Nothing like seeing a quality-crafted...
Nothing like seeing a quality-crafted bed floor
’Bagging and bodydropping your truck will certainly compromise the confines of the bed space. The new equation will now include making room for intruding wheels and tires, whether or not to create wheeltubs, and of course, laying out a new floor that will work with or around the differential and protruding areas of the frame.
Cutting and trimming the existing floor is an option if need be, but if you’re in the middle of a ground-up back-half build, you’re going to want to fabricate a reinforced area. And if you plan to show your truck, you’ll also want the new floor to hold some cosmetic value.
Sadistic Iron Werks took all points into consideration before cutting up a stock GMC bed and turned it into a functional, easy-on-the-eyes display of crafted sheetmetal. Follow along and take a few notes.
1. Ahh, there’s nothing like...
1. Ahh, there’s nothing like a virgin, donor bed to start things off with a clean slate.
2. The first step was to sand...
2. The first step was to sand down the paint on the donor bed in order to find the spot welds underneath.
3-4. These welds were then...
3-4. These welds were then centerpunched and drilled out.
3-4. These welds were then...
3-4. These welds were then centerpunched and drilled out.
5. Next, the body seams were...
5. Next, the body seams were hit with a plasma cutter...
6. ...which completely separated...
6. ...which completely separated the bedsides from the floor.
7. Here’s all that was left—nothing...
7. Here’s all that was left—nothing but the outer structure that will soon house new support framing, wheeltubs, and sheetmetal.
8. Remaining strips of sheetmetal...
8. Remaining strips of sheetmetal were then ground down for a smooth foundation for what is next to come. Extra wheelwell room was also cleared at this point.
9. Here is the AutoCAD drawing...
9. Here is the AutoCAD drawing of the new bed floor that the Sadistic crew cooked up. The design consists of two floor panels and a new gas filler door.
10-11. Eighteen-gauge sheetmetal...
10-11. Eighteen-gauge sheetmetal was placed on the plasma table and cut to spec. Shown is the new gas door being cut.
10-11. Eighteen-gauge sheetmetal...
10-11. Eighteen-gauge sheetmetal was placed on the plasma table and cut to spec. Shown is the new gas door being cut.
12. New bedsides were cut...
12. New bedsides were cut and secured in using Cleco fasteners. At this time, measurements were taken to create a set of wheeltubs as well as to take notes for the bed framing that is going to be designed.
13. Fresh wheeltubes were...
13. Fresh wheeltubes were made and the bed was dropped back on for a thorough test fit.
14-15. Here you can see the...
14-15. Here you can see the underside and top of the bed framing and wheeltubs. A network of crossbraces was welded into place to add maximum structural support.
14-15. Here you can see the...
14-15. Here you can see the underside and top of the bed framing and wheeltubs. A network of crossbraces was welded into place to add maximum structural support.
16. The rear of the bed was...
16. The rear of the bed was also framed in to support the upcoming tailgate skin. The freshly cut bed floor panels were dropped in to double-check proper fitment on all bedsides.
17. After a number of test...
17. After a number of test fittings, the bed panels, wheeltubs, and bedsides proved to be compatible with one another. Tack welds were then made to hold everything together.