Repairing Step Bars

[mortal798]

I put this in Aftermarket, but it may need to be moved.

My Ford step bars are junk. I took them off today to coat the underside of my truck with Eastwood rust encapsulator. When I got them off, one of the brackets just fell on the ground - without taking the bolts out of the bar, only the bolts from the truck.

I think I'm going to try to weld the brackets to the steps because the bushings the bolts go through are all corroded and fell out of the step.

Anybody do this before?

 

[mortal798]

Looking at the bushings and the holes, this has been loose for quite a while.

fat-fingered from my EPIC 4G

 

[mortal798]

Nobody's ever fixed these?

 

[BigAlsPSD]

I have not fixed them personally but they appear to be threaded inserts, that worked loose, if you the tool you could install new rivnuts/threaded inserts. They install like pop rivets.

If you are a skilled welder though and can make it look good go for it.

 

[duddy]

They look like thread inserts to me. Can be replaced easily, No tool needed other than a bolt, nut and a washer.

 

[DieselCowboy]

fixed them on my bosses truck. it is a compression fitting that you install with a special tool. Snap on sells the tool. It is a nut setter I think. You can find them at auto body shops.

 

[florida 6.0]

Big self tapping screws .

 

[mortal798]

They are not threaded into the step, the bushings have teeth/splines on the outside. So they must be set in place using one of the tools Dieselcowboy mentioned.

I think I'm going to the hardware store tomorrow for some BIG self-tappers.

What do you think they would look like black, instead of chrome? :naughty:

 

[mortal798]

Disassembled the steps today, wire brushed them, then painted with truck bed coating...

I removed the step pads and end caps before cleaning and painting.

fat-fingered from my EPIC 4G

 

[mortal798]

I will put them back on the truck tomorrow.

fat-fingered from my EPIC 4G

 

[mortal798]

Back on the truck, used large self-tapping screws. They came out pretty good.

fat-fingered from my EPIC 4G

 

[Mike's Diesel Performance]

Looks good Kris!

 

[mortal798]

Thanks!

 

[O2ShootTheJ]

looks good! How do you get the step pads off?

 

[Barnabas]

Looks good. I woulds coated the brackets too as well

 

[mortal798]

looks good! How do you get the step pads off?

You pry up VERY carefully until you can see the tabs that hold them in place. Then use a screw driver to push the tabs free. I only broke one, and there are 4 or 5 on each one. The end caps pop out, there is an expanding metal clip on the back of those.