How To Disassemble A Stepside Bed

[flashed]

I have taken apart a few Fleetside beds but never a Stepper . Any tricks to make it simpler ? Its a 67 to 72 if that matters .

[Getter-Done]

On the one I took apart,The big Phillips head screws that held the fenders on wouldn't move.
Even after soaking in (Oil).

I drilled just inside the Phillips head.
I used a twist-drill that would just fit inside where the slots are without catching on the slots. If the twist drill catches on the slots it will damage the tips of the drill.
Then tighten the nut and it will snap off.
If one of them spins I held them with vice grips.








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[flashed]

Are the any spot welds near the tailgate like a Fleetside has ?

[Boog]

John I believe there is a short weld to cut on each side where the rear panel attaches to the bed sides. I haven't cut mine yet. A cut off wheel may get it done.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by flashed

Are the any spot welds near the tailgate like a Fleetside has ?

I think so I will try to look at the sides tomorrow.







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[67C10Step]

There will be a short weld on the rear cross sill just under the tailgate area on each side. Steps are easier to get off if you get all the wood out of the bed first. There are three 1/4”-20 bolts and nuts that hold the top of the step to the bedside. If you are lucky they will snap off in a few turns. Two more bolts with nuts hold the step to the fender. Your hope is those come loose easy because they are a bit of a pain to get to.
Big Phillips heads that hold the fender to the bed sides on are best drilled out as said before. Other bolts and nuts are pretty straightforward. PB Blaster, Kroil, or similar is your friend.

[Zeroman]

I found it easier to remove the steps and fenders before the bed wood.

Remove the lights and light brackets, then the steps, and then the fenders. Fender removal is easier if you have help. Depending on the condition of the bed, yes, the bolting can be problematic. I was able to get some bolts off, and cut others.

If your fenders have all four fender support braces attached, be sure to take plenty of pics for when you replace them. I put a piece of tape on each one and wrote their location on it. FYI - no one reproduces the front and rear braces, don't let them get lost.

One of the most difficult parts is usually removing the bed strips from the cross braces if you are trying to save them. Those bolts are generally the worst. If you are not reusing the bed strips, or wood, then just get a cut off wheel and hack away.

Be sure to mark which cross braces go where...front to back. You can figure it out later by looking at pics in the LMC catalog. I had mine powder coated and the powder coaters did not keep track, so even though I had tagged them, that's what I had to do.

If you are reusing the wood, mark the planks on the bottom underside so you know which ones go where. GMC Paul's website has some great info on bed wood if you plan to make your own.

If you leave the bed on the truck you can remove the bed strips and bed wood, and you can leave the bed supported on the cross braces until you remove the bed from the truck.

Yes, there is a small weld on each side of the bedside at the back sill. I used a small cutting wheel to minimize the damage.

Once I cut the welds I removed the bed from the truck.

Remove the rear sill, then the front bed panel, and you are done.

I bagged and tagged all of the bolts, even the ones I cut off. I noted on the bags how many were on the truck. You can get an idea of how many later by looking at the LMC catalog.

For new bolting I bought stainless steal bolts, washers, and nuts in bulk at a local company. I also polished the heads for the bed strips, the fender bolts, and the main bed mounting bolts myself. Always use anti-seize if you go with stainless steel bolting.

The washers that are located at the main bed mounting bolts are "offset". I bought mine new, chromed.

I bought new stainless steel bed strips.

For reassembly, there really are rubber spacers where the cross braces touch the frame. You need them to get the bed to cab lines correct. Some people leave them out, and the bed is 1/4" low.

Here's a few finished pics.

Hope this helps.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by flashed

Are the any spot welds near the tailgate like a Fleetside has ?

Here is the drivers side bed side picture.
Blue arrow is tail-gate trunnion
Area in red is where the welds were.









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[67ChevyRedneck]

If you're planning on new strips and bed wood, I've found it easiest to flip the bed over, use an impact, and overtighten the bolts until they snap off. They usually snap pretty easy. The second you get one of those boogers loose, if no one is holding it down from the stop, they love to "round" then out comes the welder or grinder.

They absolutely have a weld at the back under the tailgate. I remember the PS of my truck was super easy, little zip with a cutoff wheel and a punch and it popped right apart. The guy that did my DS took his job way too seriously, I had to fix/reweld a bit by the time I got it to pop off.

[flashed]

Thanks everyone , I learned a lot from you guys .