73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Body, Glass & Paint => Topic started by: txchainsawgogi on July 17, 2010, 03:51:59 pm
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So next weekend I'm going out to a junkyard to for sure get a hood, and my father conviced me to also look for a stepside bed.
Here's the question, what year stepsides are direct bolt ons? Any? I've got a regular length bed right now.
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The beds should be the same mounting through out the years, I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I helped put a 74 step side on a 81 swb and don't remember any problems.
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look at this thread. http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=3038.0
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Any step side bed will fit, as long as the gas fill is on the correct side. You will need the gas fill hose / neck to go with it.
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Awesome thanks. I think I might switch to just one tank since one of mine doesn't even work properly.
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In your other post your truck looks like it has an 8' bed (maybe it's just the angle of the picture). 8' stepsides aren't that common to find in the junkyard.
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I've got a regular length bed right now
Meaning what an 8' bed?
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That's DEFINATELY an 8 ft. bed, good luck on finding an 8 ft stepside. I only seen 2 in my life and those were online. I didn't even know they made a LONG bed stepside.
You'd be lucky and better off finding a long bed fleet side box, or maybe just a couple of bedsides if something is wrong with yours.
As for new in the box holley's from the other post, or still in the box, hope they weren't used, gaskets tend to shrink and cause leaks on holleys that sit, everyone I had did, or gas turns to white powder and varnish and messses them up. Unless you or someone you know or seen it yourself put them there they might be used. If they are then ebing in a box doesn't mean anything. Now new in a box yea, that helps you rbing in more cash for sure.
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So then to make a non 8ft stepside fit this what would I have to do? Cut part of the frame?
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yea cut down the long bed frame to make it short bed, in other words look on here for converting long bed to short or lwb to swb.
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Cool, shouldn't be too hard! Ps those holleys are unused
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good deal man I'd think they'd get ya a bill or 2 for sure.
I don't think cutting the frame and rolling it forward would be toobad if you can weld or have a welder, the bed part is easier, find a short bed complete and done.
IMO short bed it for sure, I don't think a long bed looks good. To me a play truck, show truck, or fun truck is short bed, or a cruiser/DD or something and long bed is work truck. Although we work our short beds everyday LOL.
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Roll the frame? Huh??
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yea you have to move the backend of the frame foward, thus roll it forward lol. If you look at vile's thread I beleive he shows you how he marked the frame staggered cut so that it overlapped and wasn't just butted together, thus being stronger and then he pulled the front and rear frame together and welded them back together.
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I wouldn't overlap the frame. Its the same width you will never get it to sit flat. Nothing wrong with a but weld. Vile stepped his so it was not a vertical weld, plus you get more length to the weld that way. We shorten and stretch big truck frames, and don't step weld them. They are usually double or triple framed so we stager the joints. If they are single or double framed we put a second or third frame section in on the outside, and make it long enough so it is bolted in place with crossmember bolts. They carry 60,000 plus lbs. For our trucks a but weld with a simple welded plate on the inside is more than sufficient.
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that's what I meant by overlap, the stepped joint not overlap two layers of metal. That's the way I'd do it so it has more weld, if I butt welded I think I'd plate the inside and outside to make sure. I'm just scared of frames and want it overkilled lol.
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How does a 86 8ft bed separate? I'm looking to convert it to a shortbed but dont want to have to buy a new bed. I feel comfortable cutting up my bed now and welding it up, but just for knowledge what are the pieces that go into a complete bed? Example: Side panels, Bed Floor...
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you got the front bed panel that bolts into both bedsides I think, the bedside itself, the tailgate and the floor. I think you may have trouble doing this, the long beds are longer in the front(easy) and back(harder due to the tapered curve on bottom). It's a foot and half difference as far as I know, 8 ft compared to 6.5 ft. The bed in front being straight on top and bottom would be simple I'd think, but the back behind the tire slopeing upwards would be tougher.
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I'm all for asking questions on this forum and learning new things, but keep in mind that welding a frame in not a joke. This is a job for the experienced welders.
Ask how to paint a truck on line and if you mess it up, you get runs in it.
Ask how to rebuild a motor on line and if you mess it up, it burns oil.
Ask how to weld a truck frame on line and if you mess it up, someone could DIE.
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yea no doubt that's why I said I'm scared of frames and if I ever cut one or had one crack I'd weld, plate, weld, plate, weld more. Meaning where it was cut or cracked grind a valley in there and weld it up, plate the inside and weld it, plate the outside and weld it.
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Will a "short wheel base stepside bed from 1981 Chevy" fit my 1978 c10 with an 8 ft long bed?
Other than removing some frame, will it bolt up without having to modify suspension or drivetrain? I can get my hands on one for cheap.
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The frame both in front, and in back of the rear axle will need to be shortened. Drive shaft will need to be cut, and you will need a short bed fuel tank as well.
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The frame both in front, and in back of the rear axle will need to be shortened. Drive shaft will need to be cut, and you will need a short bed fuel tank as well.
Would that have to be done for every stepside or no? Is there a model step that doesn't require cutting the driveshaft?
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Yes an 8' step side will bolt directly onto your truck. No frame, or drive sahft cutting. Only thing you would need is the step side gas tank filler neck.
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ANY frame cutting is going to require a shorter driveshaft, good tip yank the DS from the short bed truck you get a short bed, bed from. I mean hey you are already there why not or check to see what trans you have and what trans it is or had and/or if they'll interchange like say a long tail th350 and a 700r4 same shaft length only 1/8 or 1/4 difference or so.
ANY short bed, stepside or fleetside is gonna require the frame to be cut down and the driveshaft cut down. Not to mention the short bed gas tank, and exhaust to be cut down. The wiriing harness is going to be longer and maybe the fuel lines? but those can be pushed/bent/pulled out of the way and made to work.
I hate to say it but if you don't think you can or have to tools to do it right, might as well buy a short bed frame and bed, driveshaft and tank and put your cab and front clip on the short bed frame.
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dang!
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lol long bed to short bed aint bolt on stuff or really easy or probably everyone would do it or have been doing it over and over.
I really liked vile's thread it gave me hope on changed any long bed to a short bed. Around here long beds are dirt cheap and short beds that are completely rusted away are still gold mines they want way too much for them.
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Yes an 8' step side will bolt directly onto your truck. No frame, or drive sahft cutting. Only thing you would need is the step side gas tank filler neck.
I hate to say it but if you don't think you can or have to tools to do it right, might as well buy a short bed frame and bed, driveshaft and tank and put your cab and front clip on the short bed frame.
Everyone here is trying to steer you in the right direction.
If you you have your heart set on a stepside, an 8' would be the easiest route, like Blazin said.
They are not as common as the 6' beds, but they are out there, you just have to look. I find them on craigslist from time to time.
You said you found a 6' stepside for cheap. Like Swims said, why not get a shortbed frame and swap your cab/drivetrian into it?
The bottom line is that swapping a cab and drivetrain into a new frame would be a fun project for a shadetree mechanic like myself, cutting/weldind a frame is out of my league.
By the way my 8' stepside was a rust free $150 junk yard score that the P.O. found.. It had dents so the only part used was the side panels. Luckily back then parts were cheap from GM so he bought new fenders, tailgate, headboard, and steps.
Personally I've never seen a 8' stepside in the junkyard, so keep searching Craigslist.
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You know it looks like you could make an 8 ft. step pretty easy from a 6 footer. it's basically flat up front and that's where the difference appears to be, maybe buy 2 extra steps and cut and weld them together, weld some flat panels on the side, maybe find another bed to chop up even just use the front part and weld it on and make it an 8 ft.
But man I hear ya cutting a frame and welding scares me, but I'd love to. Swapping bodys is not out of reach for me anymore with my cherry picker, just like motor and trans swaps, but I do have a welder now LOl.
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You know it looks like you could make an 8 ft. step pretty easy from a 6 footer.
They do share allot of the same parts. The headboard, tailgate, and fenders are the same.
I agree, you could extend the 6' side boards and make an 8'bed out of it fairly easily..
I've mentioned in other post about a 79ish Ford 4x4 stepside near me that has the sideboards made out of aluminum diamond plate and uses the stock fenders, it looks sweet.
You could also make them out of wood like this 82 I had. It wasn't a heavy duty bed as far as hauling capacity, but it was cheap to do. The P.O built it as a low $$ cruise night truck.
There's lots of options out there.