1978 C10 BED SWAP QUESTION

[txchainsawgogi]

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.

[bake74]

  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.

[bake74]

   look at this thread.       http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=3038.0

[Blazin]

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.

[txchainsawgogi]

Awesome thanks. I think I might switch to just one tank since one of mine doesn't even work properly.

[fitz]

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. 

[VileZambonie]

I've got a regular length bed right now

Meaning what an 8' bed?

[Swims350]

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.

[txchainsawgogi]

So then to make a non 8ft stepside fit this what would I have to do? Cut part of the frame?

[Swims350]

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.

[txchainsawgogi]

Cool, shouldn't be too hard! Ps those holleys are unused

[Swims350]

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.

[txchainsawgogi]

Roll the frame? Huh??

[Swims350]

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.

[Blazin]

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.