Bubbling rust on cheap step bars.
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Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,275
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From: League City, Texas
Bubbling rust on cheap step bars.
Simply put, I am finding bubbling rust in a few areas on my cheap Hunter (ebay) tube step bars. While a fresh set of bars won't kill my budget, I don't want stainless, and I don't particularly want to throw set after set after set of step bars onto my truck sacrificing them to salt that isn't effecting anything else on the truck...
I am considering taking the bars off, stripping them, and using Evaporust on the parts that are rusting. gettiing them back as close as possible to decent metal. skim coating with filler where needed, smoothing them and then refinishing them with spray on bed liner material.
Part of the point behind staying with the bars I have now is, well I actually like this set. I have seen so many others that just don't work right, and these managed to hit the just right spot. Sadly the MFG no longer makes them...
My other option is to take a gamble on a set of Go Rhino 4000s, scuff the finish off of them and spray on bedliner material....
Yes Spray on Bedliner is key for corrosion resistance, as well as improving traction...
Has anyone been able to stop rust on these things once it has started? Is it worth trying?
I am considering taking the bars off, stripping them, and using Evaporust on the parts that are rusting. gettiing them back as close as possible to decent metal. skim coating with filler where needed, smoothing them and then refinishing them with spray on bed liner material.
Part of the point behind staying with the bars I have now is, well I actually like this set. I have seen so many others that just don't work right, and these managed to hit the just right spot. Sadly the MFG no longer makes them...
My other option is to take a gamble on a set of Go Rhino 4000s, scuff the finish off of them and spray on bedliner material....
Yes Spray on Bedliner is key for corrosion resistance, as well as improving traction...
Has anyone been able to stop rust on these things once it has started? Is it worth trying?
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
From: NH
step bars... dealing with rust
I live in New England.
Gotta say, the 304 Stainless steel tube /step bars on my truck, installed in '04 or '05 have some scratches, but are still looking awesome.
Maybe think about SS bars?
Good luck.
Gotta say, the 304 Stainless steel tube /step bars on my truck, installed in '04 or '05 have some scratches, but are still looking awesome.
Maybe think about SS bars?
Good luck.
Last edited by nhford; Nov 1, 2013 at 09:57 AM. Reason: was meant to be private message
Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: League City, Texas
Not a terrible thought, but some food for though...
A colleague of mine, who lives a couple of blocks closer to Galveston Bay than I do, has a 2000 F150 XLT 2wd with the Go Rhino black steel step bars that were put on by the dealer, and aside from a few scratches, they look almost new. The steel tube of his step bars, and mine are noticeably different.
Mine are the "Hunter" brand bought off of Ebay, and actually made by a MFG in Houston. They look to be rolled 18 or maybe even 20 ga or so steel that is welded with thread inserts, and the step area is welded on with just spot welds. Pretty poor MFG actually. I KNOW where the water came from!
My friend's Go Rhino bars look like they are at least 12ga steel, fully welded, actual steel pipe type material. The recess for the step pads are fully welded. They are easily 3x the mass of the cheapies.
I do however, like I said above. Like the look of the cheapies. They are curved in just right, sit at the just right height etc... I know trying to salvage them in the long run is actually a moot point. But I guess I am just not ready to abandon them and move on. However I do have store credit with CarID that I need to use, so maybe the GoRhino bars will be in the near future...
A colleague of mine, who lives a couple of blocks closer to Galveston Bay than I do, has a 2000 F150 XLT 2wd with the Go Rhino black steel step bars that were put on by the dealer, and aside from a few scratches, they look almost new. The steel tube of his step bars, and mine are noticeably different.
Mine are the "Hunter" brand bought off of Ebay, and actually made by a MFG in Houston. They look to be rolled 18 or maybe even 20 ga or so steel that is welded with thread inserts, and the step area is welded on with just spot welds. Pretty poor MFG actually. I KNOW where the water came from!
My friend's Go Rhino bars look like they are at least 12ga steel, fully welded, actual steel pipe type material. The recess for the step pads are fully welded. They are easily 3x the mass of the cheapies.
I do however, like I said above. Like the look of the cheapies. They are curved in just right, sit at the just right height etc... I know trying to salvage them in the long run is actually a moot point. But I guess I am just not ready to abandon them and move on. However I do have store credit with CarID that I need to use, so maybe the GoRhino bars will be in the near future...