How to Remove Fiberglass Bedsides on a Chevy

Older Chevrolet stepside pickups are equipped with fiberglass bedsides. If these bedsides break or crack from an accident, they need to be replaced with new ones. To do that, you first have to take off the old fiberglass bedsides from the truck, which involves taking the bed off of the truck, then getting the bedsides off by drilling out the spotwelds along the bedsides.

Instructions

1

Open the tailgate on the truck. Pull up the straps on the sides of the tailgate to remove them from the besides. Tilt the tailgate at a 45-degree angle from vertical, and then pull the passenger side of the tailgate out of the hinges in the corner of the bedside. Then slide it off of the other hinge. Take the tailgate away from the truck.

2

Unscrew the taillights from the bedsides with the Phillips-head screwdriver. Unplug the wiring on the taillights and then push the wiring down through the taillight pocket in the bedside and down to the ground. Open the gas door and unbolt the gas filler neck from the bedside with the 3/8-inch ratchet and a Torx-head socket.

3

Unbolt the bed from the frame of the truck with the 1/2-inch ratchet, extension and socket set. Setup the metal sawhorses so that they're behind the bed of the truck, and positioned such that you can set the bed onto the stands. Put your assistants around the bed of the truck. Have everyone lift the bed up off of the frame, then carry it over to the sawhorses and set the bed on the sawhorses.

4

Locate the spot welds on the inside of the tailgate seam, the top of the bed lip and the edge of the bed that sits next to the cab. These are small circles that indicate where the bed is fused to the steel structure of the cab. Lift the bedside up and off of the bed. Repeat this step for the other bedside if necessary.

5

Drill out all of the spot welds along the perimeter of the bedside with the drill and the spot weld cutter. Unbolt the bedside supports from the bottom of the bedsides with the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket.