Has anyone given the replacement bed floor that is newly available from LMC a try? I notice it only comes in 8'. Although it is pricey, it seems to have the mounting rails etc..., so in the long run it may be better than using patch panels.

I would need to cut it for a short bed, so if you have done something similar, please chime in.

 

I'm guessing that it's a thinner metal than OEM.

You can also get a real Ford bed floor out of a newer truck if that sounds any better. I believe the bed floor was used up through '96, but I'm not sure if the short beds kept the same dimensions through all of those years.

 

+1 interested in the answer. I too have a short bed in need of repair.

 

You guys may have it easier than I did with my 81 F100 flare side and will tell you why.
The 80's flare side only came in short beds and it was wood. I had a style side long bed parts truck the rolled and 1 side was caved in but the metal floor was in great shape.

As you might guess I used the metal style side metal floor in place of the short bed wood floor.
The rear 3 cross braces lined up but the front one did not so I had to drill out the spot welds and move it to the back a few inches.

Where the inside of the side of the style bed where it meets the floor feel just inside the flare side side panels.

With a lot of trimming the flare side sides fit the floor.

I had to rework the rear of the floor as it was too long and figure how to mount the steps & braces.

I also had to worry if the floor was high enough for the body lines to line up and no one could give me that measurements.

I believe for you guys using the style side long bed floor to replace the style side short bed floor would be easy.
I would think the rear braces would also line up and may only need to shorten the floor and move the front brace back like I did.
You would need to drill out A LOT of spot welds down both sides where the floor & side meet, across the front and thinking at the back also.

What you guys can do is ask other members for measurements from long beds where the cross braces fall and then measure your short bed to see where they fall to see just how far off the front one would be.
Dave ----

 

 

I have bought and used some of the bed panels from LMC
They ARE thinner than the original metal, cant tell you by how much was negligible to me.
I replaced the floor area in the front of the bed (2ftx4ft) and the front reinforcement of the bed (with angle iron from my own metal pile)
The repair is good, everything welded fine then I used auto seam sealer for gaps then put Herculiner on the bed.
Cant tell they are there so I'm happy.

 

So I have one of these bed floors from NPD (guessing same supplier used by LMC) in my garage right now if anyone wants info.


Last night I grabbed calipers and measured the thickness of the cross members & floor panel and it showed ~0.063 - 0.064". Went over to my old bed and similar areas measured identically or slightly thinner (lightly corroded areas).


I was prepared for it to be a thinner gauge metal given what everyone says about the reproduction parts out there, but so far I'm not seeing it.

BTW, here are the labels on it:

 

I bought one and put it in. Maybe years ago the Chinese body panels were thinner, but the bed sides and bed floor I bought are all stock thickness. The bed floor was pretty nice except for the back cross member. It was all slanted towards the front and the back mounting tabs were angled noticeably upward. A little bit of hammering, loosening, moving and spot welding some stuff and it works. Not sure if all bed floors come this way or I had a freak one.

 

I got a front bed side patch panel from LMC and it was a Tabco. Not sure if the bed floor would be too or not? However, I don't see a bed floor listed on Tabco's website.

Tabco front bed side patch panel from LMC

 

Based on my experience with replacement panels for several different makes and models, the one big difference between the reproductions and the original panels is the grade of material used. The newer panels use a grade that is lighter weight and has a higher tensile strength. As a result, when they are used for doors, hoods, trunk lids, etc. they produce more of a "tin can" sound when closed. The OEM's made the shift to the newer material years ago.

I'm interested in purchasing some exterior panels for a long bed. Does any have experience with these? I'm mainly concerned with the overall fit. I'm planning on removing the original spot welds around the parimeter and replacing the entire side.