My bud has an 04 heritage stx scab and the step bar brackets that bolt the bar to the truck have started to break. To my disbelief the brackets are made of PLASTIC! I couldn't believe it. The bars on my 05 are aftermarket with steel brackets. Are all the stock ford bars having plastic brackets put on them? Has anyone has this problem yet? My bud doesn't off road or anything, it's just his work truck and the bar bracket broke from normal usage.

 

I have a 2003 XLT Sport with the factory/dealer (I don't know which) installed black nerf/step bar. The end caps on the bars are plastic and cannot support a person, but the rest of the hardward is steel, including the mounting brackets. I think my truck is the same as a 2004 Heritage.

 

The brackets on my 02 were steel. I bought another set to put on my 04/05, and they are steel as well.

 

Never in my life have I seen plastic brackets for steps on turcks. I know the 04-06 steps have plastic covers over the steel brackets.

 

Maybe my bud gave me some bad info, regardless, one of the brackets is broken.

Has anyone had a steel one break?

 

Being an 04, does it fall under warranty still?

 

Naw, it's got like 50,000, he disconnects people's cable for a living and drives it alot.

 

Guess what, they're some sort of composite plastic fiberglass looking stuff. I went over to his place and checked them out. I can't believe Ford would stick that crap on a truck stock like that.

 

It could have been an aftermarket product put on at the dealer before sale.....it IS only an stx and they prolly put something cheap on there to help sell the truck.

 

Hey RD,
how much did you pay for the mounting hardware? i've got all the materials i need to make some nerf steps that look like the n-fab steps. i've got the pipe, the steel rod to make the steps, and the expanded metal to weld to the steel rod for foot grip.

the next question is, are the mounting brackets "sturdy" enough steel to weld to the steel pipe i'm going to use?

 

Sorry, I meant I bought the steps, not just the brackets (it all came together). If you have the knowhow, I'm sure you could weld up some brackets.

 

They aren't aftermarket ones, they're ford factory ones. It just gets my goat that they aren't steel. The broken one isn't even on the driver's side. and doesn't get used all that much.