Blazer Bed Floor Replacement

[Chad22873]

I am doing a complete resto on a 1970 4wd Blazer. I am just about done repairing all of the rust from the back of the cab floor forward. I hope to start in the next few weeks on the bed portion. I replaced the front lower portions of each bedside when I did all the the rocker box and b pillar work. So I really have no need for new bed sides. My problem is with the floor and part of the inner bed sides. The floor is roached pretty much everywhere except the front 6 inches and the center. Everything around the wheel wells and where it meets the inner bedside is toast. So I am wondering what the easiest way to go about this is. If I get a whole new floor, do the bedsides have to come off and jack up all the work I just done with the rockers since they tie together? I found where I can buy the inner bed side pieces that the wheel wells bolt to...from GMC Pauls. That will fix most of my inner side problems. I may have to fabricate a little metal to take care of some rust between the wheel well and the front of the inner bedside. But that doesn't look to be too bad. Unless someone knows of a place you can get a patch for that portion of the inner side. So the real question is what do I do with the floor? Do I buy cross members and floor patch pieces and put in all the time to fab it all together? Or is there an easier way? I couldn't find anywhere in this forum that discussed this issue. Lots of stuff about rockers and floor pans, etc...which has been great. But not much on the bed issue.

[Chad22873]

Dang with all the stuff I have seen and learned from this forum I thought for sure that someone had replaced and done major repairs on a blazer bed before. I cant find anyone that knows anything about it.

[hemi43]

I hate to say it, but you should have done the floor first. Technically, you should be able to replace the floor pan without removing the quarters. I replaced the rear half of mine without issues, and shouldn't be more difficult if it was the whole thing.

[Chad22873]

Thanks for the info. So glad to get some input. I kinda thought the same thing. Really wish I would have started there. I actually have the drivers side rocker system, as I call it, all welded up but just fabed up on the passenger side. So do you think I can leave the RH bedside on and take the LH off and slide the new floor in place?

[raggedjim]

The only full floor replacements I have seen have been done by pulling the bedsides except this guy. He left the bedsides on but is putting in wood floor. I think you could do the same with a metal floor IF you cut it down the middle.

Good luck, Rg

http://www.k5blazersplus.com/forums/...bed-conversion

[Chad22873]

I looked it over quite a bit last night. I need to replace the rear sill. It appears to me that the rear sill is what holds the rear portion of the bedsides together and also holds them up. So I am thinking I will just cut about a foot of the bed floor out in the rear and leave everything else. Then replace the rear sill. I am hoping that by leaving everything else that it will give enough support for the bedsides and hold them in place while I cut the old sill out. Once I am done with that, I think I can do as raggedjim said and cut the floor down the middle and slide each side into place. Do you guys think this will work or am I screwing up? Thanks for your responses.

[Chad22873]

I am not opposed to doing a wood floor. Correct me if I am wrong....if I did one I would either have to somehow lower all of my cross members or sills by almost 3/4" to get the wood to fit under the inner bedsides OR cut my inner bedsides and raise the bolting flange by 3/4". Raising the flange by 3/4" would be fairly easy considering half of it is currently rusted out anyway and I am going to have to fabricate new pieces to weld in. Unless someone knows where I can buy them. The flanges where the wheelhouse bolts to the inner bedside are also rusted and I was gonna buy patch panels for that from GMC Pauls. So I guess I could raise those by 3/4" when I put them in so that the wheelhouses will bolt up. Anyone have any thoughts on this? What are the advantages and disadvantages to a wood bed? If the bed floor is raised by 3/4" from where it is now...does that cause any problems with anything else? I dont know if its worth all the hassle or not.

[A1971Blazer]

I can't really advise as to your best course of action.......mine is rusty all over and in so many various locations that I have decided to remove the bedsides and use this......complete cargo floor from SOKY Classics

[Chad22873]

I have looked at their stuff. I was planning to get mine from GMC Pauls. Its 50 bucks cheaper. Maybe SOKY Classics tho is better. I have never bought anything from them. Everything I have received from GMC Pauls has been great so far.

[raggedjim]

Chad, if you want a wood floor talk to Jaros44sr, I think he did a wood floor on this build

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=210641

Rg

[Chad22873]

Thanks. I will hit him up. This Jaros guy has that massive thread that I am sure you all have read. I have never talked to him and dont know him but that was one heck of a thread. I loved reading it. Took me a week.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Chad22873

Thanks. I will hit him up. This Jaros guy has that massive thread that I am sure you all have read. I have never talked to him and dont know him but that was one heck of a thread. I loved reading it. Took me a week.

Maybe this will help

WIN_20150723_101746 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/97391199@N06/]

Still ongoing!

[doo142]

Originally Posted by Chad22873

I am doing a complete resto on a 1970 4wd Blazer. I am just about done repairing all of the rust from the back of the cab floor forward. I hope to start in the next few weeks on the bed portion. I replaced the front lower portions of each bedside when I did all the the rocker box and b pillar work. So I really have no need for new bed sides. My problem is with the floor and part of the inner bed sides. The floor is roached pretty much everywhere except the front 6 inches and the center. Everything around the wheel wells and where it meets the inner bedside is toast. So I am wondering what the easiest way to go about this is. If I get a whole new floor, do the bedsides have to come off and jack up all the work I just done with the rockers since they tie together? I found where I can buy the inner bed side pieces that the wheel wells bolt to...from GMC Pauls. That will fix most of my inner side problems. I may have to fabricate a little metal to take care of some rust between the wheel well and the front of the inner bedside. But that doesn't look to be too bad. Unless someone knows of a place you can get a patch for that portion of the inner side. So the real question is what do I do with the floor? Do I buy cross members and floor patch pieces and put in all the time to fab it all together? Or is there an easier way? I couldn't find anywhere in this forum that discussed this issue. Lots of stuff about rockers and floor pans, etc...which has been great. But not much on the bed issue.

There is a floor replacement done by atvpro , it is his blazer resto thread

[Chad22873]

Thanks for all the info. I got the bed floor cut out today and now just trying to clean things up so I can see how much of the inner bedside flanges that I need to cut out and redo. They are all pretty rough. I am going to finally start posting pics tomorrow. It's deer season here so that's gonna eat up some of my time.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Chad22873

Thanks for all the info. I got the bed floor cut out today and now just trying to clean things up so I can see how much of the inner bedside flanges that I need to cut out and redo. They are all pretty rough. I am going to finally start posting pics tomorrow. It's deer season here so that's gonna eat up some of my time.

It would be simple to get a sheet metal shop to bend that flange on some sheet metal, how's your welding skills. Save as many Crossville as you can, but they are all available if you need some

[Chad22873]

Ya that's what I was thinking. I just need to find a shop to do it. We live in SE Kansas so sheet metal shops are hard to find. But they are simple flanges. So I will start looking. I don't have the stuff to do it anymore. My welding skills are good. I have spent most of my life welding. Most of it hasn't been sheet metal tho. Adjusting to that really hasn't been a big deal. The mechanical side of things is fairly simple for me as well. I have built lots of engines and trannys over the years. Where I really lack is in the are of body work and painting. I have done a little of all of it but not enough to really say I know what I am doing. I would love to lean on you guys for help in that area. I would really like to do it all myself. I need to learn more about all the different painting stages and when to sand and what kind of primers, etc to use.

[Chad22873]

So I finished cutting out the bed floor today. Jaros asked for pics so I took a few today and have some of my rocker work from a few weeks ago but they are on my phone and I will post them later. The PO worked hard on this truck to cover up all the rust he could. I found that half the floor was rusted out and fiberglassed over. If you look you can see a silver vinyl strip that runs along the bottom of the body panels. Guess what it was covering? The bumpers that he put on this thing were gigantic. Took me 4 hours to get them off. As you can see from these bed pics the inner flanges are toast. The only cross sill that's any good is the one I left and it's just ok. My question for you guys is do you think I can pull it out without adding any temporary support? I am going to try to put a new floor in and not take the sides off. This blazer is a 70, was built in St Louis, was originally yellow and has a 4 spd manual. The motor you see is the only thing that's not original. It's a 327. Thought I would mention all that considering this is my first time to post pics.

[raggedjim]

Chad, I would look for a different hood. The 69-72 hoods are plentiful and usually you can find one in good shape pretty cheap. I've actually scrapped good ones because I couldn't give them away!

As far as the rust, well, we've all been there. Take your time and do the best you can. Looks like you are making good progress.

Good luck, Rg

[Chad22873]

Thanks for the compliment. The outer rocker in that pic was actually just sitting on there and not lined up. My boy wanted a pic that day. I need to take one of it all finished. My wife is trying to get me to go back with a metal floor. I can buy the whole floor with all the cross members attached from GMC Pauls for $800. It would be easy to square up if I did it that way. Not sure I can get it tucked into the B pillars and the front floor lip over the step up plate at the same time with the bedsides still on. The rest of it would be pretty easy considering I am going to cut all my flanges off. I could stick the floor in and then weld the new flanges in and be done with it. Still trying to decide what to do. Wood would be easy to do with the bedsides still on it.

[Chad22873]

I figured I would just get a new hood or find a good used one. I dont mind cutting rust out and fixing it but having it in the place that it is on this hood is going to make it pretty tough to fix. Its sad really because the hood is in excellent shape other than right there.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Chad22873

Thanks for the compliment. The outer rocker in that pic was actually just sitting on there and not lined up. My boy wanted a pic that day. I need to take one of it all finished. My wife is trying to get me to go back with a metal floor. I can buy the whole floor with all the cross members attached from GMC Pauls for $800. It would be easy to square up if I did it that way. Not sure I can get it tucked into the B pillars and the front floor lip over the step up plate at the same time with the bedsides still on. The rest of it would be pretty easy considering I am going to cut all my flanges off. I could stick the floor in and then weld the new flanges in and be done with it. Still trying to decide what to do. Wood would be easy to do with the bedsides still on it.

It's not hard to tuck it into the 'b' pillars, I can send you a template. What I can't deal with is your wife, that's on you. I will tell you in forty some years of marriage, every time I go up against my wife's wishes I look like a BOOB. I don't know her reasons, but a stock jimmy or blazer will bring a higher return on your investment....JMHO

[Chad22873]

All that stuff about the wife sounds like the voice of wisdom. Lol. I have finally decided to go back with a metal floor. It comes with all the cross sills attached so as long as I get the rear part of the bedsides supported, I am going to pull that rear sill out and stick the floor in...get it bolted back up in the rear and then weld my new inner bedside flanges in and bolt them down. I am like you jaros, pics, templates or anything are always helpful.

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by Chad22873

All that stuff about the wife sounds like the voice of wisdom. Lol. I have finally decided to go back with a metal floor. It comes with all the cross sills attached so as long as I get the rear part of the bedsides supported, I am going to pull that rear sill out and stick the floor in...get it bolted back up in the rear and then weld my new inner bedside flanges in and bolt them down. I am like you jaros, pics, templates or anything are always helpful.

Yeah Chad, it is sound advice, nothing rings truer if it comes from the heart. My relationship with my wife IS something special, she makes me see the other side of this cranky ol' white guy

Good luck with your floor, and post up pics, so we can all see how its done

[1rippen6]

I have this if interested

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=645569

[Chad22873]

How long is it from the rear to where the wheelhouse bolts on? My main interest is the bottom flange and up to about 3 inches above it.