Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: Pkeel]
#3005462
01/15/22 08:49 AM
01/15/22 08:49 AM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 5,954 Greenville, PA
redraptor
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 5,954
Greenville, PA
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I have a 1980 long bed Utiline.
Wow, from the 70's to mid 80's those are rare. Don't know much about the Swepty years.All should be the same. Does yours still have wood floor?
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Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: redraptor]
#3005566
01/15/22 01:59 PM
01/15/22 01:59 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,683 Des Moines IA
Soopernaut
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master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,683
Des Moines IA
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Wheelbases changed over the years, so bed sides probably did as well.
1970 Dodge d100/eventually going on a 77 D100 frame
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Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: Alaskan_TA]
#3005711
01/15/22 07:49 PM
01/15/22 07:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,517 Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
Rhinodart
Rhinotruck
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Rhinotruck
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,517
Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
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From 1953-1985 metal floors came in around 1981 I believe.
The funny thing about science is that if you change one miniscule parameter you change the entire outcome to the way you want it.
JB Rhinehart, Realist
A-Body's RULE!
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Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: Soopernaut]
#3005724
01/15/22 08:26 PM
01/15/22 08:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,650 Hamtramck, PA
Alaskan_TA
Fluffy Balladeer
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Fluffy Balladeer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,650
Hamtramck, PA
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Wheelbases changed over the years, so bed sides probably did as well. Three box side versions. 6 foot, 8 foot -and - 9 foot but only with the 300 series for the latter.
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Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: Alaskan_TA]
#3005741
01/15/22 09:38 PM
01/15/22 09:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,702 North Dakota
6PakBee
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I Live Here
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North Dakota
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Wish he had a picture, what he shows are the Power Wagon box sides, not the Utiline.
"We live in a time when intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended".
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Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: 6PakBee]
#3005765
01/15/22 10:45 PM
01/15/22 10:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,650 Hamtramck, PA
Alaskan_TA
Fluffy Balladeer
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Fluffy Balladeer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,650
Hamtramck, PA
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Which is why I said I emailed Matt a while back & he had them . Send him an email.
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Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: Alaskan_TA]
#3005849
01/16/22 09:09 AM
01/16/22 09:09 AM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,683 Des Moines IA
Soopernaut
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master
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Des Moines IA
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Wheelbases changed over the years, so bed sides probably did as well. Three box side versions. 6 foot, 8 foot -and - 9 foot but only with the 300 series for the latter. The 122" wheelbase Utiline trucks had a 7.5' bed. The late 65-71 trucks had a 128" wheelbase and the 72-85 trucks had a 131" wheelbase. Did the 72-85 trucks use the same bed sides as the 65-71 trucks? What method was used to make up the 3" difference in wheelbase? The OP mentioned something about flat fender trucks. These may have used a completely different bed side and I have no idea what the wheelbase is on these.
1970 Dodge d100/eventually going on a 77 D100 frame
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Re: Utiline Bed Years
[Re: Soopernaut]
#3006076
01/16/22 10:37 PM
01/16/22 10:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,537 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
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Posts: 10,537
Freeport IL USA
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The side panels on the uniline beds didn't change much from 1948 through the end of production in 1985.
Dodge used 3 basic rear fenders. The flat fender military looked like bent flat sheet metal with rounded edges. Those were specific military and were used up to the end of the 68 model year. The early year beds (48-52) used rounded fenders that looked like over grown trailer fenders. From 1953 up to the end of production, Dodge used the same fenders used on the Little Red Express trucks. The difference in the wheel base between the truck eras could well be in the front axle location. The 48 trucks were 109" wheel base, but with the 'modern" fenders, the wheel base stretched to 116" wheelbase. Cabs changed in 54, 58, 62, 67, and 72.
The bed sides are a bit more confusing. Up until somewhere between the 1956 and the 1957 model years, the top angle of the bed rails were bent at a 45 degree angle, after that time, and until the end of production, the top of the bed rails were bent at a 90 degree angle.
Early production trucks offered a high side bed side or a low bed side. The low side version went away in 1955. The new 1953 model was a long 116" wheelbase with a 7 1/2' box, as was used on the 3/4 ton pickups. Before 1953 1/2 ton beds were 6 1/2' long. A long bed 1 ton version was available (no length given). There was a note in the 59 model year section that stated that the long bed 1 ton dually used the wider 48-52 rear fenders, one would assume that was how Dodge covered the differences in the wheel base.
In 1959, the standard bed was renamed the Utiline bed because the style side beds were becoming more popular, the name change was to end confusion. Information past 1959 says "the uniline bed remained basically unchanged". This information was from the book Dodge Pickups history and restoration guide 1918-1971. There was a 2 page section that skimmed over the Little Red Express trucks. Gene
Last edited by poorboy; 01/16/22 10:44 PM.
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