Few Stepside to Fleetside bed questions

[JWheeler331]

Okay.....have a couple questions but first a little info......

I have a 65 Stepside with a pretty good bed and my father in law has a 64 Stepside with a bed that is not as good as the one on my truck.

I have always liked the Fleetside beds more and found someone locally who wants to trade his short fleetside with my father in law's stepside bed.

Then in turn I will trade my bed for the fleetside giving my father in law a nice stepside bed and me a nice fleetside bed.


Having never owned the fleetside model I wanted to ask a few questions before the trade happens.

First, The stepside and fleetside beds will just swap out, correct?

Second, Is there negative things to look at such as missing parts etc? I know to look for rust and bondo kind of stuff but what else?

Third, I read and hear people saying they have a short wide bed......what is that? Is it wider than usual? Is there a way to tell?

Last......the bed im looking at trading does not have the reverse lights under the brake lights. He has a long wheel base there too and it has reverse lights. Was that an option on some years?


One extra question for good measure.......How hard would it be to add the reverse lights in the future?



Thank you in advance for any help. I just don't want to end up trading my good bed and having a bed that I wont be able to use.

The bed has no rust that I seen today. It does not have the wood and does not have the brake lights installed but I will be having to rewire my truck anyways so I will be able to wire for that.

[LVPhotos]

The 60-62 frame are the same the 63-66 same. The bed mount pads should be the same from step to fleet. The reverse lights were options and are simple to add. Hole for wires I believe and two screws. Not like they shine to see.
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[aerotruk63]

Have to be careful of the cross sills that support the wood floor and box sides. 60-62 and 63-66.

You need the reinforcing rods to prevent bowing of the fleetside box and stepside fenders.

The term short wide bed is a regional dialect for Fleetside.

Reverse lights were an Accessory till 1966 when they became mandatory. And yes they can be installed later, the dealer often installed them.
I do not have the template for installation, I did as you can see I had an original kit. It`s right beside the template for the antenna location that is also missing. When you remove the lights take a measurement to drill the new holes or make your own template from a cut up cereal box from the original location on the long box. If the green wire for the reverse lights is tie wrapped to the tailight harness then it was a dealer installation. Factory installation came with the green wire molded along with the tailight harness wires.
A harness from the 67-72 series works as well.
Always save a 4 speed setup from a junker. Switches are hard to find and expensive. Powerglide and 3 speed switch were the same as the passenger car line and are readily found at your local autopart store.

[JWheeler331]

Thanks for the info and the pics also.
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[JWheeler331]

How bout another question....? Okay, the next will will actually make it two more. haha

When I was out there the bed is loosely on the frame of its current truck. Walking around checking for rust and bondo I was tapping on the bottom of the bed sides on the outside of the fenders. The fenders were wobbly like it was missing support behind the bed.

Does anyone have any pictures of the inside support of the beds? I did not see that in LMC or anything.

[cortcomp]

There are metal rods that go from the bottom of the support to somewhere (mine are gone) the metal can wave and move a lot without them. I think 2 per side?

[JWheeler331]

Originally Posted by cortcomp

There are metal rods that go from the bottom of the support to somewhere (mine are gone) the metal can wave and move a lot without them. I think 2 per side?

Thought so.

Anyone have any pics of these ?

He may have them but may not. If not does anyone sell them or will I have to make some?
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[Clyde65]

There are 4 of these rods, the go from the bed cross members to the fenders in front of and in back of the wheels. My truck has all 4, took me 5 years to find them, but you can make them, just us a torch and a BFH!
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[Vernski]

If you are a bit of a blacksmith you can make the support rods use some round stock, I used some rebar, cut either to length heat up each end of the rod rosey red and flatten it out and drill a hole for a bolt & nut. You have to measure & re-measure where the holes go trial & err method, there is holes already drilled in the cross sills. The only difference between a long step-side and a long fleet-side is the width of the cross sills, and the same if both are short instead of long. There is a hole in the lip of the fender for the rod to attach to also. I am not 100% sure if 60-66 are all the same it maybe more likely that 60-63 and 64-66
are similar, early on the frames were different because of the torsion bar suspension..Vernski

[JWheeler331]

Originally Posted by Vernski

If you are a bit of a blacksmith you can make the support rods use some round stock, I used some rebar, cut either to length heat up each end of the rod rosey red and flatten it out and drill a hole for a bolt & nut. You have to measure & re-measure where the holes go trial & err method, there is holes already drilled in the cross sills. The only difference between a long step-side and a long fleet-side is the width of the cross sills, and the same if both are short instead of long. There is a hole in the lip of the fender for the rod to attach to also. I am not 100% sure if 60-66 are all the same it maybe more likely that 60-63 and 64-66
are similar, early on the frames were different because of the torsion bar suspension..Vernski

Thanks.

[gofastnut]

keep us posted...

[JWheeler331]

Will do. Should be going to show him our bed tomorrow and see of he wants to trade.
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[JWheeler331]

Picked up the bed today. It's in good shape. Pics to come.
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[JWheeler331]

Picked up the short fleet side bed yesterday evening. We drove my father in law's truck over there to let him see if he was interested in the swap and he was so we actually unbolted our bed and took it off and then put the fleet side on my father in law's truck and drove it home. The bolt holes didn't quite line up on my father in laws truck so in the pictures the bed is all cockeyed and just two bolts in it to get it home.

The guy is also giving me another tailgate from a 66 because this one looks like a small tree or something fell on the top of the tailgate. Not too bad though.

Im happy with the bed. It needs to be cleaned and put on my 65. Of course it don't have any of the wood or wood strips but the cross sills appear to be solid and in good shape.

Here are a couple pics I snapped real fast while it was still on my F-I-L's truck.

[JWheeler331]

Is there some type of rubber bushing or anything that goes between the bed and frame? If so does anyone sell them? I did not see them on LMC or Classic Truck Parts. Could have missed them though.

[Clyde65]

yes there is a rubber mount pad....

http://www.classicparts.com/1954-87-.../#.UfAwjdL2YrU

[JWheeler331]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

yes there is a rubber mount pad....

http://www.classicparts.com/1954-87-.../#.UfAwjdL2YrU

Thank you. I thought there was something there but did not know for sure.

[forestb]

I think that small dip in the tail gait was a dealer option. I see a lot of trucks with them

[Vernski]

While we are on one, here is another choice..Vernski
http://www.classicindustries.com/search?q=cx1314

[JWheeler331]

Originally Posted by Vernski

While we are on one, here is another choice..Vernski
http://www.classicindustries.com/search?q=cx1314

Is there any difference between the two?
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[Vernski]

Originally Posted by JWheeler331

Is there any difference between the two?
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I don't know if there is any difference except the price, I cut mine out of the side-wall of a radial tire cause they have some plys in them and they are thin.
Just takes a little time to cut them out vs already made up. I'd go for the cheaper one if you buy them no one will ever see them anyway..Vernski

[Clyde65]

I still have the CP ones under my bed, bought around 1990. like Venski says, no one will see them.

[JWheeler331]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

I still have the CP ones under my bed, bought around 1990. like Venski says, no one will see them.

True. I may just cut some out of some old tire. I have a few tires laying around.

[Ta2Don]

This is one of those times when the worth of this board comes to light!
Hats off to everyone out here who takes their time to respond so positively.

Apologies for the Hijack, just had to say this!
Congrats on the Fleetside!!!

[JWheeler331]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

This is one of those times when the worth of this board comes to light!
Hats off to everyone out here who takes their time to respond so positively.

Apologies for the Hijack, just had to say this!
Congrats on the Fleetside!!!

Thanks. No prob. and no Hijack. You are very right. I am kind of learning as I go. The search function here is somewhat of a puzzle to me. When I search I tend to find things from other year trucks and its hard to weed out through so much of that.

I need to just start a build thread for my old truck.