running boards on pickup

[quickchange]

Did the pickup running boards have a strengthening brace underneath same as sedan boards ? purchased a set of repo ones & they appear to be flimsy ,with no reinforce brace , USA made but am hoping not from Howells, Also when bolting to fender they 1/4" too low , I will contact supplier & voice my disappointment . So who supplies correct ones ?
Derek from a hot NZ ,

[Charlie Stephens]

What year?

Charlie Stephens

[quickchange]

28-29 , Charlie , Merry Xmas to all, Santa has been & Gone down under,

[wrndln]

I am pretty sure they were made like passenger car runningboards with the long stiffening strips between the mounting brackets spot welded to the runningboards. I bought some very well made reproduction pickup runningboards and they had the long stiffening strips on it.
Rusty Nelson

[JohnLaVoy]

rootlieb does a very nice repro running board. They are in Turlock, CA www.rootlieb.com

[Pickupman]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by quickchange

Did the pickup running boards have a strengthening brace underneath same as sedan boards ? purchased a set of repo ones & they appear to be flimsy ,with no reinforce brace , USA made but am hoping not from Howells, Also when bolting to fender they 1/4" too low , I will contact supplier & voice my disappointment . So who supplies correct ones ?
Derek from a hot NZ ,

Yes, the 28-29 PU Running Boards you are asking about had a strengthening brace similar to what the Tudor Sedans had on their running boards. For your information Howells doesn't make their running boards, they are purchased from a manufacture and they sell them. Rootlib use to make the best quality 28-29 PU Running Boards but have stopped making them for the last several years. The quality of 28-29 Pickup Running Boards presently being manufactured is lacking.

[Bob C]

Here's a picture of a 28-29 running board.

Bob

[Dan Partain]

Bob C is correct, there were no reinforcement strips on the original 28-29 pickup running boards like the car boards had.

The Rootlieb running boards have the reinforcement strips like the cars. They're not correct but they are more sturdy.

-DAN

[wrndln]

I have a pair of reproduction running boards, probably made by Rootlieb I bought over 6 years ago, that have the long reinforcing strips on them. I don't know why Ford didn't put the reinforcing strips on pickup running boards, except to save a little money. Ford already had the part made and in production that they spot welded to passenger running boards. It would seem that a fairly heavy person would tend to bend the middle of the running boards down after years of use. My thoughts are that Ford probably didn't care all that much about commercial vehicles. Even though not quite correct, I plan to leave the reinforcing strips on my pickup running boards.
Rusty Nelson

[quickchange]

Thanks for the info guys, I remember some we had years ago had the strip on them & where nice & firm , these ones feel as though they might bend , Will need to slot the holes in the fender to bring them level with the boards ,Once the splash apron is on may give more support to the inside at least, I guess with the diamond bumps it was thought the strip was not needed, Hoping for dry salt in 2016, ??

[wrndln]

Quickchange,
Do your repro boards have the 2 mounting bracket spot welded to the bottom? I have seen some repro boards that appear to have 4 holes in the main part that might not have the mounting brackets on them. Other that that, I can's see how why the running board holes wouldn't line up with the fender holes.
Rusty Nelson

[quickchange]

Rusty , Yes they have correct brackets spot welded to bottom of boards, Front fender is NOS & other a very good one , When bolting the board to the fender the board is at least 1/4" too low , not flush with the fender , perhaps they are made in the sedan mould , then diamond punched, therefore the holes for bolts would be lower in relation to the top surface to allow for sedan rubber, Can fix ok but like so many things its just as hard to make them wrong as right,

[wrndln]

Quickchange,
I wonder if the 2 brackets were made too short on your repro running boards? I think if I were, you I would make some shims to place on the running board brackets riveted to the frame. It seems like that would make the fender holes line up with the running board bolt holes. I had to make my running board special mounting bolts myself by welding a little blob on the head of carriage bolts to make the bolts fit the thicker forged 28 running board brackets.
Rusty Nelson

[Tom Wesenberg]

First make sure your frame is straight, then make sure your running board brackets are level, and not bent down. Then if they still need to be raised I'd do as Rusty said.

[quickchange]

We are using forged running board brackets , however boards bolt to them fine , Problem is when aligning the fender level with the running board the bolt holes don,t line up . When you do line them up the board is over 1/4" too low, splash aprons not on at this stage but will not change anything , I still think holes in r/boards are wrong as fender is NOS , both the same . can fix no problem , just expressing my last 2015 bitch , ( I think) A hot sunday mid morning here,

[Midwest Tin]

Rusty, Quickchange, On the original 28/29 r/board underside brace used on passenger boards was to reinforce the flat board as with the commercial being stamped in a diamond pattern it gave it some stiffness so it was not needed. Just my thoughts. Jim

[JTW]

I have seen 2 different repro boards, not counting the Rootlieb. The first one was straight across on the front and back ends where they are bolted to the fenders. this is not correct and they were fairly light gauge metal. The second set were made correctly with a little rectangle bump out around the holes on the front and back ends. I have always assumed that this was to let water and dirt drain down from the top surface. This second set was made with heavier gauge metal then the first but I don't know if it matched the originals. I do not know who made either set.