Running Board removal...

[03ExplorerSPT]

My '95 Explorer XLT has the running boards on it. I would like to remove them. Is there any special process in doing this? I can see the screws holding them on but is that all I have to do to take them off? I don't use them. My grandparents got them when they bought the truck buy I have longer legs and don't use them. I'm tired of stepping over them and seeing them.

1995ExplorerXLT

 

[addkev]

There are 4 brackets (L-shaped) on each side actually holding it on. Unbolt those, then the running boards are clipped on with 19 plastic plugs along the bottom of the door. You just have to pry the first one, and work your way along. Then you will have those 19 holes along each side. They are many posts on here about plugging them or covering them up. It is not hard, but you definitely want to close them up, to prevent water, mud and crud getting in there and starting to rust.

 

[Ex95XLT]

i also have a 95 xlt and i took mine off and there was alot of little holes showing in the bottom of the body. also there is a mdeal piece that hands down so u can see it from the side of the truck. what i did was get some bondo, closed the holes, sprayed some touch up paint and clear coated it a decent number of times. on the inside i drew where the holes were in case i wanted to drill threw the bondo and put them back on. the medal piece that hung down me and my friend bent up under the body. its pretty easy to bend so if i want them back on it will only take me about 5 minutes to bend them back down. if you want ill send you some pictures. just e-mail me

 

[03ExplorerSPT]

Wow thats a lot harder than I thought it would be. On Explorer's that came from the factory w/o running boards have a little side skirt thing that is bolted on in place of the boards. Could I just get some of those and put them on in place of the boards?

1995ExplorerXLT

 

[diablo5969]

I was thinking of taking my running boards off too. When I was looking at my Ex I was pretty sure that none of the holes would be on the body. Am I reading that wrong, or will there be visible holes on the body? And also, I have a '94, not a '95, does that make any difference in this?

 

[addkev]

94's still have the holes. And they are in the body of the X. If you can find any of the skirts they will fit. Explorer Express used to offer skirts, but the manufacturer went out of business. Search "19 holes" and there is a thread where we went quite in depth discussing this.
Personally, I covered mine and used truck bed liner to provide protection. I think it looks pretty darn good. I have pics if you want to see. But I can't post them here, because they aren't on the web.

 

[diablo5969]

This is a bigger production than I thought it would be. I think I'm going to start looking for an old skirt off an Ex so that I can cover the holes, that way I don't have to recover it with touch up paint or anything else. Thanks for the help