What happened to the stepside bed pickups?

[PMattras]

The trucks beds (especially 4X4) are getting higher each year and difficult to get to items in the truck bed. Chevy stop making the step side beds in 2006. The beds were narrow but a deeper bed. The outside wheel wells were made in fiberglass. I thought they looked good. I was wondering what happened to stop making them. They were on trucks from the start of truck building.

[darkfox1]

Short answer and personal opinion? Cos most people didn't like em.

 

I know I didn't. I would never buy one. When I was looking for trucks if I found the perfect truck that had everything I wanted EXCEPT it was step side.. I'd walk regardless of price.

 

That being said, GM is probably doing it like they do so many other things. Low sales and custom production lines=less cost effective. It's what I call "brown bag syndrome." The less a vehicle appeals to anyone, the more it appeals to everyone.

[MikeNH]

I liked my 2003 but the curvy step side looked better on the 99-02 trucks.

 

Don't have many great pics of it sadly-

 

 

[PMattras]

Nice looking truck!

[blackout07]

Because they weren't appealing...so they had to go.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Blackout07

[SarahsGMC]

Steps are in the bumper now.. I just use my tire

[PMattras]

 

This looks pretty sharp. I wouldn't put a topper on it but a bed cover would be okay.

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

Well to me the only trucks that look good with stepsides are the old trucks, like pre 90s. Also it seems like the older the truck the better it looks with stepsides. I'd only have a stepside as a hot rod. I prefer fleetside on anything else.

 

Stepsides just weren't in demand so why spend money and time to design if it's not going to sell.

[SarahsGMC]

Yea early 90s or earlier were the best step sides

[Bad Bowtie2]

Heck I though 2004 or 2005 was the last year for the stepsides!!

 

People just didn't hardly buy them anymore & these bedsides were expensive to make!!

 

Kind of like the 2-tone paint scheme- It just dissappeared around the same time peiod...

[desrtrat]

Yea early 90s or earlier were the best step sides

even older than that..showing my age..

 

 

 

[darkfox1]

Yea.. I've never been a fan of step sides on anything newer than a 1966 GM truck. Old school it'd look weird to have anything else.

 

67-72s SWB look great in fleetside. 73-87 same story.

 

The 88-98 step beds are real popular with restoration folks though, I see a lot of em on 67-72s. The body contour of the 67-72 cab lines up perfect with the step on the 88-98 bed.

[amest33]

They stopped in 2003

[Prokopchuk_9]

I too miss mine, I had a 2002 sport 4x4 started life as a 4.8 with 5 speed manual. Ended life with 6 litre, cam/ls1 heads/pacesetters, Sachs clutch, 14 bolt 9.5" rear diff with Locker. Was a DAMN fun truck and I miss it! I owned it before the days of iPhones so I don't have many pictures at all! Wish I did but I don't! Wife unit got pregnant had to sell it for a crew cab, wish I never did sell it. Only had 90k miles on it, all the work I did on it only had 20k. Sold it for 12 grand here she was

Edited October 1, 2014 by Chevyboy86

[Prokopchuk_9]

also, if you knew how hard it was to find a 9.5" 14 bolt with 6 lug axles you would tip your hat at me ahah!!