Replacing M715 bed floor.

[cleefurd]

After wasting Binford's time, (he never complained but I felt awful) I decided against welding patch panels into the bed where the Pelham AL Fire Department had torched holes and rectangular gear openings.

The photos show "before" indicating where the voids were, and progress to the present. Still a good deal of trimming and prep-work necessary, but here we go;

[cleefurd]

Grinder sneaking up on truck

[cleefurd]

This picture shows where the support channel was factory welded on the underside, which required coping out small floor sections to be removed with a grinder.
There are also 44 spot welds attaching each support channel to the floor panel, which have to be released/cut before panel will lift out.

[cleefurd]

This picture is of the passenger side of the panel, where it is both spot welded and mig welded (or stick??) to the adjacent area surrounding the extreme rear right corner of the panel.
Harbor freight sells a $4.99 spot weld cutter that cut 110 spot welds with ease and is still going strong. They can be tempermental, but with a little finesse, and an occasional tweak they are "li'l champs".

You can see where the cutter was used on two spot welds in the small panel section that is still attached in this photo, prior to cutting the welds with a cut-off wheel in a 4-1/2" grinder.
Do use ear plugs, safety glasses, and a dust mask when pulverizing a cut-off wheel.

If you wire wheel the paint it will hi-lite the spot weld positions, which were applied in the 1960's manually, in erratic fashion, before computer automation was the norm. Center-punch the center of the spot weld, and the spring loaded center-guide of the spot weld cutter will hold position while the cut is being made. Gently pry up on the panel until you hear the metal "pop" to know when the cut is complete;

[cleefurd]

Correction to post #4, the image was just above the third hinge from the left, where the panel meets the tailgate, NOT the extreme right corner of the panel.

This is where I left it today.
Took about 30 minutes yesterday, and a few hours today to get this far.

[wrecker]

My old bed looked almost exactly like yours. What are you replacing it with? Also, people are looking for patch panels for the bed every now and then for the same reason you were. You might want to list the pieces you removed in the for sale forum. Just a thought.

[cleefurd]

Replacing it with brake bent 10GA replicating the stock corrigations. May even make a cargo hold arrangement below the new panel, where the floor is split down the middle, with piano hinges down each side, lifting to modular storage bins beneath.

[warwick]

what are your plans for the floor pieces you removed?

[cleefurd]

what are your plans for the floor pieces you removed?

I split the removal into two main sections, one of which still has both fuel tank hangers attached, just in case I need them again. (please see comment below photo)


Odds are I won't need either piece or the hangers. I'll know soon.
If I do decide to completely abandon the original hangers, I will follow Binford's lead and donate them for the cost of shipping and handling to a forum member.

[warwick]

Odds are I won't need either piece or the hangers. I'll know soon.

If you end up not using them keep me in mind...

Both of my M715 have some holes in bed floor... would like to patch them with M715 floor pieces

How close are you to Melbourne?