How can I replace the floor in my 14 ft Chevy box truck?

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Asked by mrmsje Dec 12, 2014 at 08:51 PM about the Chevrolet Panel Truck

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 1987 Chevy 1 ton 14 ft box truck that need the box bed replaced. It has holes and rotting wood flooring.
Does anyone know of a web site that might explain how to go about replacing this box floor? It seems like the flooring is riveted in place, not bolted down. I'll replace the rivets with bolts, but I don't want to dive into this project until I get some background on what to expect.
I've done a lot of searching on Google but found nothing helpful.
Thanks in advance for any help.

19 Answers

30,495

This box was most likely installed by an aftermarket truck outfitter. We would have no idea who or what it is. Please upload some pictures of both sides of the floor panels and we may be able to help.

1 people found this helpful.
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Here is a picture of the truck and the floor. The picture shows a small board place over a hole in the floor. You can also see what looks like rivets thru the metal into the flooring. I took more pictures but it looks as though I'm limited to sending only one. Thanks for any help.

30,495

Yeah. One pic per post. I will need more pics. The lip covers the wood on the back and can't be reomved. What does the connection look like at the front of the floor. Just look for a place where you can start removing it. If there isn't then the floor must have been installed from the bottom then the body installed onto the truck frame. Maybe shoot some pics of the structure under the floor too?

1 people found this helpful.
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3 pictures of the front of the floor. I'll have the underside tomorrow IF it doesn't rain again and soak the area as it did today. But it does look like the front is the place to start in removing this floor. The cross brace is held in place by nails, easy to remove. Will know more tomorrow when I see under the truck. Thanks again for your interest. Photo #1

2 people found this helpful.
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You can see the "screws" that hold the floor in place in some of the following pictures. These things may have to be drilled out from above because I see no way of getting at all of them from below. 12 pictures follow:

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#10 Another one of the front passenger side showing wood covering large hole. The rest are about the same. Any suggestions?

30,495

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, It was a chaotic holidays. Looks like the floor has a decent steel support frame under it. To me it looks like the front is were I would start to as I cannot figure out how the back is put together. However I do see this taking some time and materials, how long can your truck be down. When reassembling you must ensure the plywood seams are in the original spots or over your supports to avoid gaps that may let in dust or open up if the weight is not supported from the structure below. Personally I would tear it down to the last layer and check it out. If it looks easy to swap from that point proceed, if it still looks hard maybe cut out the bad areas and cut filler pieces to fill in the holes to make a level surface (supporting on the steel where possible) then glue and screw a new flat layer of plywood over the entire floor.

3 people found this helpful.
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Thanks a lot for your answer. I'm in no hurry to do this job and can take as much time as it needs. I think your idea about cutting out the bad areas and using cut filler pieces to fill in the gaps this creates is the best idea. The floor is solid except for those 3 holes. I'll definitely keep in mind the idea of supporting the filler pieces on steel...good point. Another good point: "...glue and screw a new flat layer of plywood over the entire floor." I was going to do that over the holes, but removing the sections with holes is a much better idea. Thanks again. And good motoring to you and yours.

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