Bedsides- long to short

[Roaddogg]

Anyone cut their bedsides down on these trucks like they do on the older trucks? Seems the short beds are hard to find around here and I have a lead on a good Silverado model that's loaded just it's a long bed.

[Gdub310]

Yes, it has been done many times and there are a couple of approaches to it. It has traditionally been more common on the 63-72 trucks, but as Squarebodies are becoming more popular, it is something more people are interested in.

Here are a couple resources on frame shortening to check out:

http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/chas...lwb_to_swb.htm

http://c10forum.com/forum/showpost.p...66&postcount=5

Most people that have done this say shortening the sheet metal is the most difficult aspect of the mod, and the preferred route is to find a good bed from a parts truck or to use reproduction sheet metal.

[Roaddogg]

I've cut a couple of the frames down and swapped to a factory short bed but I've never cut the bedsides down to make the short bed. I looked around the interweb and didn't find but maybe one thread about it. I don't know if it's because maybe they are put together little different from the factory or I assume it's just been since they are not as old and the production was run for a fair amount of time that the availability has been good.

[Dads79GMC]

Here you go. They'll demonstrate both a frame shortening and bed sides.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ghlight=brooks

[SCOTI]

There are guys out there that do this very thing & are VERY good @ it. For the part-timer, it can be done but the outcome can vary.