Dress Bars Installed - Grade C+

Ordered them in April, received them end of June from Basickoncepts (yes the controversial company).

Here's my take on the product and the install:

Got an email with a tracking number when dress bars were shipped. The tracking number did not work. After a couple of days and a few phone calls/emails, it was discovered that the box was shipped without a zip code.

Received the box OK on a Monday. Did not open until Saturday when I started to install. No bolts for installation were included. Sent email to Brian. He called. Couldn't believe he left them out of the package. He sent them via USPS.

While doing a "pre-fit" on Saturday (before I discovered missing bolts) I noticed that the hole on the back bracket did not line up with the one in the truck (as per the online instructions: http://www.basickoncepts.com/Ridgeline%20Dress%20Bars%20Instruction.pdf ). I mentioned this to Brian when he called. He said I was not the first to tell him this, and to fix I needed to drill a hole 1/2 from the existing one. Also, it did not line up with the "back bolt" like in the instructions, I had to use the next one back from the last one.

Got the bolts in the mail last week.

Installed the dress bars on Saturday 7/1. Took about 30 minutes for the driver's side which was the one that had the misdrilled hole. The passenger's side was drilled correctly and bolted on in less than 10 minutes.

Overall quality of the product I would rate as a C+. The brackets are very flimsy (as I found out when I was drilling on one). Only two (one front and one back) used to install. Places exist on the truck for a middle bracket. Maybe it doesn't take much to hold the light aluminum up to the truck? In my opinion, it wouldn't take much to bend them if you hit something offroad, or even applied much pressure washing the side of the truck. Brackets are affixed to the dress bars with very, very, tiny screws. No flat washers, or lock washers were provided. I had a small enough flat washer, but no very, very small lock washer. I anticipate they will work themselves loose over time. A spot weld would have been my preference. Also, the small screws are visible from the side (see picture below).

If these fall off, get loose, or become a problem, I think I'll opt for the Honda OEM side step tubes - or Westin.

More pictures.....

Here's the picture of the top of the bolt showing that holds the bracket to the bar (very, very tiny bolt and nut).

Great write-up Rick. The pictures and descriptions are perfect. This is the information we need here in this forum...keeps us better educated when deciding on accessories for our RLs.

I concur with bongus on the write-up Rick. Great description and photos.

Are the mounting holes used for the dress bars the same ones utilized for the running boards/side steps?

Looks really nice. After seeing the before and after, really kinda points out the unfinished look with out them.

5S Dude,

Yes, they are the same ones. The directions (see link in orginal post) say to use the two that are closest to the wheels. That worked on the Passenger side, but when I had to redrill the hole on the Driver's side it lined up with the second hole in from the wheel.

Basickoncepts sent 8MM machine bolts to use. I'm hoping they were the right ones. They didn't go in as easily as I would have thought.

The design only calls for using the back and front holes. I think a brace in the middle would have added some strenght to the install - - - but they are lightweight aluminum and don't need that to hold them up. I'm thinking they'd benefit if they got hit?

5S Dude,

Yes, they are the same ones. The directions (see link in orginal post) say to use the two that are closest to the wheels. That worked on the Passenger side, but when I had to redrill the hole on the Driver's side it lined up with the second hole in from the wheel.

Basickoncepts sent 8MM machine bolts to use. I'm hoping they were the right ones. They didn't go in as easily as I would have thought.

The design only calls for using the back and front holes. I think a brace in the middle would have added some strenght to the install - - - but they are lightweight aluminum and don't need that to hold them up. I'm thinking they'd benefit if they got hit?

Awesome Rick! I've clear powder-coated a set for Twintym but we were both really disappointed in the overall construction of these units given the price point. I am on my way to pickup more door sill aluminum today and will be on the lookout for 3/16 to ¼ thick angle to utilize for a new design that will be both strong and use a three to four point mounting technique without the use of those brackets. I’m thinking of body color wrinkle finish at this point similar to the new door sill finish as well as polished and clear coated units for the “bling” crowd. I will keep you posted as to my results. Are you certain of the 8mm bolts under the truck?

Thanks Brah

The parts list said 8MM bolts. I'm not a mechanic. They just seemed to thread a little hard for me.

Good Luck with your design. I paid $79.95 for these with $21 shipping to Florida from Texas. Basickoncepts has raised the price to $89.95 (when he gets caught up and takes orders again).

BTW....I think those would look great in the black crinkle on the Silver truck with some of your custom aluminum cutout designs. I'm thinkin' the Ridgeline logo towards the rear with the custom name centered under the front door.

The Basickoncepts bar is an angle piece of aluminum. It has the Ridgeline name scratched into the aluminum in the middle (tough to see in my pictures).

BTW....I think those would look great in the black crinkle on the Silver truck with some of your custom aluminum cutout designs. I'm thinkin' the Ridgeline logo towards the rear with the custom name centered under the front door.

The Basickoncepts bar is an angle piece of aluminum. It has the Ridgeline name scratched into the aluminum in the middle (tough to see in my pictures).

Yeah, We've seen his pieces. I will check the threads under my truck right now. Thanks Rick and have an awesome week.

Ron

I've thought about just picking up some angle iron, cutting it, and popping a couple of carriage bolts through it. Just do a black rustoleum finish on 'em.
What are we looking at? $20 in material?

This looks like a great product to me,realy finishes the truck.Get it right and I'll buy some.

Yeah I thought the same thing until I hit some metal on the highway. The bar just bent a little and my truck bent alot. :(

I've always liked the idea of the dress bars, but hadn't ordered any yet due to really not needing to spend the money at this time... plus I don't think aluminum color looks good on the Billet Silver (which is the color of my Ridge).

And, of course, after reading this thread and others about BasicKoncepts, I wouldn't buy from them anyway.

So, if an alternative is produced, I'd have to rethink spending the money... especially if, as has been mentioned, a black wrinkle finish model is made. I think that would look much better on the Silver.

Ron, do you think if you made some you might do some custom designs like your door sills? (Still thinking about spending money on those, but would go for the dress bars first).

I've thought about just picking up some angle iron, cutting it, and popping a couple of carriage bolts through it. Just do a black rustoleum finish on 'em.
What are we looking at? $20 in material?

You can buy the same aluminum angle that the dress bars are made of at Lowes for $11 per side. One piece is long enough to make the dress bar and the brackets. I used the same material to make my tonneau cover frame. The aluminum angle is very easy to work with if you have the right saw. I used a compound miter saw and a metal cutting blade. If you already have a radial saw, you can buy a 10" blade from Lowes for about $5 if I remember correctly. Just make sure you wear a dust mask and eye protection when cutting metal.

The dress bars could most likely be made in less than a half an hour for both sides except for the engraving.

Ron, do you think if you made some you might do some custom designs like your door sills? (Still thinking about spending money on those, but would go for the dress bars first).

Hey there VTRidge, My first thought would be to eliminate the thin black mounting brackets and flip the angled bar stock over and utilize the three to four holes used to mount the running boards with machined aluminum blocks with a clearance hole for the 8mm stainless flat head Allen bolts. The choices of decorative designs and surface treatments could be endless given the large area.

I do like scottIN & ChrisM idea about the $20 dollar Home Depot / Lowes solution because it would save all of our members a ton of money.

There may not be a market for high end powder-coated custom engraved one-of-a-kind rocker-covers here in Ridgeland.

There may not be a market for high end powder-coated custom engraved one-of-a-kind rocker-covers here in Ridgeland.
Seems to be working out for the Door Sills and the Rocker Covers won't be hidden by a closed door. I think it'll work.

Seems to be working out for the Door Sills and the Rocker Covers won't be hidden by a closed door. I think it'll work.

Hey there PizzaMan,
Have you seen the stuff they bolt onto the Hummers?!? Man, They look like they are tote'n a ton of stainless steel on those puppies...Which is great for the guys makin the stuff.

I've also been watching a few of my off-road buddies fab aluminum rocker covers for the new Toyota FJ and one guy had his louvered and his buddy had his slotted. The surface finish was raw brushed satin on one and the other had plain black paint on it and you know they are gonna bang it up. I can't wait till the SEMA show in Vegas as I'm sure there will be a ton of new stuff shown. What would your preference be regarding the finish?

Hey Ron, in my area you're more likely to see Escalades and Range Rovers than Hummers. So I'm not familiar with "Hummer Bling".

As far as Rockers go, I think I'd be looking for the black crinkle finish. I had that done years ago to the rockers on a '85 Cutlass Salon. What was nice about the "crinkle" finish was that it was scrub-able. Realizing the rockers can get pretty dirty I appreciated that feature. With my Steel Blue RL I think I'd rather have black to tie in with the black trim around the vehicle. And of course, the engraved word "Ridgeline", which would be shiny. But knowing me I probably change my mind a dozen times before I finally decide on a configuration.

I have an 80 year old Mother-in-law that loves going places with us and getting in and out of the RL is difficult for her. I was leaning toward the new side steps, but my wife Jeanette really doesn't care for them or the running boards. I really dislike the unfinished look of the RL underside so your involvement with the Rockers is great as far as I'm concerned. As I've said to you in a PM, I know you'll do it right.

Yeah we’ve got the Escalades and Range Rovers here too. Wow an '85 Cutlass Salon now there’s some classic lines! I thought you were a “youngin” all this time but I see yer just young at heart! And that’s very kewl!

Some of our members have asked if these would be available with clearance lighting mounted towards the outside edges. Any thoughts?

Wow an '85 Cutlass Salon now there’s some classic lines! I thought you were a “youngin” all this time but I see yer just young at heart! And that’s very kewl!

Definitely not a "youngin", Ron. In fact check out post #70 of this thread http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5251&page=2 when you get some time. Very scary!

Some of our members have asked if these would be available with clearance lighting mounted towards the outside edges. Any thoughts?

Not opposed to it, but I wouldn't ask for it either. Remember, I'm no "youngin". :(

I'm with jsant ... I'd like a black texture on my steel blue RL as well. I have the Westin nerf bars, but you still see the unfinshed rockers. I think I'd bite on this add-on.

I have had these installed for a couple of months now and have done both hand washing at home and hand washing at a "factory line" car wash. The Dress Bars have held up. I also have gone off roading and am a Project Manager for road construction. I have heard the Dress Bars get hit by debris and rocks many times, so far no damage, but this is at low speeds.

I too was a little disappointed by the "flimsiness" of the Dress Bars, but as I stated they have held up so far. I also would have liked to have seen them finished instead of bare metal.

From the Dress Bar photos I have seen, I think the Dress Bars look the best on the darker colored Ridgelines. I have the Billet Silver and because of the construction of the Dress Bar there is a shadow between the body of the Ridgeline and the Dress Bar. I was hoping that the Dress Bars would have angled "up", instead of "down" so as to blend in with the body (and hide the bolt). This however would require tighter construction tolerances and a strip of abrasion resistant material on the back side of the Dress Bar so as not to damage the paint job. Or better yet, not have the Dress Bar stick out so much. In other words, be mounted closer to the actual unfinished part of the underbody we are trying to hide. I also would have liked the "etched" Ridgeline to show up better.

All in all I am glad I got the Dress Bars because it sets mine apart from the others and does hide the unfinished rocker panel area. I was however hoping for a little more.:rolleyes:

Ron (5S Dude).....
Like I said before....black ones for the outside of my Redrock Ridge, but I like the doors sills just the way you made them.:)

thanks again
jjr

Hi Gang,

After further inspection, I’ve noticed the metal “lip” under our trucks is a tad thicker and protrudes a little further down to accommodate the jack during a tire change. So there will have to be clearance allowed so the rocker-covers don’t interfere with being able to still use these jack points. The material I had ordered should be in Thursday and hopefully I will be able to proto the first set.
Do any of you members who have a set of “Dress-Bars” mounted know if they interfere with the OEM jack points ?

Thank you for your valued input,

Ron

Ron,

I didn't pull out the jack, but I'm guessing from how these are made that they will not interfere with the jack points.

The angle aluminum has the top parrallel with the ground and it angles "out" to the down piece which leaves a gap between the dress bar and the body flange. I didn't measure, but I would say it is around 3" off the jack point which should allow clearance for the jack (again, I did not get out the jack to see what clearance is needed for the plate to match up).

Hope this helps. If you need it, I can try the jack tonight when I get home and shoot some pictures.....in exchange for testing the black krinkle bars (just kidding)?

FYI,
Rick

The "raw" rocker panel edge has semi-bugged me since I saw my truck on the dealer's lot... I think some sort of injection molded plastic part would work fine, especially if it left adequate clearances for nerf bars, etc.

Here's a rough sketch of what I visualize. This would be about the first 8" of the driver's side, with the jagged edge on the right just meaning "extend to the rear of the cab"... The larger front "cup" would cover the larger area at the very front of the rocker. Probably some sort of drainage holes would be needed as well...

All that said, I know nothing about injection molding or extruding plastics...

Some of our members have asked if these would be available with clearance lighting mounted towards the outside edges. Any thoughts?

I'm not sure what those members had in mind for clearance lights, but speaking of lights... if it were possible, another possibility could be to mount some lights (maybe white LED) that light up the ground when the doors are opened. Would be a nice feature if it were possible to rig up lights bright enough to make it worth it.

I like this Lowe's/Home Depot inexpensive route... but I figure that if I do go ahead and buy dress bars, they will be one of the few add-ons that I will buy, so I think I'd like to do 'em right with black crinkle finish and engraving.

Ron,

You know I am on board for a set of your rockers. I have been itching for a set ever since I got my door sills. Cha-ching!!!

Hi VTRidge

are you looking for something like this, were you push to door open button on your key and the pins open and LED light light up the Nerf Bar, Then shut off after a few minutes or when you lock the doors.

Yeah, I got a quote for 3/16 thick aluminum bar material but the $87.00 left me shell shocked!

Aloha, Snapshot your lighting ROC’s!

Yeah Snapshot... something like that. But I figure integrating it into the dress bar would be sweet. How are your lights done?

Yeah, I got a quote for 3/16 thick aluminum bar material but the $87.00 left me shell shocked!

Aloha, Snapshot your lighting ROC’s!

Assuming all Lowe's stores are laid out the same way, go to the aisle with all of the locks and ask the guy making keys where they keep all of the raw aluminum bar stock. There should be a yellow rack right behind him in the 3rd row on the left side that has what you are looking for.

VTRidge,

I have three LEC lights (2 white and 1 red) on both side of the truck, wire is run through the frame. It is then pass thru a gromet under driver seat and connect to the door light system.

I got the LED from this website:

http://www.radlites.com/index.htm

0700 - Here are the underside close up pictures of the mounting hardware you asked for. Hope this helps you better understand how these are affixed to the truck.

Here are a couple more pictures.

rick,
you're a prince ... that helps a heap,
thanks
0700

Looks sharp. I like it..


B-

Would like that if I didn't do side steps. Personally I like it. Always wondered why Honda who is so known in motorcycle world for fit and finish left this hideous underside exposed. Guess they wanted to sell more running boards. I think you got a nice cheaper then factory running boards at least way to dress it up.
I have side steps now though and don't think both are compatable.