Hey all... looking at building a longbed stepside for a 97 F250 HD. Anyone done one or have any pics of one they may have seen? Basically would like to build something like a Flareside but in a longbed configuration. One idea I had was taking a dually longbed from a similar year truck (to keep the lower body contour matching) and narrowing the width by the appropriate amount which would also allow keeping the two fuel doors on the drivers side bed fender. Any ideas or suggestions on how to do this??? Thanks for any input...

 

That sounds hideous…. 😳. Yeah, I said it! 🤣 maybe get a bullnose flare side and just extend it. They had straight inner structure that I think would be easier to blend.

 

older fords had a 9' stepside bed.
Do your resaearch and source a 9' bed.
Forestry trucks had them.

 

The dually bed is just a normal bed with bolt on flares. They generally have the normal wheel arch cut out to accommodate the tires.

 

There's a guy locally that has a 70s Ford stepside long bed. He took a short bed and extended it using steel from a filing cabinet.

I also think it would be easier to cut down an older, longer stepside box, or extend an older steel short bed stepside than it would be to narrow a dually bed.

 

Go big...

 

I feel his turning radius pain…. I might add a flare side when I shorten my frame. Never Sean a crew cab flare side!

 

x2 it would be easier to source an older short bed and modify or even find a factory older long stepside and repair.

 

I've found a late 50's or early 60's longbed box with older rounded detached fenders. Will the fiberglass fenders from a 80's bullnose era flareside match up to that older bed? If not, how would you recommend getting fenders to fit right?

And I think someone misunderstood what I was referring to in narrowing the width of a dually longbed. It would turn out looking like a flareside from the 90's but in a longbed version.Infact, would look just like a mid 90's flareside just in a longbed configuration and i think a flareside tailgate from the 90's would or could be made to fit with little effort???

 

Yeah...., no.
It would look like a narrowed dually box, fenders are bolt on, not one piece fibreglass like a flareside.
Dually boxes will not of the 'steps' like the flareside does.

I have a flareside, and understand exactly what you are trying to do.
I am assuming your wanting this just for the 'because I want it factor', so, if I were to do this, I would worry about the tailgate last, since that will be easy compared to the rest of the box.

Get a flareside box, maybe two. Use one box as parts and extend the second box.
I think it would be more difficult 'narrowing' the width of a standard box or dually box.
I think it would be easier to 'lengthen' the front/back of a flareside box to fit your wheel base.

Box sides of flareside are different. Only way to make it 'look' like a flareside, is to use a flareside.

If you cannot find a tailgate, get a standard tailgate and shorten it.

Flareside boxes are 300lbs heavier than standard, so after your done, expect it to be about 500lbs heavier.

Hope your good at fibreglass!

 

Yes, I get that. You having a flareside know exactly what Id be faced with here. I'm under the impression that the flaresides are composition molded plastic, not fiberglass which is why i was looking for a different option. Aren't the side panels one solid piece that bolts up to the metal inner box? As for the fiberglass question. I'm no good at either though I did shape and make a surf board back in high school shop class while growing up in SoCal... no longer there, been in Texas for 25 ys now. I've found a 50's 60's flareside/stepside longbed with old fenders. Wondering if fenders from an 80's bullnose will bolt up to that box???

 

I am 99% positive the 92-96 flareside boxes are fibreglass from the factory.
They are one piece, I do not think the sides come off the inner box.
I have a cap and box liner on right now, so hard for me to look.

According tho this picture, they unbolt.

Here is an image:


1992 - 1996 Flareside bed

 

The outside box sides are fiberglass, the floor, inner walls and bulk head are steel

 

I'm taking this bed off of the truck and getting rid of it (estimates say it needs $2K in work done on it alone) but it cost over $8K to build back in '96, all steel and contoured to match lower body lines of the "97HD. I've had estimates of over $12K to build this bed today from scratch. I was involved in what i thought was a somewhat minor accident with a hog and a guardrail and the insurance company wants to total the truck... borderline as of now. I'll retain the truck no matter what but don't want a dirty title on it so i'm looking to do something different to the truck now. This truck is too clean and I'm only the 2nd owner. I bought this from the original owner who built this truck sparing no expense back in '96... over $45k in 1996.

A dually just doesn't work for my needs anymore and I'm and wanting to convert the rear axle from dually to singles and put a small lift kit on it. So either a stock longbed or a custom flareside is what I'm considering doing now with the insurance settlement. Would also consider a partial trade for a very clean longbed or two bullnose flareside beds for this bed. If you can do metalwork, this is a relative easy repair. It is a one of a kind, custom built

bed for a FORD...

 

That is one nice looking truck!
I'd be fixing it as is.