My 77 Royal Sierra

[1985K10]

Well I finally got going again on my 1977 GMC Royal Sierra...stripped it down to the leafs and axles. Im pulling the springs and axles and getting the frame sandblasted this week.

Anyone have any experiance with aftermarket bedsides?(fleetside)

Oh, and heres a pic of what she looked like, and does now...

[ChaseDale3and8]

I have had experience with the aftermarket bedsides. They take quite a bit of work to make them fit and look right. They are about your only option these days because GM discontinued theirs. Classic Industries still has GM bedsides as far as I know, but they are VERY expensive! If you take your time you can fit the aftermarket bedsides on and make them look pretty decent.

You will have to fit and adjust the tailgate that you want to use to them. Don't just bolt them on tight right off. You will need to adjust for the gaps in between the tailgate. If you can't get the gap in far enough at the top you will likely need to pull the side back off and do a little bit of cutting/grinding at the bottom of the stake pocket where the bedside meets the floor. Don't take too much off at once. It may take several fitments on each side to make them fit right but is worth the effort if you take your time.

One other thing to keep in mind is that they WILL need bodywork. Even though they are new parts, they aren't perfect by the time that you get them, but waviness and dents are far better and easier to repair than rust. ...Joe

[gchemist]

She looks good naked!!!

[1985K10]

Yea the frame is suprisingly clean for a 30 year old truck that the body rotted right off of. Soon the 400 will be getting rebuilt, Id like to add EFI but I wanna keep things simple under the hood. For the transmission the TH350 is still strong, but will be replaced with a 700r4, which i may yank from my 87 along with the transfer case, cab and bed. Im gonna keep & rebuild the 44 and 12 bolt.


As for those bedsides...how are they strength wise?

[ChaseDale3and8]

As long as you're not planning on mounting a winch on the sides of your truck or something they should be fine strength wise lol. They might be a little thinner than what GM put on them but I haven't checked mine with a caliper to see.

You should be able to lean up against them without caving them in. I haven't noticed any difference in the strength on my truck. My left side is aftermarket. Other than having to spend some time fitting it up and needing to do bodywork to make it straight, I really have no complaints. ...Joe