floor boards

[92rocdoc]

Man, I just got done chopping the rusted out floorboards outa my '82. U wanna talk about a job, good god that my friend is a job. I had to use an electric drill, sawzall, die grinder, and a jigsaw to get them out. Now I have to do the gruelling task of putting new flooring in it. Hmm, I am thinking treadplate.

Scott

[rockcrawlintoy]

aluminum is what i would use

Drew

[81 tuff truck]

i seen a toy at the fathers day run with brused aluminum diamond plateing and looked really good

[speedy]

Been there, done that! I am glad it's over. That was the very first project on my 83. The floor pans were so rusted it wasn't holding up the cab anymore. I used a grinder, a sawzall, two buddies, two cases of beer, and a bottle of Jager! I put in new sheet metal, then coated the bottom and bedlined the top in the cab.

[mississippimud]

I would use aluminum also, prob uncoat and I wanna put that rhino, or whatever I can find I want a good durable rough floor board in mine after all its a toy not er day driver by any means..

I got off subject again...I would as I said use aluminum, no more rust and durable also easy to manipulate into shape.
Bill

[speedy]

How are you going to attach the aluminum floorboard to the steel cab? I suppose you could rivet it. Use steel and weld it, the floorpan is a load bearing part of the cab. Aluminum would have to be pretty thick to support the cab especially in a roll over.

[mississippimud]

floorboards arent going to do anyhing in a roll over cept keep your feet from going threw. The Door post is all you can rely on unless you build a cage, aluminum is light weight, and yes rivets, and a screw here or there if need be...if its rusted on the frame where the floorplan sits then you got bigger issues... f I remeber correct he said that the frame and such looked good. If not stainless washers and stainless bolts and reinforce with steel of course but the only floor pan rust I have had to fool with is in the low spot (under your feet away from the frame rails) and if thats the prob aluminum, if not well..

[speedy]

The worst parts of my floor pans were where the body mounts attached to the cab. My truck had been in a end over end roll over with the first owner. The mounts had pushed through the floorpan which is why I consider it a load bearing part of the cab. Those area's became rusted out due to the breaks in the floor. Here are some pics. I even added more structural steel accross the new sheet metal to support the cab at the mounts. My truck had be riveted previously in a couple of places and those rivets have loosened. I am fortunate in that I have a crappy mig welder and my buddy has a fantastic mig welder so I will never consider using anything else.

[92rocdoc]

Actually if you look at the construction of a Toyota Pickup Cab you have to have the floorboards welded in just in case of a roll over. When you roll the cab collapses the a-pillars push outward thus pushing the firewall and fenderwell's forward, same with the rear. If you bolt aluminum to the floor boards then in a roll over the cab will cause the aluminum to stretch and pull the bolts out thru the aluminum hence weakening your cab and putting you at a larger risk of injury or death. So yes Speedy, I agree with you.

As for what I am gonna do, I am gonna use treadplate and to compensate for the whole rust issue I will do the most simple of all... paint it with a rust preventative paint.

Scott

[mississippimud]

Scott I wasnt telling the whole story man, i was in a dark corner...wasnt thinkin to clear.....with aluminum, i was talkin about like 3/8 plate and with stainless washers and bolts it would have held. i do seee you theory and you guys are all righ, I wasnt clear on my input...Ill think harder and longer before I just open my big mouth....Take care yall
Bill