I am very confused and have been for 10 years.

I have a 97 F-150, that I have always called a 'Stepside'

I need to get a new bed cover for it, and all of the websites are talking about 'Flaresides'.

Are they the same?
What the hell.

I don't want to buy the wrong cover.


Told you it's the dumbest question in the world.

 

I don't know the answer to your question but I do have a suggestion. Look at your original paper work and see what term Ford uses.

 

No such thing as a dumb question. If you don't know, ask.

However, it might be smarter to post in the correct forum

Sounds like you have a Flareside but, just in case....

this is a Flareside



and this is a Styleside

 

Same thing.

Up until 1956 all of Fords truck beds were the same, they had side steps.
You could also opt for a 'Platform Stake' bed or a 'Panel' truck.

However, the regular pickup bed at the time (with the steps) was called neither a 'Steside' or a Flareside', the term was 'Conventional'.

In 1957 Ford introduced a completely new style bed.
Flush fenders and straight side bed panels.

They called this the 'Styleside'
When the styleside came along it made the 'conventional' name confusing because the conventional had bed sides that 'Flared out' while the styleside did not.

Thus, the 'Styleside' and the 'Flareside' names.
You could get both the styleside and Flareside in 6.5' or 8' beds.
The Styleside had a steel floor.
The Flareside had a wooden floor.

I believe it was Chevy who called their two similiar beds
the 'Fleetside' and 'Stepside'.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

They are the same.

 

Well, I have a step into the bed just aft (sorry, Sailor talk) behind the cab, and one behind the wheel well. That is why I always called it a 'Stepside"

The in the reply that said his truck was a Flareside (nice truck by the way) the rear of my truck is like that, but I have a step forward (another Sailor term) of the rear wheel.

I am going to assume that it is a Flareside....

 

Tried to upload an image but failed/

 

the blue f150 is a extended cab, shortbed, like a supercrew, and I believe those did not have the steps, just imagine trying to make one fit in that small space and look/work well. The 6.5' beds do have steps, just the one displayed has a shorter bed.

 

I call mine both, a flairside and a stepside. They both have the step. I always thought one term was the Ford version and the other term a Chevy version. Mine also is the extended cab with a shortbed.

 

That is not a flareside - that is a Supercrew bed. Flaresides do have more of a "step" in front of the wheel well and a lip to the bumper behind the wheel well.

Anyway, the answer to your question is that your stepside is referred to as a Flareside by Ford - they older models used to say "flareside" where the F150 emblem usually goes on the front fenders.