Only bad thing (looks aside for some) is pulling the weight from the wrong end. Of course pulling weight from the front is hard to say the least, but it would be a shame to pull weight, only to have to add it back in traction devices. Off course some already need these devices regardless...........Just food for thought.

 

I respectfully say you're wrong there. I ordered a new step side bedside panel for a buddy and it was WEIGHTLESS. The box was about 7 feet long and awkward, but if there was no wind you could have balanced it endwise on 2 fingers. I'd guesstimate 15 pounds for the actual boxside, and the box itself with 20 percent of the boxside smashed out and missing was light enough for 2 skinny buggers like me and my pal to muscle around no problem. You ARE however taking weight off the back of the truck, rather than the heavy front end. And the loss of payload space is exactly why I sold mine rather than keep it. I love the look of a stepside, but I just couldn't do it myself. No room for tools and sliptanks and such.

 

well i lifted them the same day and it felt heavier. there is alot of support sections on the step side to keep it together and strait, also the fleet side bed metal is very thin.

 

silver-mod-o was pretty good at gettin rid of excess weight. Beyond him tho; u could search for others. G/L

U beat me to it.

I'd be hard pressed to believe that. I thought I might need to haul plywood & stuff, so I went w/. what I believe is more practical for me, knowin bout the composite. 1 Bear nailed it tho, the wtg. needs to come off the front. Too bad GM didn't have composite fenders, or better, carbon. Ya, I know...$$$. Point is, we're nose heavy w/. trucks.

 

well i think the sport side is half fiberglass so it would be lighter but u need some weight back there for traction right? my fleet side hooks up just fine but then again my truck is prolly a 15 second truck too.

 

idunno if they are heavier or not but i love my stepside

 

Someone had posted up the weights of the two styles of beds a few years ago and the sport side was definitely around a buck lighter, I'm not even going to attempt to try and find the thread though as it was ages ago and I have no idea who the thread starter was.

 

I have a stepside and my buddy has a fleet side, both trucks we had to take the beds off for different reasons, theres not a huge difference in weight between the 2 but the stepside is lighter, no metal fenders or bed rails, no metal inner fenders, shorter tail gate, it all adds up. Now looks it comes down to personal preference

 

I agree 100lbs can mean alot. On my drag bikes 100lbs is HUGE!!!! I do all my own chassis mods on my bikes and im wanting to apply that to a truck to see just how light i can get one. We spend thousands on titanium and carbon fiber to get our bikes light even right down to saving a few grams with titanium bolts. However with a truck they dont over parts in titanuim so im looking for other ways to save weight and 100lbs here and a 100lbs there will add up over time to be alot..

 

the old step sides, like 88-98 were fiberglass, the new ones are a plastic composite ABS, and have thicker ribs and reinforcement. I still think there is no real difference in weight. ALSO don't forget spray in bed liners can add up to 70lbs...