Looking for a SWB stepside be for my 81 W150. What year models can I use? I know the beds are real similar going way back into the 50's maybe? Just wondering how much fab work will be needed for what years?? Thanks..

I know my 85 stepside is the last yr for them. it has the metal bed floor. that change came late 70s early 80s IIRC.

to bolt on a go it has to be a 81-85 stepside bed which has the metal floor, because we tried mounting a 85 s/side bed to a 79 frame and the mounts didn't lineup up front, had to make a offset bracket.

Wonder if I could make this work? And would it look ok or be as ugly as homemade soap???

The one pictured is a 51 or 52, those had the old round rear fenders. As long as you use those old fenders (last used in the 52 model year) it will work OK. Should you want to change over to the newer fenders (53-85) and use your old bed sides, you will have fender mounting bolt holes to fill and new fender mounting bolt holes to drill. Somewhere around the 56 model year, the top of bed rails changed from a 45 degree angle to a flat 90 degree angle.

Also, Beds with the wood floors have a different method of mounting the bed sides then the beds with steel floors. I also wouldn't be surprised to find the crossmembers are different. The wood floored beds have the crossmembers mounted to the frame, the wood sits on top of the crossmembers, and the bed sides and metal strips are attached with bolts to the crossmembers above the wood. The wood started life out as 1" thick. The steel floored trucks have to make up the difference in the thickness of the flooring material someplace. Gene

if you looked at a stock stepside truck they used a stock offset bracket----when you pull a bed like that you need to grab the bracket.....bob

53-85 were almost the same. The early the rail sloped than I believe in the early 60s they became flat and other than mounting didne change. Its not hard to make the simple L bracket needed to mount a 70s bed if they are different. I have a 80 and 81-85 bed. Ill have to compare. I need the rear mount for the 80 bed. Didnt have the proper tools to cut the bolts

Well , I found a bed like pictured above about three miles from my house and its just sitting on the back of a same era International truck. I think the guy will let me take it to my house and set it on the frame rails of my 81 to see how it looks before I buy it.. I will take some pics and share when/if I do.. Thanks for the input...

NO Cross breeding!