Salvagable Running Boards?

[Wuudie]

Running boards both in same condition, was wondering after good media blast and paint would boards be salvagable? Or wouldn't be worth my time?

Looking for some feedback from those who experienced this

If media blasted- would the top of the boards need to be smooth as glass for the adhesive to keep the rubber attached the boards? Or would the pits be too much of pain that I'd have to use something extra on top?

Looking for your two cents

 

[Doug in NJ]

If they are not already bent or creased, and there is not so much rust perforation that they are simply too weak, I would at least try to re-use them. You can always slap a coat of bondo on the top to provide a smooth surface for the glue.

The real test is to try sandblasting the top and bottom, and see how much metal is left standing

Have the mounting brackets on the underside disintegrated?

Here is a photo of what I am doing to fix one of mine. The rear mounting bracket had rusted away, along with the metal above it. The other running board was too damaged to use, but one of its brackets was OK, so I am using the bracket and the surrounding metal as a patch.

Doug

 

[Jim Parker Toronto]

Sorry Wuudie, I think these ones are toast. If you blasted them, they would show up like french lace, and have a lot of holes. I'd start looking for another set.

 

[Wuudie]

Sorry Wuudie, I think these ones are toast. If you blasted them, they would show up like french lace, and have a lot of holes. I'd start looking for another set.

French Lace like the ones I bought for the wife last anniversary? So you mean I'll never see em again or they'll never be used?

Seriously, I was thinking of using a sodium blast. Nothing too harsh maybe walnuts. The last resort was Bondo. I'm not too keen on it. Not saying I wouldn't, just not a fond o Bondo.

The mounting brackets are solid, hardly any rust/corrosion on any of them or the underside- The Underside's are better than the tops as far as the boards. The Mounts I know I can blast them and have em powder coated.

 

[Doug in NJ]

Funny: On my boards, the bottom was rusty (but not really bad apart from the area I am replacing), and the tops were almost shiny. A previous owner had scraped off the original molded-on rubber and stuck on new rubber.

Soda blasting won't touch rust. Can you stand on them without anything scary happening?

Doug

 

[Wuudie]

Funny: On my boards, the bottom was rusty (but not really bad apart from the area I am replacing), and the tops were almost shiny. A previous owner had scraped off the original molded-on rubber and stuck on new rubber.

Soda blasting won't touch rust. Can you stand on them without anything scary happening?

Doug

As far as standing on them, when I towed it home a few weeks back, my kids went nuts climbing all over it. My 9 yr old daughter who's about 90 lbs and 5 year old son who's 50 lbs, were on them jumping up and down, so I'd have to say they're stable.

I put whole body weight on them between the mounts and they are strong. That's why I'm thinking they may be salvagable. As I stated, I'm not Fond of the Bondo, but I may use it as last resort. I was heavily leaning towards a fiberglass.

Doug- not asking you to get specific, but where in Princeton do you live? I went to college there and at Rider (Lawrenceville) so I hung out alot at the Triumph Brewery and hunted down there alot but that's years ago.

 

[Mitch]

They look straight, which is good. The answer lies on the underside. If the bolt brackets and are good and there is enough metal left for general strength, then use them. Of course, there are better originals available. It boils down to the equipment you have or will buy, your capabilities to weld, sand blast, etc. It's either time or money.

 

[loumo]

Stop procrastinating. What have you got to loose and much more to gain. Clean them up and prepared for the balance of work and parts that need to be addressed.
You will have the benefit of a better fit with the original sheet metal and you can readily remove and replace them latter without disrupting much, if it ever comes to that. Good luck.

 

[1928Pickuppain]

they look grate i put my had though my front fender when trying to push it on the trailer and i was able to save them after about 300 hours. Honestley sand blast them then dolfin glaze them dofin glase is made by bondo but is ment for final skim coating to smooth out pitting and the such its more like a type of fiber glas rezin then a bondo. spred thin then sand with a da and the holes will be filled and the dofin glaze will add the extra strenth were the steel is missing in the holes. my running boards were soo bad i could see right though them there was no center left.

 

[Brentwood Bob]

I'm wondering if the weld repair will cause warping. I migged some holes on a set of commercial/ccpu running boards, and got buckling. Got most of it out with A BIG HAND SLEDGE HAMMER. Bob

 

[Doug in NJ]

I'm wondering if the weld repair will cause warping. I migged some holes on a set of commercial/ccpu running boards, and got buckling. Got most of it out with A BIG HAND SLEDGE HAMMER. Bob

I got a classic lesson in that effect when I welded in the patch (in the photo in my first post in this thread). When I started welding, the board was flat, and I had the patch perfectly parallel with the rest of the board. When I got done welding (one inch at a time), the board had developed a twist. This is the natural effect of shrinling the cetner of a rectangle, creating radial tension out from the center, and tangential compression around the edges. I spent a little while doing hammer-and-dolly on the weld bead, and about half of it want away. Later I will heating and planishing the weld bead, and I bet I will be able to get it flat again. Simply twisting the board does nothing; it just pops into the opposite twist.

Doug

 

[29tx]

try electrolisis. it's non-aggressive removal. All you need is a battery charger, some baking powder and a container to hold enough water to fit the part in. Goggle it and there will be lots of results.