1969 d-100 utiline

wvd-100 · Post by **wvd-100** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:29 pm

I was thinking about bidding on a 69 stepbeside on ebay to go with my 71 swept. was wandering if step beside is a short or long wheel base? thanks Warren

Post by **FredM** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 9:08 am

Dodge had a long 128"? and short 114" wheelbase and made beds for both
so there is short wide, long wide, (Icall the step side narrow) and a short narrow, and long narrow.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 9:38 am

69 D100 Utiline (stepside)? Short is rare, long is ultra-rare. By 65 Dodge was aggressively trying to kill off the stepside bed, although it held on until 85. Short is 114" wheelbase, long is 128" wheelbase. The last Dodge truck that looked truly balanced with a stepbed was 1960. 61 and up don't look bad, the stepbed just doesn't go as well with the front end and cab profiles. If it is a long wheelbase stepbed, snatch it up at as high as you can afford to go, IF the body is sound. Paint is easy to fix, engines can be swapped, stepbeds in bad shape are very hard to repair. A 69 bed should be welded together, but many of the stepbeds were bolted together, and the seams rot from the inside out. If it is a short wheelbase step, and the bed is bad, you can use bed parts from 54-85 if you need fenders, 48-85 for front panel and tailgate. They look different depending on year, but most of the pieces are interchangable.