Westin Nerf Step Bar Creaking

[drbob11]

FYI - if you have the body mounted Westin nerf step bars installed that mount to the body mount bolts and it creaks when you drive I have the solution. First I called Westin and they sent me new engineered brackets to install but that didn't get rid of the creaks totally. The brackets made the creaks less but didn't totally get rid of the creaking. Since the 3 body mounts are or were independant from each other and with the nerf bars installed they become tied together as one rigid bar. So when the body flexes it still binds causing the creaks. I went to Lowe's and got some large diameter 1/8" thick rubber washers and large steel washers. I put a rubber and steel washer on each side of the bracket where the nerf bar mounts to brackets to allow for some flex where they bolt to the body brackets. I also added some "red" locktite to the bar bolts so they won't come loose and now the creaking is totally gone. Works great.

[pm26]

Good solution. I hope you know that the red Loktite is pretty strong stuff. It is very hard to remove bolts Liktited with the red Loktite. I ususally use the blue Loktite, which does a good job, but enables the bolts to be removed much more easily with hand tools.

 

I had an old 1975 Ford LTD which I bought used back in the late 80's and when I needed to change the front brake pads, I found out that the previous owner used red Loktite on the caliper mounting bolts. Let's just say that it took a 5 ft pry bar on top of my breaker bar to get them loose.

[Z71Adrenaline]

That's some good ingenuity right there! I had the Westin 6" oval tube steps on my Silverado and they did the same thing you are describing. I'll keep that in mind with my next truck!

[Bill in Niantic]

I have the nasta bars. Encountered the same problem because I didn't pay close enough attention to the nasta bracket touching the Body mount. Then I realized the mounts a sound isolation mounts and I created a sound short. I recentered the Bar mounts and ensured there was no metal to metal contact with the brackets. Problem gone. Tighten Bolts to 65 ft lbs.

[drbob11]

good to know about the red locktite... when i tightened the bolts to the bar i didnt want to torque the bolts down until they smoked since the tighter you make the bar bolts it would squish the rubber out and kind of defeat the purpose so i tightened the bolts snug. i thot about using the blue but since the bolts were just snug and not smokin "tight" i figured the red would be a better choice. i am hoping i don't have to take the bars off... but just in case i might switch to the blue... alto thank goodness for air tools!

[drbob11]

i think i took my bars on n off several times when it creaked... it drove me nuts. i checked and rechecked to make sure the brackets didnt touch metal. but apparently the body flexes quite a bit. i called westin and they sent me new brackets that were smaller. i installed them but it still made a slight creak... i may just be OCD when it comes to noises.

[Z71Adrenaline]

I'm the same way about rattles and squeaks. My biggest gripe, though, was that the Westin bars that used the body mounts sat lower in the back than in the front. Looked like crap to me!

[jerryk]

Bob,

do you have any pictures of where the rubber and steel washers go? do they go where the tubes mount to the bracket that Westin provided or to where the brackets mount to the body, or both??

what size were the washers (inside diameter and outside diameter)?

 

thanks,

jerry

[oldschool327]

Red loctite can be easily removed, just use a touch of heat from a small propane torch and it turns back to liquid.