Factory step bars rusting

[mpally]

My factory step bars are rusting. It seems to be at the joints were the different pieces meet. Has anyone else experienced this? BTW, it is a 99 Sport.

 

[271Ranger]

my 98 Sport

Yes, my step bars are starting to rust a little.
Just in spots. The curved ends of the step bar are
plastic or something. I am going to remove the
bars and get them jet coated or something else
permanent. I have not found any rust anywhere
else on the whole truck, just the bars.
BTW, have you looked under the cladding on the
wheel wells or under the doors for rust? I have not
but I am wondering.

Joe in Omaha

 

[ltoughguy]

Mine are also rusting mostly underneath and on top by the plastic Explorer plate and also by the plastic end caps. I took them off to have them painted or something and i'm having a heck of a time getting the paint off, I tried stripeez and some other citrus based stuff. I even tried blasting them at work but it barely budges (maybe the media is to fine). If anyone has some suggestions i'd like to hear them.

 

[taxx]

just sand the rust off and make the rest of it rought then primer it and paint it. Or leave it primered.

 

[TPLYNCH]

Mine are too... same spot. Also getting rust at corner of rear bumper at the top under the plastic cover.

 

[expl0der8]

Just so you all know. The reason your boards are rusting faster than the rest of your vehicle is because they do not have a clear coat on them. I had the same problem so i repainted them, and the shop put clear on them this time and you can tell a difference.

The clear coat gives it a little more protection then just paint.

 

[mpally]

I heard that this might be covered under the warranty. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[steveh]

Running boards covered under waranty

I tried to get them covered under the rust waranty but they wouldn't. If you read the waranty it is quite limited in what it covers. If you are succesful please let me know as I'll go back and make another stand. Mine look pretty bad...

 

[Deak]

Yeah mine were starting to rust as well. Its a bad design. I almost expected it on my truck since it was 5 years old when it was starting to show, but I saw a 99 or 00 sport with the same steps as mine and in even worse condition. So I took mine off stripped back to bare metal filled primered and filled many times. Since my sport is a green metallic I went ahead and did a proper respray with the silver to green color shifitng paint. I also resprayed the black plastic trim on them as well. Looks pretty darn cool. Although the next step is to get ALL the ground effects and bumpers in silver to green paint. That should make it one phat ride!

Deak

 

[buxfan]

I have a 2001 Sport and I am starting to see rust on my steps. Not even three years old yet!

How much would it cost to get this fixed with the options mentioned?

 

[alphabets13]

gotta go stainless steel my friends. it's the only way to fly

 

[BenS]

Mine were covered under the rust warranty. The problem is they rust from the inside out so your fresh new paint will just start bubbling on you again. Btw, mine were bubbling on the edges of the rubber pad. If one dealer wont cover it, try another.

 

[F14CRAZY]

I don't know if it applies, but when I rust proofed the bottom edges of my doors, hood, and tail gate, I first ground them down to bare metal using a wire brush on a drill. I prefer the circular type instead of the cone shaped brushes. Instead of primer, I used Loctite galvinizing compound. My dad gets it from an industrial supply store. It has the same texture as primer. I don't know exactly how well it prevents the rust, but I will know sooner or later. I then brushed a coat of Rust O Leum, and finished with spray cans. It looks good quality wise, and Rust O Lium white matches up to Ford Oxford white pretty well, even in a spot where people don't usually look.

For what it's worth.

 

[buxfan]

Just an update...

I was told to bring my Explorer Sport back to the dealership this past week so that they could look it over and see if the rust appearing on my runnin boards fell under the rust warranty. So I did that and they are going to have them painted for no charge. Yipppeeee!

The running boards were removed. That actually kind of looks pretty cool. However, my girlfriend has some trouble getting in and out (she's only about 5 ft. tall). After leaving the dealership, I thought about calling them and asking if they could be paited to match the body color, but decided against it. It might look a little tacky on a teal-green Explorer.

 

[SiLenZe]

Hey Bux! what dealer do you go for service? i have a hard time getting good service with all the mods i have made.

 

[buxfan]

SiLenZe, I take my Explorer to Towne Ford in Racine. They are great down there. I've never had any problems with any of the times I've brought my Explorer there.