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Raptor 4 Inch Oval Stainless Nerf Bars - Review & Install

55K views 93 replies 44 participants last post by  YW84U 
#1 · (Edited)
I thought I would share my observations and help those who are looking for nerf bar options.

After looking at OEM, Romik, Westin and such, I settled on the Raptor 4 inch ovals because:

- I like oval better than round for some reason
- I like Stainless
- I prefer the notion of welded end caps
- They were not very expensive (OEM step bars in Canada are $840 installed), even though I shipped them from the US

I would have preferred the Romik, however, the 'oval shape' trumped that. So, I pulled the trigger on these in hopes that they would be the nerf bars that "keep me happy" for a reasonable amount of time.

And so, let the game begin!

Packaging:



56.0 lbs/25.4 kg worth of box arrived via FedEx today, all in all, in very good shape. I've read posts where the packaging has suffered trauma, but overall, everything appeared on the up and up. The box was clearly marked with Honda Ridgeline 2006-2009 to remove immediate doubt as to any potential mix-ups.

Inside the Box:



All parts were well protected, encased in cardboard, shrink wrap, tons of tape, some minor foam lining, as well as a plastic bag to completely cover them. The center box was secured to the inside with double-side tape to prevent wandering around the interior during shipping. Quality Control decals prevailed on all of the individual parts.

The Goods:



A quick looky-at the bars show that there were no marks, dings or areas of concern. So far, so good.

The Goods - Extreme Close-Up:



Hey - everyone love pictures! Nonetheless, the bars have a consistently nice polished finish throughout, and the ends look well finished. The pads seem well secured, and tugging on them did not lead to any calamities.

Now on to round#2

Cheers,

Tom
 
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#75 ·
i bought the black raptors about 2.5 years ago and i do like the function of them, well my kids and wife do. I am do have a problem with them though, they are starting to rust really bad under the steps and i see some bubbles around the end. I keep my truck pretty clean, but the winter time sucks so it doesnt get cleaned as much as i like. I am going to contact the company where i got them and see if they will do anything about it. If not, i would not recomend them personally. I know they should not be rusting like this in less than 3 years. I have oem ones on my 08 element and they dont have a spec of rust on them.
 

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#77 ·
That really sucks! You may want to check into the warranty from Raptor:

http://www.raptorseries.com/warranty.php

LIMITED TEN (10) YEAR WARRANTY

For Powder Coated Steel Products

CYC Engineering, Inc. guarantees the original purchaser of our products a limited ten (10) year warranty from the date of original purchase against manufacturer defects in materials, workmanship and finish under normal use. This warranty does not include damage resulting from road hazards such as gravel or other debris, product misuse, improper installation, impairments from accidents, product modifications, product neglect or scratches during the life of the product. This limited ten year warranty applies only to new products and is limited to the repair or replacement of company’s products. Warranty does not include costs of removal, installation, labor, inconvenience or consequential damages. Original purchaser must return defective merchandise along with the purchase receipt, to the original place of purchase.
I bought the stainless ones, and they are still fine - I've only noticed some rust starting on the black metal brackets. I figure with rock chips and damage this is to be expected, so I'll probably repaint them later this year. The stainless bolts are holding up as good as new, so I'm definitely glad I changed them out.

Good Luck with the inquiries, and maybe post back what you hear.

And I just registered mine a few minutes ago! (Didn't have that option a couple years ago....) :)

Cheers,

Tom
 
#82 ·
the company says they are going to send me out a new set, they are just backordered right now. I will see if i have to send the others back and pay shipping...so i will wait and see what happens. If i get to keep the others, i am going to sand them down and repaint them. I have a friend that works in a powder coating shop, so i may see if he can redo them, and if nothing else, as easy as they are to take off, run the old ones in the winter...


That really sucks! You may want to check into the warranty from Raptor:

http://www.raptorseries.com/warranty.php



I bought the stainless ones, and they are still fine - I've only noticed some rust starting on the black metal brackets. I figure with rock chips and damage this is to be expected, so I'll probably repaint them later this year. The stainless bolts are holding up as good as new, so I'm definitely glad I changed them out.

Good Luck with the inquiries, and maybe post back what you hear.

And I just registered mine a few minutes ago! (Didn't have that option a couple years ago....) :)

Cheers,

Tom
 
#81 ·
Hi Hamhocs,

I don't recall specifically why I went longer, but likely all I could find locally at the were the 35mm in stock. From what I recall, either one will work fine as there is plenty of depth to the frame mounting points on the RL.

Cheers,

Tom
 
#84 ·
After reading the warranty, it appears as though I have some of the so called 'surface rust' and it should be removed without incident on the stainless ones. Let's hope that's all it is..
 
#85 ·
I've been kicking around the purchase of Stainless 4" oval Raptors, but like many others that have posted, I want black to go with my Crystal Black Pearl paint. Has anyone concidered powder coating the stainless tubes to get the color they want and the rust protection of the stainless?
 
#86 ·
Awesome post, Tom. I installed my Raptor bars today and have never worked on a car (beyond changing the oil or a flat tire, or filling washer fluid). The tip alone about pushing in the middle of the plugs before popping them out was a literal revelation to me :^)

As I was aligning the bolts and tightening them down (with a regular old clicky ratchet, as I call it), my husband put the power driver to everything. He felt this was necessary. Now they're a tad wonky, but I'll fix them Monday when he goes to work (assuming I can even loosen the bolts).

I think all black would have looked better on Moby (white), but I liked the idea of stainless.
 
#87 ·
lynn, the black probably would look better, but the stainless steel ones won't rust in a few years, like the black ones do. Depending were you live I suppose, like here in Canada
 
#88 ·
not sure if I am just unlucky or what, I am on my second set of the black raptors and they have rusted just as bad as the last ones. They have only been on about a year, but the salt has been horrible here in ohio this year. Rusting at the end caps and at the steps again. Not sure if its worth contacting raptor again. THey sent me a new set at no charge the first time I sent pics to them from the rusting. I guess I should have bout stainless or the oem Honda ones.
 
#89 ·
Yep, if salt is an issue, go with stainless steel. Or, have the black ones (which are powdercoated mild steel) coated with LINE-X.

You also have to worry about the mounting hardware which is usually not stainless steel, it's usually galvanized steel. These brands do offer all stainless steel hardware: Nasta, Westin E-Series with optional stainless steel hardware.
 
#91 · (Edited)
RealTruck is incorrect, those Raptor steps are not stainless steel. They are black powdercoated mild steel and come with a 10-year warranty. They also available in polished stainless steel.

http://www.raptorseries.com/4inch-cl-oe-oval-tubes.php#&panel1-2

You will have a hard time finding a company that produces black powdercoated stainless steel step bars. Westin Signature Series is galvanized mild steel which is not staineless steel, but it's better than non-galvanized mild steel.
 
#94 ·
Well, after 6 years I figure it's time for an update. I ended up crushing the driver's side bar against a snow/ice bank (I'm new to the Eastern Canada climate!) So I contacted Raptor and found that they can sell single bars for replacement. They were great to deal with over the phone, and even threw in an extra step pad (as I mentioned that one on the passenger side was lifted a bit).

Since I was going to replace the one side, I figured it was overdue for a refresh on the hardware. The mounting brackets had taken the brunt of 6 years of West Coast and now one Ontario winter, and were getting quite rusty. You can see the crease where I clipped the ice pile :(





I removed everything, and sanded down and repainted the mounting brackets satin black. The stainless hardware showed some rust, but from closer inspection it was a combination of accumulated rust that had wept from inside the bars and/or from the bracket surfaces. A little steel wool brought all of the SS bolts and washers back to new.







Replacing the step pad on the passenger side was simple - just pry it up off of the four barrel clips that are pressed into the bar, and tamp down the new one. They had included new barrel clips, which helped as I found the reason one edge had lifted was because the clip had gone through into the bar and nothing was keeping the plastic pad retained tight to the bar.

Of interest, is that I found both bars had a good amount of water trapped inside - when I removed them and laid them upside down, I was able to drain a fair amount of rusty color water from them. I imagine that once the temps go up, they should theoretically dry out. I think that the water gets in under the pads, collects, and reacts with the bottom mounting rivnuts that are steel (not SS) and pressed into the bar. It might be advisable every once in a while to consider popping them off and draining them if you live in a wet or snow climate.

Overall, I'm still happy with the product and think by changing the hardware to SS and performing some periodic maintenance they should last a fair amount longer.

Hope the forums might find the updated info useful!

Cheers,
Tom
 
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