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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
Posts: 1,856
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stepside; why?
i quick googled it didnt find much. I was just thinking why were they ever made? There must have been some work use for it other than style.
Personally I'm not a fan as it seems like you just took a bed and made it smaller for some reason. But I just started getting more curious. What's it for? |
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#2 |
#16876
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Auburn WA
Posts: 12,266
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Re: stepside; why?
Evolution.
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Posted via Stationary Device '71 Custom Deluxe C-20 402. '67 Buick Special 455. '49 Plymouth Special Deluxe. "I love that old car smell" ![]() Some people are like Slinkies... not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. |
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#3 |
GMC's n H.D.'s too!
![]() Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nampa, Idaho
Posts: 1,583
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Re: stepside; why?
I agree with Sillyoldman. If you look all the way back at covered wagons, they were the same setup. The box was in-between the wheels. Wide beds evolved in the 50's (I think).
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#4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Muskegon,MI,USA
Posts: 6,026
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Re: stepside; why?
The Forest Service used them and so did the military. Not sure which came first, the design or the market.
Jim
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1971 Shortbox step side 4x4, 350 sbc, 3:07 rear end 1965 Impala SS 400 sbc, Muncie rock crusher 1966 Impala SS 396 bbc, TH 400 1969 El Camino, 350 sbc, TH 350 1971 Snowplow built on a Blazer frame 1972 GMC Short bed, stepside, TH 400, 427 BBC |
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#5 |
Senior Member
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Location: Godley, TX
Posts: 17,961
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Re: stepside; why?
concur - evolution. old trucks mimicked old cars - picture a 37 chevy's fenders, for example... they were separate from the main body. Truck beds evolved the same way, just a little more slowly and the fleetside was born in the form of the 55 cameo. BUT, I'd assume for nostalgia reasons and marketing, the stepside was retained as an option because back in the day - many may have preferred the more "traditional" look of steppers. Also consider the actual function of the "step" was to allow loading/unloading from the side (not that you couldn't do it with a fleetside...) and working parties were perhaps larger back then (think, farm) and maybe it would allow for multiple folks to load simultaneously (left/right/rear).
Ok, enough bloviating. I'm just guessin here.... ![]() |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Bulverde, TX
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Re: stepside; why?
All truck beds started out that way back in the 20s or whenever trucks started to evolve from cars. It was a way to match the front fenders which were similar in appearance, aka narrow hood and fenders sticking out over the tires. Eventually trucks started to have wider hoods that covered the wheel area (started somewhere in the 50s) but it took a while for the wide bed to catch up in the design world. Not to mention the fleetside bed offered more bed area to work out of, the main function of a truck back then. The 60-66 chevys and the 67-72 chevys were the transision models in my opinion. In other words, pre 1960 the vast majority of chevy trucks were stepside, then after 1972 the vast majority of the 73+ were fleetside. So our beloved 67-72s are a pretty even mixture. I don't dislike the stepsides (I have owned 2 in my life) but I agree that I prefer the fleetside as well.
Edit - Jocko, HA! we were basically typing the same thing at the same time.
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72 Chevy CST K5 HIGHLANDER BLAZER Getting a 6.0,NV4500,NP205,14BFF (Currently laying all over the place in little pieces) 72 Chevy swb step-side "LS" 6.0 Here's a build thread of sorts 2002 HD2500 Crew Cab, 8.1L Allison 4x4 Daily Driver Check it out www.lsdyno.com |
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#7 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,436
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Re: stepside; why?
Trucks were designed to be a useful tool. The stepside allowed for easy access to the inside of the bed and also made it easy to unload everything that was in the bed.
Many trucks were used by farmers to carry livestock. Fender tubs inside the bed could cause an animal to trip and break a leg. Just some things I have learned. Many others may have other ideas.
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'67 Chevy C-20 short stepper - build complete, 454/SM-465. '75 C-30 Single Cab DRW-350 small block/NP-435. '77 GMC-6500 Dump Truck, 427 Tall Deck. '92 GMC K-3500 Duallie, 454/4L80E. |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mayflower,AR
Posts: 802
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Re: stepside; why?
Aww crap, here comes a war!!!
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Edwards, CA
Posts: 7,503
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Re: stepside; why?
Pick up beds were an evolution as previously mentioned. If you look at the intended users it makes sense. Smooth sides and a rectangular shape were easy to load, calculate load weight, easy to access and empty. The steps were a natural extension of the running boards and useful. Later as the trucks became more widely used, people began looking for creature comforts and styling. Dodge grafted on car quarter panels and GM put huge fiberglass fenders on the looked like a smooth side. Non-commercial users liked and demanded more, so the add on fixes became integral components and the fleetside style bed we know became a regular production vehicle. The wood floor carried on as did stepside style because there was still a market for them. Be it government or industrial "low bidder" or the rancher/ ag user that still demanded a grain tight bed to keep loose loads and wood floors for livestock. Soon most of the non-commercial trucks were fleetsides, then the mid '70s 4x4 and truck craze happened. Now people wanting something different decided that the stepside offered a different look and better access to their coolers. Again soon the look went away and due to low productin numbers then they were gone from production. But every once in a while someone in marketing tries to do it again like the mid '90s beds which were now narrow widebeds with fenders stuck on the outside to provide steps and a marketing edge.
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Thanks, Tim * VIN/Model Decoders * Power Team Charts (engine/transmission/gear ratio) * Post Your Pickup SPID ** Blazer SPID ** Suburban/Panel SPID * RTFM ... Read The Factory Manuals... download 'em here Highlanders ** Do you have a 1972 Plaid Pickup? ** Plaid Blazer ** Plaid Suburban |
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#10 | |
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Re: stepside; why?
Jocko wrote
Quote:
To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner. A key attribute to those that sell. To pretend to understand technical subject matter and sell it to others even dumber then oneself. or... "Dang, just came from the track with my new truck and custom 327, but overreved it and bloviate!" ![]()
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#11 |
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Re: stepside; why?
good thread. thanks for the info.
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#12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Edwards, CA
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Re: stepside; why?
Quote:
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Thanks, Tim * VIN/Model Decoders * Power Team Charts (engine/transmission/gear ratio) * Post Your Pickup SPID ** Blazer SPID ** Suburban/Panel SPID * RTFM ... Read The Factory Manuals... download 'em here Highlanders ** Do you have a 1972 Plaid Pickup? ** Plaid Blazer ** Plaid Suburban |
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#13 | |
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Re: stepside; why?
Quote:
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#14 |
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Location: Corona, CA
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Re: stepside; why?
Tim and Jocko; I consider you to both be erudite....and I had to look that up! Haha
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MusicMan70 1961 GMC Suburban |
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#15 | |
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Re: stepside; why?
Quote:
Thank You! Its good to know that my efforts are appreciated. Sometime I don't say what people want to hear but I always try to give the most accurate documentable information I can. Of course now this means just when I was no longer really missing spell check, I now need a thesaurus to keep up! :-)
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Thanks, Tim * VIN/Model Decoders * Power Team Charts (engine/transmission/gear ratio) * Post Your Pickup SPID ** Blazer SPID ** Suburban/Panel SPID * RTFM ... Read The Factory Manuals... download 'em here Highlanders ** Do you have a 1972 Plaid Pickup? ** Plaid Blazer ** Plaid Suburban |
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#16 |
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Re: stepside; why?
It's kind of a silly question to ask why they made Stepsides. I guess it comes from a perspective of only focusing on 67-72 trucks and not the entire history of pickups. They never made a Stepside truck until '58. Before that they were just pickups. It was the introduction of Fleetsides that created a reason to identify the old style bed. Stepsides remained the basis of a pickup as it had been since day one with the Fleetside being an upgrade. There were people using pickups before '58 and they liked them just fine and didn't want to change. For hauling,unless you're hauling loose bulk,the wider bed doesn't add anything and presents a shifty load situation compared to the well defined dimension of a Stepside. It is the same size as the cargo floor. If more capacity was needed,in years prior,you got a flatbed or stake body. Fleetsides were created for style. Enough years have gone by to where more people look to trucks for style than utility and now ask why they made Stepsides.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#17 | |
1962 C-10
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Las Vegas, New Mexico
Posts: 4,978
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Re: stepside; why?
Quote:
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Joseph Chavez ![]() "See the USA in a Chevrolet!!" ......................_____ .........________//__{\_____ ,,,,,,,/__(O)___//___/__(O)_/ 1962 C10 Shortbed Fleetside 327/th350 GV overdrive 1974 C10 Longbed Fleetside 350/th350 "The Trash Truck" 1999 Chevy 2500 OBS, Longbed 5.7/4L80E 4x4 2015 GMC Sierra SLE 1500 4x4 |
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#18 |
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Re: stepside; why?
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72 Chevy CST K5 HIGHLANDER BLAZER Getting a 6.0,NV4500,NP205,14BFF (Currently laying all over the place in little pieces) 72 Chevy swb step-side "LS" 6.0 Here's a build thread of sorts 2002 HD2500 Crew Cab, 8.1L Allison 4x4 Daily Driver Check it out www.lsdyno.com |
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#19 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
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Re: stepside; why?
Love it, VERY well said.
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#20 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Abington,Ma.
Posts: 87
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Re: stepside; why?
I think the fleetside was twofold..
one like the cameo. was style as the 50's was all style but also the marketeers one upmanship.. the fleetside offered more cubic inches/feet of cargo room.. sorry special K not everyone hauled goods the size of a stepside or beds with wheel wells outside the bed.. the first beds are that way because cars where that way.. that was the STYLE then. when cars lost that. the fleet side was more inline with the buyers wants.. and as a bonus more cargo room.. I like both.. but long beds look goofy with the stepside better question is why the short bed lifed on in the 50-70's when trucks where still for the most part used as trucks.. |
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#21 | |
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Re: stepside; why?
Quote:
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72 Chevy CST K5 HIGHLANDER BLAZER Getting a 6.0,NV4500,NP205,14BFF (Currently laying all over the place in little pieces) 72 Chevy swb step-side "LS" 6.0 Here's a build thread of sorts 2002 HD2500 Crew Cab, 8.1L Allison 4x4 Daily Driver Check it out www.lsdyno.com Last edited by Critter; 06-19-2012 at 07:11 PM. |
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#22 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 639
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Re: stepside; why?
I love my stepside. That's all I got to add
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#23 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Here and There.
Posts: 100
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Re: stepside; why?
Because stepside beds are more b!tchin' than fleeetside beds.
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#24 | |
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Re: stepside; why?
Quote:
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#25 |
Registered User
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Location: Central TX
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Re: stepside; why?
I have one of each, fleet & stepper both long and like both!
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1971 C20 LWB Cheyenne 396/TH400 2017 Chevy SS - Holden conversion 2015 Chevy SS 2013 Acura MDX |
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