my 98 stepside project

Colt McConnell · May 26, 2017

98nightmare said:
On welding/ shaving stuff.. Patience is a must.. Lol. Just do tacks a few inches apart and definitely take your time doing them, don't get the sheet metal too hot or it'll warp a panel in a heartbeat.. Lol
I've gotten to where I'll just do a few spaced out and keep checking the panel with my hand, once it gets warm around the area StOp. Let it cool down.. Takes longer, but saves ten times the extra work on bodywork.. Lol I use to be impatient as heck, I'd tack something.. Get tired of waiting and start tacking more.. Then be like Screw it, a few short beads will make it go faster.. Lol Warp the heck out of it
Feels like it takes forever keeping a panel from getting hot, but definitely worth it in the end.

I definitely got impatient on the gas door and warped the heck out of it accidentally. I was jumping all the way across each tack. But when it gets closer to being completely filled in the metal gets and stays hotter. So now I'm having to fix that mess up and I have never done body work, haha. Did you have to drill the spot welds from the tubs to the bedside lip? I drilled them out but I couldn't tell if you did. It seemed to be the only way to free the floor completely. I drilled the back brace spot welds out lastnight (you saved my life on that), and got where the tubs connect to the floor and where they connect to the bedside fender lip. That is as far as I made it. I was looking at the front of the floor to see how it comes out right before I went to bed but didn't really get it figured out.

98nightmare · May 26, 2017

I just cut the lip at the fender opening, usually have to trim it anyways. Lol

98nightmare · May 26, 2017

When you get the floor loose, if you trim off the very end (where the gate closes).. Where the raised ribs on the floor come down and end, cut across there and it'll shorten the floor length perfect to clear the tailgate

Colt McConnell · May 26, 2017

98nightmare said:
When you get the floor loose, if you trim off the very end (where the gate closes).. Where the raised ribs on the floor come down and end, cut across there and it'll shorten the floor length perfect to clear the tailgate

Gotcha. Then did you just cut the extra off of the front of the bed and fill the hole with it? The tubs are 2 pieces and joined in the middle. Did you keep them together or separate?

98nightmare · May 26, 2017

The pieces sandwich the bed wall. Either cut off the flange or drill the welds out to separate it. I drilled them out and used the small section that goes into the bedside opening as my filler pieces. Already right shape lol..
And yeah, I couldn't decide how to fill the gap on the end, so I just used the bottom of the front wall.. Lol
Sat it on the end and used tape to hold it in place, then marked the back of it from under the bed so I could make it a perfect fit. Worked out really easy and quick. I recessed it in the opening like a quarter inch on its highest outward part (the raised ribs) that way I wouldn't have to fight with making it flush up perfectly with the end of the bed. I was able to weld it in and run a small amount of seam sealer around it because it's recessed.. Done, no body work.. Lol
I also used a 2x2 square tube for the floor brace at the end/ gate opening. Some people use 1x1 but I carry anything and everything without thinking twice about it in my bed. Lumber, trees, mowers and four wheelers.. Lol, never once had a problem with weight hitting the end of the floor. Plus if you look at the factory floor braces, they're pretty much a 2x2 that's flanged instead of boxed.

Colt McConnell · May 26, 2017

98nightmare said:
The pieces sandwich the bed wall. Either cut off the flange or drill the welds out to separate it. I drilled them out and used the small section that goes into the bedside opening as my filler pieces. Already right shape lol..
And yeah, I couldn't decide how to fill the gap on the end, so I just used the bottom of the front wall.. Lol
Sat it on the end and used tape to hold it in place, then marked the back of it from under the bed so I could make it a perfect fit. Worked out really easy and quick. I recessed it in the opening like a quarter inch on its highest outward part (the raised ribs) that way I wouldn't have to fight with making it flush up perfectly with the end of the bed. I was able to weld it in and run a small amount of seam sealer around it because it's recessed.. Done, no body work.. Lol
I also used a 2x2 square tube for the floor brace at the end/ gate opening. Some people use 1x1 but I carry anything and everything without thinking twice about it in my bed. Lumber, trees, mowers and four wheelers.. Lol, never once had a problem with weight hitting the end of the floor. Plus if you look at the factory floor braces, they're pretty much a 2x2 that's flanged instead of boxed.

I noticed the 2x2 and will be doing the same. I tend to haul some, haha. I figured that's exactly what you did with the tubs. I saw the filler pieces and thought "yup, that's the plan!" lol. I have to have it freed completely and raised by the end of the weekend. Hopefully It looks half as good as yours. Where all is the brace connected at the front? I noticed you used the same brace and didn't have to do anything crazy. Sorry for the million questions. Just trying to learn! haha

98nightmare · May 26, 2017

The floor once welded back to the bedsides will be structurally as it was originally. The floors weight strength is from its braces.
Measure the distance between floor and top of bed rail and use that as your reference. However much you raise the floor, measure the new distance. Subtract it from the old number, and that's how long your "Leg" "stilt" what ever you want to call it, will need to be to go between frame and bed floor braces. If the floor is reinstalled straight, they should all be the same length. There's many ways people do them, it's pretty much like a body lift.. Lol
Just spacers to make up for the difference the floors raised. Me being paranoid, I added an angled brace to the front ones.. Just for a piece of mind. I worry about weight shifting in the bed, and the possibility of the legs leaning because of that. The likelihood of that happening is probably slim to none, but like I said, I'm just paranoid about dumb stuff like that.. Lol
Heck, last week we got just over a ton of sand in the extended cabs bed for our pool, and I was more afraid of its bed holding up than if I'd used either of the beds I've bodied.. Lol extended cab has rusted out spots in it.. Lol

skylark · May 26, 2017

Bill, I'm not going to do a body drop or a raised floor but I really appreciate guys like you that share your knowledge. I've noticed that on this forum most of the guys in the lowered section are low key aren't afraid to try stuff. Thanks!

98nightmare · May 26, 2017

skylark said:
Bill, I'm not going to do a body drop or a raised floor but I really appreciate guys like you that share your knowledge. I've noticed that on this forum most of the guys in the lowered section are low key aren't afraid to try stuff. Thanks!

Thanks brother! When I first started mine years ago on FSC, a lot of people helped with info.. I definitely don't know everything, but am glad to share anything I do or have done.. Lol

Colt McConnell · May 26, 2017

This is as far as I've made it after work in a couple of days before the neighbors started getting all upset. lol

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