and once again.............


FLARESIDE=FORD
STEPSIDE=CHEVY.

 

Honestly I could not care less everyone knows whats being talked about.

 

I found a long box stepside and bought it for $200.

 

Off of what? Ford hasn't made one since the 60s?

 

The last year for the 9' flareside was in 1972 and only for the F-350.

The last year for the 8' flareside was 1979.

The only flareside avaliable between 1973-1976 was the 8' version. The 6' version came back in 1977.

The last year for the 6' flareside, that was loosely based on the 50's version and had a few swappable parts. (Before the 1992 modernization) was 1987.

 

Well said sir

always cal mine a stepside, I always think of that girl from office space wearing all those stupid buttons for flare if I call it a flare side haha

 

The only times it really matters calling Ford's Flaresides or stylesides, and Chevy's Fleetsides and stepsides are when looking for parts, and doing advertisements or write-ups about the products.

One, the names are trademarks of the respective companies, so when looking for parts, on the internet, there can be a distinction. You may not find the parts you need unless you know the difference and sometimes searching both descriptions will give you more results.

Two, using Chevy's stepside trademark to describe a Ford is technically against the law, especially if you said something like "Ford stepsides suck" as example. Which I know, and we all know that Ford flaresides are great! My point is if you damage or use a trademark improperly you can be liable if it causes damage to said trademark.

I honestly don't care either way. Chevy's trademark is the most catchy of the two and that's why it is used to describe all beds with outer wheel well flares and steps, but the legal issues is why Ford calls them Flareside.

 

Why not call something by it's proper name? Coke or Pepsi-both colas, but if you do not specify you might get a RC. Do not if there is a generic term for the flared out fender bed with steps. BTW what does Dodge call its version?

 

Sure seems like a lot of debate about something that's a non-issue. Stepside or flareside everyone knows what your talking about so what's the big deal? And yes, I'm one that orders a soda and really don't care whether it's Coke, Pepsi or even RC. I'm not trying to be sarcastic just don't see what the big deal is about what you call it.

 

Stepside is the generic term.

It is like when someone asks for a Kleenex. EVERYONE knows you want a tissue. Not that you are actually wanting a Kleenex BRAND tissure

 

Exactly.

Searching for Kleenex and/or tissue will give you more results in a search engine though...

Now if you try to market "Diesel_Brand Tissues" as Kleenex, for example, you will get sued by Kimberly-Clark or whoever owns the Kleenex trademark.

 

Stepside is the generic term, just like Diesel_Brad stated. Although the stepside name is trademarked to GM. Just as the name Kleenex is trademarked in the above examples, but also used as a generic term for tissues. Or as Coke has become generic for cola. When a trademark becomes a generic term to describe all, including your competition, that's called good marketing.

Ramside: Although Dodge hasn't made them since the 1972-1993 body design.

 

I can never remember....

Is the Stepside-equivalent a Flareside (Type 87)? Or Styleside (Type 89)?

And, do I have the 87 & 89 mixed up?

Or are they different numbers entirely?

One of the things I always need to look up...................... *sigh*

IMHO Stepside is a great marketing term - it's easy to envision what is being talked about. Styleside, Flareside, don't mean squat to me.......

 

The Stepside (Chevy) name equivalent is Flareside (Ford).

 

When I was a kid, my dad had a nice 86 short bed truck, and we called it the stepside, due to the little "steps" on the front of the bed, but call it whatever you want, its only a matter of opinion. Just my .02 cents.