Flareside vs. Non-Flareside

[bshull2]

What do you guys think of the flareside rangers 01 and up? I'm looking for a new ranger and I can't decide if I like the flareside or not. At first I thought the flareside looked stupid but now I feel like the 4.0's are missing something if they don't have flareside. The straight bed 4X4's are so much harder to find. Do you think I should wait until I can get a straight bed 4.0 or go with a flareside? I just want personal preferences so I don't buy a flareside and get sick of it.

 

[northerncountry]

If it was me I would get a regular straigt bed not a flare side for the simple fact that you can't get as much stuff in a stepside since the box is only 4ft wide and it still has wheel wells in it, another reason is because of the small size if you want to get a topper or a tonnu cover you are going to pay for it and it won't be cheap.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

i like my gen 3 flairside. one doesnt notice the reduction in bed sized compared to a standard 6ft bed as one would think...i still haul regularly with it. personally, i think extra cab flairsides look a little goofy...but i love the look of a standard cab with flairside bed. very curvy. very sexy.

ive never seen a dealer that keeps more flairsides than stylesides in stock, so i cant imagine it being difficult to find a styleside if thats what you want.

 

[pickup]

I just bought an 04 Ext cab 4x4 Sport, my first flareside. (my wife talked me into it) I love it. I've owned 3 other Rangers (all fleetside, 2 short, 1 long box) and 30 some fullsize pickups. I don't haul too much (mostly cuz I cant!) but I have other trucks for that. I have 285 tires and I like the "sporty" look to it. I cant knock the look of a fleetside, as I like them too. I get lots of compliments on it. I guess it all comes down to personal preference.

 

[rockstarofak]

One thing I kinda noticed, since I live in alaska, is that there sort of a difference in how much traction in the rear that you have with a flareside vs the straight side beds. I had an 89 that i pretty much never had to use 4wd, but with my new ranger its like i never get traction at a complete stop. But then again, maybe its time to invest in some new tires...

 

[danger03ranger]

I have the step side i do not like the room i have. I can not put hardley anything in it. I can not put my 4 wheeler in it. With my tool box in it it is pretty much full. I would go with the standard bed.

 

[LittleBigFoot]

The stepside has very little bed space. Some times it'sa good thing (when a friend asks you to help him move for the 3rd time that year)

With my spare, tool box, air tank, and light bar, i've got no space left. But boy does it look good with some big ol' meats.

It was brought up before, but it really is hard to find aftermarket shtuff.

I had to have my light bar custom fabbed, and a toneau cover will cost you out the ass.

 

[Capt Jay]

I've always thought that step side trucks look disproportional. The cabs look to big. I do agree with the greater bed space in the style side. It all comes down to buy what you like our opinion doesn't mean squat.

 

[metalmacguyver]

with a flareside, its easier to brake dump w/o stuff getting caught on the wheel wells as much.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

with a flareside, its easier to brake dump w/o stuff getting caught on the wheel wells as much.

don't ever try dumping rocks with a styleside. it dents your wheel wells. they just get in the way. plus if you can't hual as much you can make more trips and spend more time in your truck.

 

[JohnnyO]

I like the extra room in the smooth-side, which was both Rangers that I've owned. Ford offered the stepside as a no-cost option and them and most dealers must've thought they were the shiznit.
Personally I think a stepside bed is fine on a regular cab but doesn't look so good on a Supercab.

 

[98ranger4x4]

i love the looks of my step side but hate how little room there is, it depends on what you use it for i guess.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

I love my flareside bed, even with my truck being a supercab. I just like the looks mostly, and I haul stuff with no problem.

Also, a tonneau cover doesn't cost much extra for a flareside bed. I have a soft cover, snap on style, from Extang that didn't cost much more than the fleetside bed. I'll try and dig up the receipt.

Flareside rules!

 

[edgeaholic (tm)]

stylesides must be better. ford stopped making the flareside ranger in 2005.

 

[dranger21]

i love the looks of my step side but hate how little room there is

yeah there really is no room back there but I didnt think it was that hard to find a tonneau. I have a 99 flareside and i got an extang from advance auto for around $200 and it works fine