my 98 stepside project

[98nightmare]

I looked at it a little this afternoon, there is a crease pointing towards the cab on the flange at the curve.. I was able to pull some of it down by hand. Kinda thinking that it might just be pushed up. The Sport had a complete drop suspension kit on it.. And low profile tires on some wide 15s...
It's probably scrubbed and rubbed on a lot over the years. Wish I'd noticed that before mounting it on the truck.. Lol
Gonna be a hectic time trying to get it back right.

 

[Colt McConnell]

Drilled the spot welds out and freed the floor.. I rewelded it today but didn't get a pic yet. Got dark before I could finish raising the bed mounts (well, technically lower).. Lol.

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I shaved my gas door, bed pockets, and started to do body work lasnight before I got distracted and decided to start raising the bed floor like you did, haha. I have the spot welds on the fenders all drilled out from the floor and fender lip, but the rear floor spot welds i couldn't find. You DID do those from the bottom, right? Do you have anymore pics from this whole process by chance? I wanna be like you when I grow up, haha.

 

[98nightmare]

I shaved my gas door, bed pockets, and started to do body work lasnight before I got distracted and decided to start raising the bed floor like you did, haha. I have the spot welds on the fenders all drilled out from the floor and fender lip, but the rear floor spot welds i couldn't find. You DID do those from the bottom, right? Do you have anymore pics from this whole process by chance? I wanna be like you when I grow up, haha.

I don't have pics of them, but if you wipe the inside of the brace with your fingers.. Not clean it, but just to smear the usual filth there.. It'll reveal the spot welds. They are in pairs, one toward front and towards the back literally lined up with each other. They run in pairs, I wanna say around a foot apart from side to side.

 

[98nightmare]

Also, where the tailgate closes.. That corner post on each side of the bed.. The floor goes into it, just at the sides facing each other

 

[98nightmare]

Correction.. Sorry, on Every flat between each rib on the bed floor is two spot welds.. Lol.

 

[98nightmare]

This is how they run top view. Which is inside the rear brace from the underside.

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[98nightmare]

Red line, goes inside the corner.. Cut along the corner there.
Yellow line don't go in it.. It's just seam sealer only.

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[98nightmare]

I just snapped those pictures from my extended cab.. Hopefully it helps

 

[Colt McConnell]

Correction.. Sorry, on Every flat between each rib on the bed floor is two spot welds.. Lol.

Red line, goes inside the corner.. Cut along the corner there.
Yellow line don't go in it.. It's just seam sealer only.

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Awesome! I've been holding off waiting to hear your advice! Thanks a ton man. I've never done body work or any of this, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out!

 

[98nightmare]

Awesome! I've been holding off waiting to hear your advice! Thanks a ton man. I've never done body work or any of this, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out!

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.