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Post Info TOPIC: 2013 F-150 Power Running Boards
John D


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2013 F-150 Power Running Boards
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This was not one of Fords better ideas...

They're cool, tuck up under the rockers when not in use, then deploy in a second or two when the door's opened.

Enter 10+ years of MN winter road-schmutz, NO provisions for lubrication (other than hosing down with penetrant), and they get sticky/slow. Also, the hinges/mechanism is aluminum, the hinge pins are stainless - there's that dissimilar metals thing.

Plus (!) they're controlled by their own little magic black box. This gizmo monitors current draw and automatically reverses/extends the boards if the values exceed parameters (system thinks someone's leg or foot is caught in there).

Anyone out there heard of any cool tricks to free these things up, other than the obvious (lube, heat, beat on it, hit the hinge pins with a impact, rig up a ratchet strap for "pull", etc.)

I unplugged mine 2 years ago, in the retracted position. You can't unbolt the assembly from the truck in the retracted position.



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John D. - St. Louis Park, MN.

1965 El Camino - LT-1, 4L60e, 4wh discs, SC&C susp.
2013 F-150 Platinum - Twin Turbo 3.5

2018 Factory Five MkIV Roadster build thread
John D


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Well, I got them working.
Resorted to bathing them in PB-Blaster, subsequently setting fire to the truck hitting the hinges with heat, then REALLY hammering on them with the air-impact.
Finally got the hinge pins to move fore & aft. Drove them back & forth about 1/8", soaked them again, rinse/repeat.

We'll see how long this lasts... and I'll be sure to keep up on hosing them down with WD/PB/Penetrant!

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John D. - St. Louis Park, MN.

1965 El Camino - LT-1, 4L60e, 4wh discs, SC&C susp.
2013 F-150 Platinum - Twin Turbo 3.5

2018 Factory Five MkIV Roadster build thread
Derek69SS


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Those seem like a terrible idea in the rust-belt...

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Derek Kiefer - Mantorville, MN

69 Malibu Pro-Touring stroker LS1-383/T56 - 69 SS396-325/3spd project
Enganeer


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Great for down south but up here, yes terrible.

I have them on my truck and gave up trying to keep them running and left them in the down position.

Fast forward to this last winter and the salt corroded the cast housing on the drivers side so bad that it fell apart and off and was only held by the harness.

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John E - Rogers, MN

Instructions? All I need is the exploded view.
70 El Camino soon to be ls1/t56
64 Malibu SS
John D


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Yeah... If you live anywhere south of maybe St. Louis they'd be great!

It really wouldn't take much to make them reliable anywhere... just put those things that used to be on every major moving/load bearing part under a car... GREASE ZERKS! (a couple of shots of grease in the pivots a few times a year and they'd work forever. Oh yeah, they don't want stuff that works forever. They want you to buy new stuff)

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John D. - St. Louis Park, MN.

1965 El Camino - LT-1, 4L60e, 4wh discs, SC&C susp.
2013 F-150 Platinum - Twin Turbo 3.5

2018 Factory Five MkIV Roadster build thread
Enganeer


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I have already dissuaded one person from buying these for his new truck and I will never buy them again...so short term gain, long term loss.

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John E - Rogers, MN

Instructions? All I need is the exploded view.
70 El Camino soon to be ls1/t56
64 Malibu SS
Lost in the 60s


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You could replace the stainless pivots with ferrous iron, drill and tap them for zerks.

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Mitch D.   River Falls, WI

Lifetime member of the "Cars apart Club"

1966 Chevelle SS 396 M20

1970 Chevelle SS 396 M20

1967 Camaro SS/RS 350 M20
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