I had a little down time at work this morning and I have been considering running boards for my truck for a while now. So I started to play around a little bit with solidworks and some of the different 6061 T6 alum extrusions we have on site. I used one of our cat walk extrusions and made some quick brackets to simulate about what it would look like. Please let me know what you think of the design. Please note that nothing is built to scale or to its final dimensions. I wanted to know how they look before I continue with the process. Thanks everyone!

 

Looks pretty good except for he brackets.

 

here is a second concept closer to what a final would look like.

 

I knew those were not exactly good looking brackets i just mainly was wondering about the extrusion. But these brackets are going to be closer to the ones i would use roughly the same size and shape and then I would have a bracket that bolts up to the factory holes.

 

I think it looks good, mount to the frame of possible. I hate that mine are mounted to the body as they are always making noise when I place weight on them

 

The pattern kinda looks like Chevy bow ties.

 

Who's going to cut them out for you?

- NCSU

 

The problem with the F150, is that the frame is far enough back from the side of the truck, that the length of the brackets would be excessive to mount them there. That is why most every step bar and running board I have see mount to the inside of the rocker panel. It is sturdy enough to handle the weight of people climbing in and out and even standing on the bars.
The way you have the brackets, depending upon scale would make them very low, unless you had a lifted truck.
Take a look at your rockers on the frame side. There will be covered openings that you can use to mount bars and boards to. The brackets mounting surface would be pointing back toward the step bar and the bracket a some what C shape. The way the step brackets are mad is that a flat plate with bolts attached are inserted into the holes and the mounting plate sandwiches the body between when you tighten the bolts.

 

I am an engineer for Truck Equipment Service Company out of Lincoln, Ne. I would just send it to the floor and pay for my guys to burn them on the plasma cutter and use the alum. extrusion we use on our cat walks for our trailers.

 

Ya i am working on that part to like i said mainly just a concept unless people think they would look good. And I have not climbed under my truck yet and decided where i am going to attach them or any of that so its just kind of a generic concept right now. But thanks for the info will save me some work.