sp33d
01-15-2005, 05:53 PM
Finally got the steps here and installed. Bought them from www.electricstep.com (http://www.electricstep.com/) for $1050.00 plus $30.00 shipping. Best deal I could find on them and their service was great before the sale. Didn't need anything after but did have some questions prior to purchasing and they called me back quickly and gave me some install tips.
The install wasn't terribly difficult, just time-consuming. It took me about 10 hours of work over three days. There is a good amount of wiring involved so those that don't like it may want to pay to have them installed. Everything, and I mean everything, is included for the install. They include plenty of zip ties, all the wire connectors, very detailed instructions with pictures, and all the hardware (obviously).
The steps install with two arms. One mechanized and one that swings freely. They are installed to the body panel using two bolts (which require drilled holes). They are also attached up and under the truck and additonal "braket". The steps than mount to the brakets with two sliding "t-bolts" as the instructions call them. This allows you to position the step forward or backward in any way you want. I had my reservations about sturdiness at first, but once installed and tightened down, the steps are extremely solid. They are every bit as solid as any other step I've seen, including those mounted to frames. I can stand on them, jump and them, and they don't bend or flex.
A control box has to mounted in the engine compartment somewhere. Power and ground is supplied to that from the red batter box (or the battery terminals directly). A connector is than ran to each of the two motors, along with two wires each. The connectors simply plug in. The wires have to be run into the cab. The drivers side is just run through a rubber grommet already there for the e-brake cable. The passenger side requires drilling a hole and using the supplied grommet. From there, you have to find four wires in the truck that indicate when doors are open and closed. One for each rear and each front. The wiring instructions clearly indicate which wire you are looking for based on model year. For my truck, I had to find a wire running next to the each of the seats for the rear doors. They were the easy part. The front doors required going into the front doors. The panels have to come completely off, and you have to remove the kick panels on the inside. A supplied tube is run through the wiring loom for the doors to get the wires through them and into the doors. Once in the doors, you have to again find the right wires and splice. The wiring was actually the easy part for me, but time consuming as I'm a bit of a perfectionist.
For pics, see http://www.simpersupply.com/chad/2005%20Truck/AMP%20Research%20Power%20Steps/
The install wasn't terribly difficult, just time-consuming. It took me about 10 hours of work over three days. There is a good amount of wiring involved so those that don't like it may want to pay to have them installed. Everything, and I mean everything, is included for the install. They include plenty of zip ties, all the wire connectors, very detailed instructions with pictures, and all the hardware (obviously).
The steps install with two arms. One mechanized and one that swings freely. They are installed to the body panel using two bolts (which require drilled holes). They are also attached up and under the truck and additonal "braket". The steps than mount to the brakets with two sliding "t-bolts" as the instructions call them. This allows you to position the step forward or backward in any way you want. I had my reservations about sturdiness at first, but once installed and tightened down, the steps are extremely solid. They are every bit as solid as any other step I've seen, including those mounted to frames. I can stand on them, jump and them, and they don't bend or flex.
A control box has to mounted in the engine compartment somewhere. Power and ground is supplied to that from the red batter box (or the battery terminals directly). A connector is than ran to each of the two motors, along with two wires each. The connectors simply plug in. The wires have to be run into the cab. The drivers side is just run through a rubber grommet already there for the e-brake cable. The passenger side requires drilling a hole and using the supplied grommet. From there, you have to find four wires in the truck that indicate when doors are open and closed. One for each rear and each front. The wiring instructions clearly indicate which wire you are looking for based on model year. For my truck, I had to find a wire running next to the each of the seats for the rear doors. They were the easy part. The front doors required going into the front doors. The panels have to come completely off, and you have to remove the kick panels on the inside. A supplied tube is run through the wiring loom for the doors to get the wires through them and into the doors. Once in the doors, you have to again find the right wires and splice. The wiring was actually the easy part for me, but time consuming as I'm a bit of a perfectionist.
For pics, see http://www.simpersupply.com/chad/2005%20Truck/AMP%20Research%20Power%20Steps/