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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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#2 ·
What Goes Where:

Each of the parts was well marked, leaving no mistake as to what it was and where it was supposed to end up:



Something tells me that these are not manufactured in Germany by Henckels/Zwilling....hmmmm... No matter. They are listed as 304 Stainless, and to satisfy my morbid curiosity, I did do a quick 'magnet check' and it did not stick. A peek at the insides via the mounting holes appear to be unfinished Stainless as well. I have no idea how thick they are, but they are thick enough to not feel flimsy.

Bits and Pieces:




The center box contained the Install manual, all the brackets and mounting hardware required. Nothing was markedly absent. The hex bolts for the frame side are Grade 4.8 carbon steel with matching washers (likely zinc plating), and the nerf side bolts are black plated/painted of unknown grade. I'm debating hitting the local machine shop and replacing these with stainless to alleviate the inevitable oxidation that will occur over time....

Oh No - Trouble!! :



I discovered one of the two bars had something inside rattling.....I had seen some posts by other members having the same problem. Again, morbid curiosity and a preference not to have anything metallic clanging around in the bars led me on a journey of discovery.......

At first I thought it was a metal punch-out from installation of the rivnut, but closer examination showed it to be a small metallic retaining clip of some fashion. I would assume it likely belongs to the backside of one of the treads.

Handy Trick to Stop the Rattle:

Ok, I'm anal and don't care much for rattles. The problem is a rattle caused by a small piece of metal residing in a long tube with sealed ends, and only six small holes for access. I wanted to deal with this before putting them on the Ridge, so I had to get creative - so short of purchasing laparoscopy equipment........

Step #1 - getting the offending metal bit to a place where you can see it - Duct Tape (yes, indeed another use for it!). Take a small chunk and roll it up like a cigarette (or like a pencil for the non-smokers) with the sticky-side out.

Step #2 - insert duct tape surgical instrument into bolt hole, and shake the bar and offending bit around and around until it sticks to the tape.

Step #3 - Guess where it is now? Yup, right under the hole. Lay the bar on a flat surface, and slowly remove your 'expensive tool' so that the metal drops straight down. Take some time to look at it and identify what it is - it could be money, but more likely some small metal something or other....

The clip I found inside mine was cylinder shaped, and approximately the same diameter as the bolt hole. Now, do I really need to remove it? How do I get it jockeyed around so that I could extricate it from inside the tube? Truthfully, I wasted about ten minutes with my duct tape tool and some dentist tools I had kicking around, only to realize I was going about it from the wrong angle. The problem isn't that the metal is inside the bar.... the problem is merely the rattle....There is no need to remove it - only to make it quiet. And so....

Step #4 - I took some Red Threadlocker and dropped a pool to the floor of the tube. With a screwdriver, I then guided the metal bit into the awaiting red pool to spend some quality time curing. The threadlocker should have some decent bite to the metal and provide some adhesion. Once stuck, the rattle issue should be resolved without need for laparoscopy or other invasive procedures.



Now all things being equal, I am now at the point where I'm off to let this dry and test the durability of the adhesion. Should my red puddle let me down (I have a nail sitting on a chunk of aluminum as a test piece), I shall then mix up some epoxy and carpet-bomb the metal bit and see where that goes.

I will follow up as things progress. In fact, I do not have a Ridgeline in my possession yet to carry on with the install pictures - but hoping that by this coming Friday I can have one in my driveway to bolt these things onto ('Where Exactly Is My Truck' is a matter for another thread....).

More to follow!

Cheers,

Tom
 
#3 ·
Tom,

If that method fails, perhaps you could take a can of that EPS foam in a can and inject it into the holes of the rail to secure/suspend the offending rattler.
Once surrounded there wil be no place for movement.
There will not be a caustic problem because rail is stainless.
 
#5 ·
I will follow up as things progress. In fact, I do not have a Ridgeline in my possession yet to carry on with the install pictures - but hoping that by this coming Friday I can have one in my driveway to bolt these things onto ('Where Exactly Is My Truck' is a matter for another thread....).
He doesn't have his RL available so "news at 11"
 
#6 ·
Alas, but I cannot wait to install them! Short story on the truck - I'm importing a brand new RTL from the US, and the dealer messed up and didn't sign MCO and created a huge paperwork chain-reaction delay that has been magnified by FedEx and UPS....

I can tease you with a nice 'before' shot though:



I have the keys and the owner's manual, but the truck sits patiently awaiting to cross the border anytime after tomorrow morning....trouble is, that apparently my Title and Docs are in Kentucky somewhere today and 'missed the connector flight'. I am sad.

On another note, the threadlocker seems to be doing its job of holding the offending metal bit inside the bar. A little more cure time ought to resolve it completely! Once I have the bars and the RL in the same place at the same time, I will certainly post more pics et al of the installation and the finished product. Might be a few days though.....stay tuned!

Cheers,

Tom
 
#7 ·
Nice rig...

I have the black Raptor Nerf Bars on my RL. The stainless chrome is awesome but the black looks better on my steel blue RL! :act035:
 
#9 ·
Okay, truck landed in my driveway Friday night, and so Saturday the installation continued....

Installation:

Laid the parts out for each side, and got things organized:



There are three sets of brackets per side, and they appear well painted and of a decent thickness to resist bending. Next was to locate the OEM threaded holes for the mounts and remove the plastic push pins:



The above is the rear driver side. As there are three brackets, you remove the pins from the closest to the front, the rear, and the ones located just directly below the B pillar (between the doors). There are other locations, but those can be ignored and are probably for running boards or other accessory configurations. On a side note, is that on my vehicle it looks as though someone sprayed on some chip guard along the bottom weld seams - seems to do a good job of hiding the ugly welds that others have dressed up by painting or adding dress bars.



This would be a good time to throw some anti-seize compound onto all of the threads - this will allow you to remove them far easier should you want to take them off in the future. I Added some 14mm love with the air ratchet to send the bolts, lock washers and fender washers closer to their final resting place. The brackets lined up perfectly with the existing holes; four mounting points with bolts for the front brackets, and only two for the rear. Installed all three brackets, but did not tighten them down just yet:



Leaving them loose for now will assist in lining up the bars. Once all three are attached, the bars set on top of the brackets, and three rubber/polymer gaskets were also supplied to protect the bar from the bracket.

Next step, was to apply the Allen bolts to the bars along with the requisite lock washer and fender washers.



Once all the bolts for the bar were secured, then I set about lining up the bars as to how close I wanted them to the rocker panels. The slots in the brackets appear to allow for about 3/4 of an inch of play in or out. Make sure that they are relatively equal from front to back, and then secure the 14mm bolts to the frame. No requirement to torque to any specs, just hand tight to 'snug'.



I opted to place mine a little farther outwards, with the hope that it may offer a little more door protection from dings. Upon first blush, all appeared to be level and even front to back and side to side.

Results to follow

Cheers,

Tom
 
#10 ·
End Results:

Before:




After:




And some extra shots to depict how they sit in relation to the body:





Conclusion:

Overall, I am pleased with the quality of the bars and hardware. Despite the rattle/bits-o-metal issue earlier, it appears to be well put together and functions well as a useful step without flex. Installation was a breeze, with no drilling and took about 30 minutes. I may replace the stock bolts with stainless though; I will check the progress of these over the next while and see if they start to rust out....

I hope the post provides some insight into the install and the overall look of the ovals for members considering to do the same. Feel free to shoot me any questions you may have!

Cheers,

Tom
 
#11 ·
Very nice installation guide, Tom. They look good! Thanks.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I agree! I love mine for all the reasons that were already stated!! Great post YW84U.

 
#14 ·
One of the best photo instructional layouts I've seen and as someone getting ready to purchase some side rails/steps, it was very helpful.
A suggestion though. I would get a Macro lens for your camera to make the close ups come out sharper...or you could just back off a little. I just got one for my Canon S5IS and it makes a world of difference when you want to focus in real tight.
Thanks again
 
#16 ·
Did you have to use the goofy rivnuts that Honda insists must be used? My local accessory shop didn't know what rivnuts are. scary.
These are aftermarket nerf bars and do not require the rivnut necessary for the comparable Honda OEM product.
 
#18 ·
Thanks all for the kind words! Indeed, no rivnuts required - dead simple install with only 6 brackets to deal with. I figured a set of aftermarket SS bars for $269 including shipping was worth a try. I looked around the net for some installed pics on a gray RL, but did not find a lot to choose from - so I figured I would 'fill the gap'!

After living with them for a week, I can say that so far, so good. Very happy with the sturdiness, looks, and the ability to put them a little further our from the sills to offer more door ding protection. I may still swap out the bolts for stainless as well later on down the road.....I'm interested to see how they hold up over time - I will report back periodically as they weather.

Cheers,

Tom
 
#19 ·
That being said, I will add my $.02 about them being out far. Being bigger, 6'2", they do make it difficult getting out without hitting your leg (midcalf and lower) on them. That does become annoying when wearing khackis and the bars are muddy/snowy. Other than that, they are great.
 
#20 ·
Tom....a big mahalo to you!
What a great and for me timely post.
I was agonizing (don't we all do that over our Ridges!) over the decision of which nerf bar to buy. The oem was my fave as I also like the oval look. But the price and the whole rivnut thing was a downer.
I liked the look of the Romik ones but they are round.

So now I believe you have helped me make my mind up.

Raptor is Black. I also have a Polished Steel Metallic truck but I'm de-chroming mine.

Aloha....Ray! :act030:
 
#22 ·
As a follow up, I thought I wold note some recent observations....

As I had suspected, the mounting hardware was a little suspect for quality - the allen blots after two weeks had started rusting only with exposure to about two weeks of rain/sun (and no snow or salt!).

I opted to swap all of it out for straight stainless from a local machine shop - about $50 worth of fasteners:



The 14mm bolts still appeared to be fairing well, but I figured I would replace all of them, and use this opportunity to apply some anti-seize compound as well to make life easier sometime down the road. The bars themselves are quite fine, and no signs of discoloration or defect. The black brackets still seem alright, although I'm certain that they will require the odd touch-up of Mar-Hyde once and a while to prevent any rusting from nicks and dings.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Tom
 
#26 ·
Me too...mine should arrive next week.
YW84U...many thanks for the post...totally helped me make up my mind :act035:
 
#24 ·
Hi jrbrangi,

Here's the laundry list I have for bolts:

Step Side:
[12] M10 x 30 Butt SOC C/S SS

Bracket Side:
[20] M8x35 Hex C/S/ 18.8 SS

I also threw in [12] 3/8 (S) F/W (7/8 O.D.) 18.8 SS and [12] 5/16 Lockwasher 18.8 SS for the step bolts, and [20] matching lockwashers/ Flat washers for the bracket sides as well. They didn't have any metric handy, so I went with similar imperial sizes for the washers. If you print the photo and take the specs with you, they should be able to fix up up with no problem!

Cheers,

Tom
 
#80 · (Edited)
Hi jrbrangi,

Here's the laundry list I have for bolts:

Step Side:
[12] M10 x 30 Butt SOC C/S SS

Bracket Side:
[20] M8x35 Hex C/S/ 18.8 SS

I also threw in [12] 3/8 (S) F/W (7/8 O.D.) 18.8 SS and [12] 5/16 Lockwasher 18.8 SS for the step bolts, and [20] matching lockwashers/ Flat washers for the bracket sides as well. They didn't have any metric handy, so I went with similar imperial sizes for the washers. If you print the photo and take the specs with you, they should be able to fix up up with no problem!


Cheers,

Tom
I have a question about the Bracket Side bolts. I just got some black Raptors and there are 20 M8-1.25x30mm bolts included. YW84U replaced with 35mm stainless bolts. There was another thread where someone ordered 35mm. Why the 35mm and not 30? Are there any problems using the 35mm?

This thread is definitely more useful than the instructions that came in the box.
 
#27 ·
well so much for DIY, all the bolt holes had rust in them, even with the protective caps on. The first bolt went in an just snapped in half i couldn't get one bolt to get in even halfway. Made an appointment to have the dealer install tomorrow AM for like 180$ guess it wasn't such a good deal after all :act002:
 
#29 ·
Super job on the info/pics. After a few days of deliberation and several site hops I decided to go with the Raptors as well. Your "after" picture was the clincher, they looked great. And your "tutorial" (right down to the bolt/washer replacement info) deserves the praise.
 
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