would explain why the rear of the cab is listing to the right. You'll need to fix that.

Your plan on putting new sheet metal over the rusted stuff isn't a good one. You'll find that it won't work well. You should really cut away the rusted panel and weld the new panels in place. As an example, if you take two hemispheres of the same diameter, they won't nest exactly because of the thickness of the material. If you don't have a Factory Assembly Manual, you should get one and refer to the cab welding dimensions shown on Section 1, Sheet 1.07. You should get the floor and rocker in the right location reference to the door hinge bolts on the A pillar.

You'll also find that most repair panels aren't a perfect fit and will need trimming, bending, etc.

I've been through this. You can look at the photo link in my signature and follow along.

I also have been thru this saga so here’s my insight.
Key Considerations for Floor Replacement

Sheet Metal Layers:

• Adding sheet metal over the existing floor can trap moisture, which may lead to accelerated rusting.
• It's essential to address the root cause of rust rather than just covering it up.

Repair Experience:

• Learning from others, like Kevin's truck floor repair, can provide useful insights.
• Visual references and methods shared by others can help navigate the labor-intensive process.

DIY vs. Professional Help:

• Many forum members have successfully completed similar projects, but it's crucial to evaluate your own skills and comfort level with metalwork.
• If the project feels overwhelming, hiring a professional may be a prudent choice.

Structural Integrity:

• The separation of the A pillar from the rocker is a significant concern, as it affects the structural integrity of the cab.
• Addressing any issues in this area is critical for safety and stability.

Time Commitment

• This project is substantial and requires a significant investment of time, money, and patience.
• A typical timeframe for a DIYer can range from one to two years, depending on the time available to devote to the project.
• Balancing shop time with family commitments is a common challenge, typically adding a significant amount of time that we don’t account for.

Thank you for helping. I thought that right front was the main issue. I do have a Factory Assembly Manual!!
I’d like to at least see your pictures & progress. Sorry I don’t know how to find them?
I’ll see if I can find local to help me.

Thank you for advising me. Sometimes my wants & desires are not advisable to go through with.
I’ll see if I can locate someone local that can work on it for me.

Here is a link to where Kevin is documenting his build in the Project Journal forum.

Phil, I need to get back to that project Journal. I still have nearly 5 years to go to get it up to date.

Glennj3, HERE is the start of the photos of the floor repair. Phil's link shows mainly the highlights. Click on that link and then scroll left to see the whole set of pictures. Some have descriptions on them, and some are just pictures of the mess I started with.
Feel free to ask specific questions and we can help out.

You’re doing an off chassis restoration, I could never attempt that! Keep at it or it will never get done.
I removed all of the (looks like tin & all of those screws & rivets yesterday. Then jacked up the right side (it was about 1 1/2 inch low). The metal collapsed.
It’s still a 1/16 low. I have 2x4 holding it up against the running board.
What size sheet metal do I need, 3/16 ths?
That left has not collapsed yet but is close. That bolt is doing nothing I can spin it.
The outside has a vent but I Don’t know what their purpose is? The Px side has a removable panel but the driver side does not.

Whether you pull the cab off the frame or not, you need to get it aligned to the proper dimensions shown in the Factory Assembly Manual. Get out your tape measure. I think you'll have trouble with the rocker on the right side if you don't pull it off the frame, although some of the guys would disagree. Having it off the frame gives you much better access. I would replace that right side rocker panel with a repop one. Or at least use a portion of a replacement panel. With the condition of your floor, I'd consider buying a Complete Replacement Floor..

3/16 metal is way too thick. If you're using raw sheet metal, 18 gauge is close to what you want. Supposedly the factory used 19 gauge, which is slightly thinner than 18 gauge, but not enough to make a difference. There are a few items on the cab that are thicker metal, such as the cab support under the floor where that spinning bolt goes through.

As far as vents in the cowl panel, after 1950, the driver side vent door was eliminated, which is the reason your 1953 doesn't have one. The passenger side panel with the louvers on the outside is only used if a Fresh Air heater is installed, with that panel on the inside cowl panel removed to let air into the heater. If you have a recirculating heater, then the panel is in place and the louvers don't serve any purpose.

Is 18 gu strong enough to replace the floor, put 8 inches height across the front then replace that side panels fully.
To structurally to hold the cab up?
That’s kind of what I’m thinking.

It's thicker than the original, so yes, it will work just fine. If you measure the floor panels you bought, you'll find them to be either 18 or 19 gauge.

I purchased prefab 2 piece floorboard with a large hole cut out (too large) for the battery & transmission area.
That metal does not seem thick (strong enough) to me.
It may be 18 gauge (1.05 mm)
The original rusted but strong floor is 1.6 mm I guess is 16 gauge.

If you measured over the rust on the original stuff, you're going to get a thicker measurement. Trust me, your prefab floorboards are thick enough. They're also supported by thicker cab supports where the bolts go thru. A box of 18 gauge steel is stronger than a flat sheet of steel. The bends and weldments add the strength needed.

That’s good news, thank you so much!

Update. I have a flat sheet of cold rolled 16 ga steel. Cut to fit & painted & ready to place. The footboard is cut & painted also. Paint cleaned off for any welding. I began practice welding today. Got a ways to go!
I have angle iron about 8 inches long & will wedge into the right corner & weld into place to support the cab. No pictures of that right now but that’s the area I’ll put the angle iron.

16 gauge will work OK, but you might find a little trouble butt welding 16 gauge to lighter sheet metal.

It's a little overkill IMO, but hey, it's your truck.

I practice welding yesterday & some more today. After getting a good string weld I moved to the truck. I welded an 8 inch angled iron to the bottom side where the old battery sat. With the cab jacked up. Then put a strip of 18 ga across the top connecting the front to the back right side.
It’s not a pretty weld & it was difficult to position myself to weld in there. It needs cleaning up but it holding for now.
I released the Cab & it is now 2/8 inch lower on that R side. The splash guard is now in a good position but it popped off, due to had been JB welded.
It may need more structural supports. I’ll look more as well as look at the driver side too.
Even if I don’t do what y’all advise me to do I still appreciate your input & advice. It is not wasted!

Yeah, you're going to need a bit more practice welding. Those look like the proverbial Bird S___ welds that a lot of beginners start with. But you'll get better.

Have you read the Tech Tip in the Paint and Body shop subforum HERE?

Just saw the attached pic on Facebook and thought you'd appreciate it.

Yes that is good😂
Speaking of grinders. Did you know they sell them without the hold down nut for the blades? How do I know?
They don’t even sell them in the stores!

@klhansen thank you for the funny! And @glennj3 yes those welds look a little cold. On your practice pieces, try upping the voltage a little at a time til you get better penetration. Out of curiosity, what kind of wire feed welder are you using? When I bought mine I did one step up from Hobo Freight and got the eBay special Hitbox brand. (There are a bunch of different paint schemes/brand names for the same Chinese welding unit). After watching a bunch of videos on various ones, it seemed like it welded the best for the $248 with shipping that I paid for it. It's no Miller blue box, but the limiting factor here is very definitely the operator in my case, versus the equipment!