6" Oval Oem Step Bars

spikesputnik · April 11, 2009

So I place my oval bars on order a couple of days ago, and am surfing around this morning only to find a tread http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...;hl=step+assist referring to an interferance between a mounting bracket and the cross sill bracket? WTF. There is a link that I can not follow to a service bulletin? and mention of modifying either the bracket or rocker???

Say it isn't so!!! The whole reason I went with these factory steps was to avoid just this type of problem

Have any of you installed these bars and had to do siginfgicant modifications?? Especially to the rocker-yikes?? The tread was from about a year ago, so I'm hoping that the factory or supplier got this worked out...

Where I'm at-and thanks for the help guys; bowtie came off tailgate last night, looks great; ovals, 2" drop shackles, bed rail guards and moulded front splashes in the mail.....

LeoS41280 · April 11, 2009

I put a set of thoes on my truch in mid March. No problems at all. All the tools you will need is a 13 mm socket, 6 inch ext, ratchet, and a screwdriver to pop out the plugs in the body.

spikesputnik · April 11, 2009

Thanks, I feel better already. So there are nuts under the plugs, or it comes with clips that go in thiose holes?

13mm LOL Makes you wonder why not 1/2" on an "american" truck??? My KTM is riddled with them too, but it's "not from around hyaw", so it's expected

LeoS41280 · April 11, 2009

Thanks, I feel better already. So there are nuts under the plugs, or it comes with clips that go in thiose holes?
13mm LOL Makes you wonder why not 1/2" on an "american" truck??? My KTM is riddled with them too, but it's "not from around hyaw", so it's expected

Mine came with 16 nut clips and bolts. 8 for each side. There are 4 plugs in the body on each side where the upper part of the step bracket bolts onto.

cerbomark · April 11, 2009

bolt on. you should have no issues.

c4cruiser · April 11, 2009

Is there any difference between the extended cab and crew cab mounting hole locations or maybe some sort of stamping in the inside panel at the location mentioned in the TSB?

I just got my GM bars for my 08 ext cab truck this week and the instructions say that you only use 12 of the U-nuts and bolts for a crew cab ore regular cab and 16 for the extended cab (6 per side v. 8 per side). The part numbers for the bars are different but the instruction sheet is the same. The bag of bolts and U-nuts will have 16 of each regardless of the cab style.

As far as the bolt sizes, everything is metric on new vehicles. While the 13mm socket size is "correct" for the bolt head, a 1/2" socket is a slightly tighter fit and will work fine. The bolts are only torqued to 18 ft-lbs, so either a 13mm or 1/2" 6-point socket will work fine.

LeoS41280 · April 11, 2009

I also seen that it said the crew cab uses 12 bolts. You would think that a CC set would be longer than the ext cab set and use more mounting points.

music · April 11, 2009

The mount points are the same as the GM 3" step bars, which I recently installed. There is definitely a slight interference with the 2nd bracket from the front, on the passenger side. There's a small bracket welded (on the Crew Cab at least), that looks like a reinforcement of some type. The interference isn't enough to stop the install, but I noticed it since that specific bolt was "tight" going in. It shouldn't be an issue, but the "fix" is to grind back the tip of the bracket and repaint, so that it clears that little reinforcing plate. I left mine as-is for now, and will only modify if I notice a noise. I'd bet a big wad of $$ that no GM shop does the grind/repaint/install procedure on these as SOP.

spikesputnik · April 11, 2009

" but the "fix" is to grind back the tip of the bracket and repaint, so that it clears that little reinforcing plate"

This in is and area you'll never see, and are just painting to prevent corrosion of the bracket where filed, right?

You wouldn't have a pic, would you Musicman?

music · April 12, 2009

This in is and area you'll never see, and are just painting to prevent corrosion of the bracket where filed, right?

You wouldn't have a pic, would you Musicman?

That's correct. It's just to prevent corrosion of the bracket itself, and wouldn't hurt anything if it did rust. Any protectant (tar) would do the same thing. Here's a picture from the underside of the bracket touching the reinforcing brace. It's hard to see, since it just barely touches.

spikesputnik · April 12, 2009

Thanks Musicman. There does appear to be a big difference in the rockers construction between the CC and Ext cab. At that same joint on mine, there is a big bolted on brace on top of what is shown in your pic, that is sure to be a problem as it stick out even beyond(forward of) the layers of spot welded steel. I'm thinking the dimensions are alot different as the strenghtening "X's" are wavy on yours, straight on mine.... I'll try and post pic tomowwow

Guess I'll see next weekend.

Thanks to all for your input. This is one happenin' forum!!