I broke down a bought a pair of those "mechanix gloves". Probably due to weakness from blood loss. No new injuries today.

Progress:
Rear cab mount replaced.
Floor panel installed. And I even remembered to re-mount the seat and seat belt mounting nuts before I started the install.
Partial removal of rocker panels on passenger side.

Here's what I have.

I rearranged the pictures so newest progress is first now that the album is two pages.

 

I have blown through MANY of those mechanics gloves and generally despise them. The gloves I have been using lately are amazing. While any glove gets in your way, these do so very minimally, really only affecting your ability to pickup small things. Have a look. They are excellent gloves and I have done all of the tear down on my Suburban using them. My first pair is dirty as hell, but still performing excellent. The coating is starting to come off though so it is only a matter of time before I need to toss them and get a new pair.

BTW, nice progress! Where are you getting your repair panels from? LMC Truck? If so, how has the fit been? Does the floor section have the threaded lugs for the seat mount?

 

Parts came from LMC. The fit was "manageable I would say. It looks like they tried to match the stock "ridges" that are in the existing floor panels, but if you don't cut ALL of the floor panel out they don't quite line up. My own damn fault really. The replacement panel is wide enough to reach the trans tunnel to so if the old floor was removed that far there would be no left over "ridges". The step up to the rear seat and bed floor has a bulge that does not exist in the LMC part so I had to cut a section out and piece around it. Again my own damn fault as the height on the replacement is there.

As for the threaded plugs. No it did not come with them and I couldn't find them in the catalog. I had to remove, clean, prime and re-use the ones I had. This could be an issue when I start the driver's side as the seat belt mounting plug in the wall is a rusted POS.

 

Now I have a dilemma. The floor panel is in place and I'm getting ready to install the new rocker panels but... From the side the bottom of the out rocker panel is lined up, I saved a small portion of the panel at the front and back as I was cutting to aid in lining everything up, but there is a gap between the floor and the top of the rocker. Somewhat smaller in the front than in the rear. Any ideas?

Here's what it looks like.



There is some success though. Here.

 

Went ahead and installed the outer rocker panel. Even though the floor doesn't seem to line up perfectly the door does and so does the rest of the bottom side so I guess its going to ingenuity time on the floor to rocker tie-in.

 

When I do mine, I will be fitting the rocker on before the floor. This will allow me to move things around as needed to align at the seem between the floor and the rocker.

 

Ha! Good idea. One note. The rockers from LMC are of considerably thinner material than the stock pieces. I ended up cutting a small section of the old rocker that was rust free to use as a backer at the welded seams.

 

I will be replacing pretty much all of the rocker on either side of my K5 so the seams will be in the standard locations for the most part. Where I do, I will likely flange one side.

 

Is it worth putting this stuff under the sound deadening matting? Will it help retard rust when the rear cover leaks into the bed? Or maybe some sort of spray on rubber/sealer?

 

You could use a DIY bed lining if you are going to put carpet back over it. I would let it air out A LOT first though. It should help combat rust, but all of the rust has to be gone first or else you will just trap it.