Trouble with Electric Step Cover

[EngineerMike]

The working mechanism looks easy to take off from below, with the exception you need to do some contortionalizing. The bolts have 9/16 heads and nuts, and the nuts are keeper nuts so you have to turn them until the threads are clear. Only real problem is the nut is on the inside of frame rail, and the bolt head on the outside, so you have to be clever to do this w/one person. Other than that its just an electrical connector that unplugs and what looks like a simple bolt for the extension rod.

If you want to make your steering side ready for the steering stiffener upgrade, replace the forward two bolts on the DS w/ 3/8 or 5/16x1 grade 8 bolts (instead of the tall headed flange-bolt WRV used). This should allow the heads to clear the stiffener bracket cleanly when you get to installing that upgrade.

[Roger L.]

Thanks for the information Mike, I'll make sure to do that bolt change out for the steering upgrade.
Roger

[jerry davis]

Mike,

Just realized that if you ever want to remove the step bracket you will have to remove the entire steering stiffener to get to the two bolts covered by the stiffener. Maybe it is better to leave them out??

[EngineerMike]

Pretty sure you can remove the step cover mechanism w/no problem, but you will leave the two front bolts in place. You just have to remove the nuts, and you may need that thin tappet wrench to hold the bolt heads (under the bracket overhang) while turning the nuts off from the in-side of the frame.

If this bothers anyone (not sure why it would), you could tap threads into the front two DS step-cover-mechanism bolt holes and install a short bolt blind into the threaded frame holes.

[jerry davis]

You are right Mike. After taking a closer look at the new steering bracket install there does seem to be enough room to slip in a thin open end wrench to hold the heads of the step cover bracket bolts if that bracket ever needs removing.

What was I thinking to ever second guess you?