Why Every F100 Bed Floor Eventually Needs Replacement
Truck bed floors are one of the most universally deteriorated components on any Ford F100. It does not matter how dry the climate or how carefully the truck was stored. Moisture gets trapped between the bed floor and the cross-sills, road salt accelerates the process in northern states, and hauling anything abrasive wears through paint and primer. Steel floors rust from the bottom up, and wood floors rot from the bottom down. If you are restoring an F100, plan on replacing the bed floor. It is less a question of “if” and more a question of “with what.”
The good news is that bed floor replacement is one of the more approachable restoration tasks. The bed comes apart with relatively straightforward hardware, and pre-cut replacement options are widely available.
Wood Bed Floor Options
Ford used wood bed floors in the F-Series from 1948 through 1972. Starting in 1973 (generation 6), Ford switched to all-steel bed floors. For generations 1-5, a wood bed floor is the factory-correct choice. Many owners of later trucks also install wood floors for the classic aesthetic.
Oak
Red oak is the most common and traditional choice for F100 bed floors. Ford used oak from the factory, and it remains the standard today. Oak is hard, durable, and resists wear well. It takes stain beautifully if you want a finished look, or it can be left natural and sealed with marine-grade spar varnish or polyurethane. Oak bed floor kits typically run $300 to $600 depending on the generation and board count.
Ash
Ash is harder than oak and has a lighter color with a straighter grain pattern. It was used in some factory applications and is a popular upgrade choice. Ash is slightly more expensive than oak, with kits running $350 to $700. It holds up well to heavy use and finishes cleanly.
Pine
Pine is the budget option. It is softer than oak or ash and will dent and wear faster, but it costs significantly less ($150 to $350 for a kit) and is perfectly adequate for a truck that is driven casually rather than used as a daily hauler. Yellow pine is stronger than white pine and is the better choice if you go this route.
Pre-Cut Kits vs. Custom Milling
Pre-cut kits are the way to go for the vast majority of builds. Reputable suppliers like Bed Wood and Parts and Mar-K produce boards that are cut to the exact dimensions for your specific year and bed length, with the correct edge profiles and hardware holes pre-drilled. The fit is excellent and saves hours of measuring and cutting.
Custom milling makes sense only if you are working with a non-standard bed (shortened, widened, or modified) or if you want an exotic wood species. A local cabinet shop or lumber mill can produce custom boards from your templates, but expect to pay a premium for the labor.
Bed Strips
Bed strips are the metal channels that sit between the wood boards, running front-to-back. They hold the boards in place and protect the edges from wear. Your choice of bed strip material affects the look of the finished bed:
- Stainless steel is the most popular choice for restored trucks. It will not rust, polishes to a mirror finish, and lasts indefinitely. Stainless bed strip kits run $150 to $350. Mar-K and Bed Wood and Parts both offer high-quality stainless strips.
- Polished aluminum is lighter than stainless and has a slightly warmer tone. It does not rust but can oxidize over time if not maintained. Aluminum strips cost about the same as stainless.
- Unpolished steel (raw or painted) is the factory-correct look for trucks that came with painted bed strips. These are the most affordable option at $80 to $150 per set but will rust if not properly coated.
- Oak strips give a seamless all-wood look. These are not factory-correct for most years but are popular on custom builds. Wood strips run $50 to $100 for a set.
The bed strips attach with carriage bolts that pass through the wood, through the cross-sill below, and secure with nuts on the underside. Stainless steel carriage bolt kits are available and recommended, since the originals are almost always rusted and seized.
Steel Bed Floor Options
Full Steel Replacement Panels
For generation 6-7 trucks (1973-1983) that came with steel bed floors from the factory, and for earlier trucks where the owner prefers a steel floor, full replacement bed floor panels are available. These are stamped steel panels that replicate the factory corrugated pattern and drop into the bed after removing the old floor.
Steel bed floor panels are available from LMC Truck, CJ Pony Parts, Mar-K, and various other suppliers. A full bed floor panel for a short bed F100 typically costs $250 to $500. Long bed panels run slightly more.
When Steel Makes More Sense
Steel floors are the right choice when:
- The truck is a work truck that will be hauling heavy or abrasive loads regularly. Steel is more durable than wood for this purpose.
- The truck is a generation 6 or 7 and you want to maintain factory correctness.
- You plan to spray-in a bed liner (Line-X, Rhino, or similar). Spray-in liners adhere to steel far better than wood.
- You want a low-maintenance floor that does not need sealing or refinishing.
Steel floors do require rust prevention. After installation, coat the underside with a rust preventive like POR-15, Eastwood Rust Encapsulator, or a rubberized undercoating. Treating the top surface with bed liner or truck bed paint completes the protection.
Suppliers
Mar-K
Mar-K (marketed as M.A.R.K.) is one of the original and most respected bed wood and hardware suppliers for classic Ford trucks. They manufacture their own bed wood kits, bed strips, and hardware in-house. Their catalogs cover all F100 generations, and their products are widely regarded as the best fit and quality available. Based in Oklahoma.
Bed Wood and Parts
Bed Wood and Parts specializes exclusively in truck bed wood kits. They offer oak, ash, pine, and other species pre-cut for virtually every classic truck including all F100 years. Their website makes it easy to select by year, bed length, and wood species. They also carry bed strips and complete hardware kits.
LMC Truck
LMC Truck is a major aftermarket supplier carrying steel bed floor panels, bed wood kits, bed hardware, cross-sills, and related components. They offer a broad selection at competitive prices and provide free catalogs. LMC is a good one-stop shop for bed restoration parts.
CJ Pony Parts
While primarily known for Mustang parts, CJ Pony Parts has expanded their Ford truck offerings and carries bed panels, bed wood kits, and related hardware for F100s.
Cross-Sills and Bed Support Replacement
The bed floor (whether wood or steel) sits on cross-sills — the lateral steel supports that span the width of the bed and bolt to the bed sides. On almost every F100 with a deteriorated bed floor, the cross-sills are in equally bad shape. Rust attacks the tops of the cross-sills where moisture sits between the floor and the support.
Replacement cross-sills are available for all generations and should be considered a mandatory part of any bed floor replacement. Installing new floor boards on rusted cross-sills is a waste of time and money. Cross-sill sets typically cost $150 to $400 depending on the generation and the number of sills required (usually 5 to 8 per bed).
While you have the bed apart, inspect the bed mounting bolts and body bushings as well. Replacing the rubber bed mounting bushings ($30 to $80 for a set) eliminates squeaks and prevents metal-on-metal contact that accelerates rust.
Cost Ranges by Option
Here is a rough breakdown of what to expect for a complete bed floor restoration:
- Budget wood floor (pine boards, steel strips, reused hardware): $250 to $500
- Standard wood floor (oak boards, stainless strips, new hardware, new cross-sills): $600 to $1,200
- Premium wood floor (ash or select oak, stainless strips, stainless hardware, new cross-sills, bed mounting kit): $900 to $1,600
- Steel floor replacement (steel panel, new cross-sills, bed liner): $400 to $900
These figures cover parts only. Professional installation adds $500 to $1,500 in labor depending on your area and the condition of the truck. However, bed floor replacement is well within reach of a home builder with basic tools. The most time-consuming part is usually removing the old rusted hardware, not installing the new components.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to replace an F100 bed floor?
A budget pine wood floor with steel strips costs $250 to $500. A standard oak floor with stainless strips, new hardware, and new cross-sills runs $600 to $1,200. A premium ash floor with stainless hardware and bed mounting kit costs $900 to $1,600. A steel floor replacement with cross-sills and bed liner runs $400 to $900. Professional installation adds $500 to $1,500.
Should I use wood or steel for my F100 bed floor?
Wood bed floors are factory-correct for 1948-1972 F100s and offer a classic appearance. Steel is the right choice for work trucks hauling heavy loads, 1973-1983 trucks where it is factory-correct, trucks getting spray-in bed liner, or owners wanting low maintenance. Oak is the most popular wood choice, while pine is the budget option.
What type of wood is best for an F100 bed floor?
Red oak is the most traditional and popular choice, as Ford used oak from the factory. Oak is hard, durable, and takes stain well, with kits running $300 to $600. Ash is harder with a lighter color and costs $350 to $700. Pine is the budget option at $150 to $350 but is softer and dents more easily. Yellow pine is stronger than white pine.
Where can I buy F100 bed wood and bed floor parts?
Mar-K and Bed Wood and Parts are the top specialists for pre-cut bed wood kits, bed strips, and hardware covering all F100 generations. LMC Truck carries steel bed floor panels, wood kits, cross-sills, and related components at competitive prices. CJ Pony Parts also stocks bed panels and wood kits. All offer parts organized by year and bed length.
Do I need to replace F100 cross-sills with the bed floor?
Yes, replacing cross-sills is considered mandatory with any bed floor replacement. The cross-sills are the lateral steel supports that span the bed width and bolt to the bed sides. On nearly every F100 with a deteriorated bed floor, the cross-sills are equally rusted where moisture sits between the floor and support. Sets typically cost $150 to $400.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to replace an F100 bed floor?
A budget pine wood floor with steel strips costs $250 to $500. A standard oak floor with stainless strips, new hardware, and new cross-sills runs $600 to $1,200. A premium ash floor with stainless hardware and bed mounting kit costs $900 to $1,600. A steel floor replacement with cross-sills and bed liner runs $400 to $900. Professional installation adds $500 to $1,500.
Should I use wood or steel for my F100 bed floor?
Wood bed floors are factory-correct for 1948-1972 F100s and offer a classic appearance. Steel is the right choice for work trucks hauling heavy loads, 1973-1983 trucks where it is factory-correct, trucks getting spray-in bed liner, or owners wanting low maintenance. Oak is the most popular wood choice, while pine is the budget option.
What type of wood is best for an F100 bed floor?
Red oak is the most traditional and popular choice, as Ford used oak from the factory. Oak is hard, durable, and takes stain well, with kits running $300 to $600. Ash is harder with a lighter color and costs $350 to $700. Pine is the budget option at $150 to $350 but is softer and dents more easily. Yellow pine is stronger than white pine.
Where can I buy F100 bed wood and bed floor parts?
Mar-K and Bed Wood and Parts are the top specialists for pre-cut bed wood kits, bed strips, and hardware covering all F100 generations. LMC Truck carries steel bed floor panels, wood kits, cross-sills, and related components at competitive prices. CJ Pony Parts also stocks bed panels and wood kits. All offer parts organized by year and bed length.
Do I need to replace F100 cross-sills with the bed floor?
Yes, replacing cross-sills is considered mandatory with any bed floor replacement. The cross-sills are the lateral steel supports that span the bed width and bolt to the bed sides. On nearly every F100 with a deteriorated bed floor, the cross-sills are equally rusted where moisture sits between the floor and support. Sets typically cost $150 to $400.