lol.. I have a 2008 Screw that came with the polished stainless steel Oval side steps.. personally, I like side steps.. and my wife is only 5'2'' so it really helps considering my truck is lifted.. problem is I had painted them black with some Rustoleum and it just isn't holding up very well where the paint meets the plastic step pad..

so I finally figured out how to remove those stubborn step pads, but the question is.. What should I do next? The truck doesn't look bad without them, but they are practical, and I like step bars, (also help prevent stupid people from dinging my doors)

1. Should I sand them all down and repaint with Rustoleum, it held up well enough the first time around, it just started chipping where the paint meets the plastic pad because I didn't paint "underneath" the pad.. I more or less expected it to chip there.. only problem is.. It obviously isn't going to be durable enough, and I'd have to do all the prep work and painting all over again.

2. Let the manager from the Ford Dealership Body Shop repaint them? I've seen some of his work, and he's pretty good, he was all for painting them, he loves my truck. Problem is, I've heard some of you guys say painting chrome is a bad idea.. but they kinda look like polished stainless steel.. Either way, He's painted over chrome before and it came out fine.. He painted a F-250 Lariat bumpers and grille and it looks sweet (also blacked out) So yea, he says it will work, an he's only charging $175 for all the work.. sound fair enough?
Here's a link to the Black F-250 Lariat he painted: http://www.iconvehicledynamics.com/c...?galleryID=257

3. Have them powdercoated? While this would more than likely be the best route for durability, I haven't quite figured out how to remove the plastic caps on the end of the step bars, although I'm sure they'll come off with some coercing.. I called around, and everyone seems kinda pricy.. best price so far was $300 for the pair. (seems kinda steep to me)

4. or... just buy some new ones that are already black powdercoated? lol.. I found some decent looking oval steps on ebay from a fairly decent brand "Raptor". and they only want $200 with shipping included. Only problem is.. I'm not 100% sure what those will look like on my truck, when I know for sure I love the way the OEM steps look like.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-...=p4506.c0.m245

Honestly, I'm leaning towards letting the body shop manager pait them, he seems like he knows what he's doing, and the price seems fair. What do ya'll guys think?

Here's a couple pics that help illustrate everything.

My Truck, OEM steps painted with Rustoleum (you can see chipping at step pads)


F-250 Lariat that had bumpers/grille PAINTED black by Body Shop manager.


My Truck without step bars


My OEM step bars (pad removed on one, you can see the unpainted chrome or polished stainless steel)

 

POWDERCOAT!!!

Ive seen too many vehicles with the paint fall off the chrome in sheets. Those people seem attracted to my install bay...

 

that's just the thing, the F-250 bumpers have been painted for almost 2 years now and it still looks fine.. but like I said, I'm not 100% it's actually chrome, kinda looks like polished stainless steel to me.. either way.. he said he's painted over chrome plenty of times, and I've seen the F-250 in person, it looks pretty good to me.. besides $175 sounds pretty fair considering the prep work and etc..

 

I honestly would just ditch them, they really don't help that much (I have the same lift as you). I'm sure your wife could still get in fine without them and if not, be a gentleman and give her a boost . I've had a few different girls get in my truck (with no problem) that are around you're wifes height, hell one was shorter

 

buy a plastic milk crate for her. you get to ditch your steps and she gets a boost.

 

I would say paint them...but only if it's a flat black. not shiny

try it again yoursef. it'll only cost ya $10 or so in parts.

 

lol.. she's made a lot of compromises with me on gettin this truck.. it's the least I could do to keep her happy by keeping the step bar on..

Like I said, I kinda like step bars myself.. I see a lot of people here without them, but it works for me.. I've kinda gotten used to it.. I figure I already have em.. might as well use them..

I wouldn't mind repainting them, but it would be such a hassle to do it all over again.. sanding it all down, priming, base, clear.. plus the hassle of trying to get all of the step pads off and those stupid clips, then putting it all back together, not knowing if it will start chipping at the step pads again.. I figure atleast with the professional spray it will be more durable than before and resist abrasion.. I figure the time it might take me to do all the work, it would be well worth it to have someone else do it for me.. $175 painted vs 300 for the powdercoat.. kinda hard to beat..

What do guys think of his work on the F-250 Lariat? It's held up for nearly 2 years now.. I could atleast expect the same results.. and those bumpers/grill turned out pretty well IMO

 

Yes, but how often do you step on the bumper?????

Powdercoat will hold up much better to the wear & tear of stepping on the surface.

Or you can have them line-ex'd

Or you can have a black-oxide coating put on the metal.

Those are probably the 3 best options for having a finish hold up.