Step side bed?

[Cogs]

Just wondering, will a step side bed fit in place of a regular bed with no mods. I'm not sure if this truck I'm looking at has a short or long bed. Is the frame/wheel base different?

[roundedline]

Any SWB bed will interchange with a SWB truck.  Stepside or fleetside have the same dimensions and mounting points.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[Cogs]

What is SWB? So, If in fact the truck is a long bed, I can put a step side bed on? Theres no frame or wheelbase change?

[roundedline]

SWB = Short Wheel Base.
If the truck is a long bed, unless you have a long stepside (Not likely as that was a unwanted option), No a stepside bed won't bolt on.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[Cogs]

Crap then, cause I just went and looked at it and I'm pretty sure its a LWB. I just looked at the gap between the cab and the gas cap. Ive noticed that its longer on the LWB trucks.

[Cogs]

Hey guys, thanks for all the help, I've decided not to get the truck. Too rusty for me, plus I've found a new project...a 55 Buick Special.  Check it out if you'd like... cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/w...7940635668  

[Blazin]

Cool now thats when they built a car big and stylishly ugly. Good score.  

[Sano]

do stepside and swb's really have the same mounting spots on the frames??? For some reason I thought the frames would be different...but I have never really looked at them now that someone mentioned switching them. Can you really do that?

[roundedline]

Yes you can do it.  The mounting points are in the frame, so they are all the same.  I had a fleetside bed on my 73 stepside for a long time.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[Sano]

does anyone have any pictures of the frames or maybe of their process of switching them?

[Sano]

Here's a stepside frame



and here's a SWB frame



Looks like they are basically the same but whats with the bend up on the SWB frame?? On the slope down it has some bends in it that look like they narrow the frame rails a little, is there a reason for that?

[roundedline]

Still the same frame, there is no stepside vs fleetside frame.  What you are comparing in those pics are a 1973-1979 vs 1980-1987 frame.  The later is the lightened version, as you will notice there are "holes" in the cross braces.  There are also areas missing to lighten the truck.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[Sano]

alright....cool