Has anyone replaced an entire bed side for to 81' to 87' swb. I am trying to determine which route to take. Replace the whole side, or replace sections....

What would be the pros and cons?..How hard is it to replace a whle side? It seems to me that you would get a better finish by replacing the side but is it strong enough to be trust worthy?:o

Nice title Huh...... "Replacement"

You are better off replacing the entire bedside. No bodywork involved at all.

What steps are needed to remove a bedside? I assume installation is the reverse. How long should I expect it to take?

I think that those bedsides just bolt on and have one weld at the back where the bedside meets the floor. It should take a day if even that to replace it.

Yes, that is correct. You should be able to swap one out in a day.

fitment on repro bedsides sucks... ask me how I know.

Unless I am mistaken, those bed sides do NOT bolt on. They have a few bolts at the back in the area of the hinge but other than that, they are all welded in.

I can walk you thru replacing it if it is the same as a 95ish those I do all the time.

Look the thing over, and find if they bolt on.

Brian

They are bolt in, the only welds are a few at the back of the bedsides on the inside of the rear posts.

If I remember right, my whole bed (inner fenders included) were held together by like 75 bolts or so... I remember it was a butload, because I put all new stainless hardware on it all.

Yes, they are bolt-on. There is a small weld where the inside "door jamb" area of the tailgate meets the bed floor. I assume that this is done to stiffen the area and keep the gap more consistant while it is being manufactured.