Replacement Pads for Side Step Bars?

[shad2s]

I have a project 1999 Explorer Sport and one thing on my list to do is fix and repaint the side step bars. Most all of the damage is rust underneath the pads so I tried to carefully remove the pads but still ended up breaking a few tabs. Does anyone here know of a place I can purchase new pads? After I sand blast and repaint the side bars I'd rather install new pads rather than try and preserve and reuse the old ones. I have looked extensively online to find someplace that sells just the pads but cannot seem to find them.

 

[rb142]

Been there, done that. I don't think you are going to find those pads anywhere (except maybe a junkyard). You really should plan on reusing them. But you might want to think about just finding some different bars. I did a lot of work on mine ... stripped them down, removed all the rust, removed the snapped off mounting bolts, did all the prep stages and covered in bedliner paint. But the rust comes right back very quickly from inside. With the bottoms open to the water and road salt, you aren't going to stop it in the rust belt. If you really want to do it, go to some place like Eastwood and get some of that sealer that you can spray through a small hose into frame rails and such. It's expensive, but it might protect the underside long enough to buy you a few extra years from the rust returning.

 

[shad2s]

After sand blasting one of them I see you are exactly right. It is rusting from the inside out and it will be very difficult to fix these enough to make them last. I am going to order some new ones, thanks for the reply.