Can I patch this much rust?
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From: Burlington, WI
Can I patch this much rust?
The bed of my '78 is about 1/3 gone from the left fender out. It's about a 3-4 foot long hole and its 2 feet at the widest. I saw some replacement panels on ebay, but i don't know if they'll fit. Is there a way to replace just the bed floor? I need some suggestions because I'm lost.
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From: THIS IS SPARTA!, ...Mo.
The bed floor can be spliced in from a newer truck. (the floor is VERY similar in a '80-'96) Just make sure to leave the braces intact and split the spot welds clean. So, to answer your question, yes, it can be fixed. At least it's the easiest place to patch. I didn't say it would easy, or even quick, BUT it sure can be done. Depending on where you are, decent beds can be almost impossible to find, so you have to work with what you have.
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From: Burlington, WI
Up here in Wisconsin, an older truck with a solid bed is considered rare. LMC does look like my best bet, but I'm not sure how much I can spend on a bed. On that note, can I replace the bed floor but leave the bed sides on? If i try to take off the sides, the bed braces are definitely going to break. one already broke just on the drive home due to the rust.
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From: THIS IS SPARTA!, ...Mo.
That's what I was saying, yes you can just replace the bed floor. I would tack weld braces side to along the top of the bed sides to hold everything in shape while you cut away the bottom of the bed. Once you cut the floor out, you can patch/replace the braces. Then just weld the floors back in. It sounds like a rusty mess you have there. That's why I suggested finding a newer bed. They used galvanized metal and hold up much better than the older beds do. ....and the thicker factory metal is better than the Chinese made repair panels.
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From: Burlington, WI
That's what I've been trying to do for a while. The problem is finding a light brown bed with the silver trim on it. I could get a black one and get a paint job, but I'd rather keep this as cheap as possible. Thanks for your help because i was completely lost before this.
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From: THIS IS SPARTA!, ...Mo.
I'll offer, if you can find a bed that's good, paint will be the EASIEST thing to change. Cutting out and replacing the bed floor and braces is labor-intensive and time consuming. Prepping for paint and shooting it is WAAAAAAY easier.
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From: Burlington, WI
That sounds better all together. The trim is what I'm the most worried about because of the little plastic tabs behind it. I heard those break pretty easily.
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From: Stanley, VA
X2 on the paint, that's waaaay easier to change.
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