DIY Door Ding Protector Project With Payback

[DIYAndy]

DIY Door Ding Protector Project With Payback

The other day I saw a careless motorist swing his door open and hit a new F-150 door and dinged it badly and then took off. I waited for the Ford owner to arrive and gave him all the intel information on this $#@%# careless motorist.

Since then, I been looking at different door protectors and none of them seem to look "pretty" on my Ranger. Rock sliders will do the job but it is a bit of overkill for a 4 x 2. Forget about magnetic door bumpers and ugly door trim. Good looking 6" sidesteps/running boards/nerf bars will function perfectly as a step and to prevent door dings but I added a feature that no sidestep has in the USA - a row of stainless steel bolts capped with stainless acorn nuts. So when a careless motorist tries to ding my Ranger - my Ranger will ding him/her back many times over. I am still acquiring all the parts for this project and pictures will come later. BTW "Go Rhino", along with many other vendors, has DIY sidesteps for the Ranger.

Of course, parking my vehicle "out in the wilderness" or "the back forty" in the parking lot will solve many future Ranger ding problems but my solution has payback. If any forum member has a better solution - please do chime in.

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[Msfitoy]

I've been thinking exactly the same...I need a rock slider for overlanding and it will pay back dividends to offending door swingers...I have this to cover my ass and serves as a step quite well

 

[DIYAndy]

.I have this to cover my ass and serves as a step quite well

Too bad your "Tyger" bumper/hitch extension doesn't have another 2" receiver hitch built in. Then you could add "Harbor Freight's" triple ball hitch with recovery hook. Better yet, add "Monster's" recovery hook. The self inflicted damage caused by the careless motorist will be seeing red after the body shop estimates his/her total repair bill.

 

[DIYAndy]

Haven't yet formalized my "Ranger ding protection project with payback" design but I am torn between what type of bolt "nut" I will be using on the sides of my running boards. High crown acorn nuts, spike nuts or pike nuts all look promising. The body shops will definitely keep busy when someone try's to ding my Ranger I might add that several people said "you can't do that" and I said "what is wrong by putting ornaments on a Ranger?"

 

[Roofhopper]

As gnarly as it would look with the big spikes, I feel like you’d be asking to get pulled over with them on. Probably open yourself up to litigation as well if someone were to brush their leg on it, have their dog poke it’s eye out etc. I’d stick with a smooth acorn nut w/red loc-tite on the bolt threads so you don’t have to worry about yours nuts smacking someone’s windshield

 

[DIYAndy]

As gnarly as it would look with the big spikes, I feel like you’d be asking to get pulled over with them on. Probably open yourself up to litigation as well if someone were to brush their leg on it, have their dog poke it’s eye out etc. I’d stick with a smooth acorn nut w/red loc-tite on the bolt threads so you don’t have to worry about yours nuts smacking someone’s windshield

The high crown acorn nuts would be a perfect fit (in disguise). The other two custom nuts are used a lot by motorcyclist on their motor bikes. My only concern is "me" hitting my leg on them when entering and leaving my Ranger

 

[DIYAndy]

Needless to say, "the cost of running boards are outrageous for any new Ranger truck!", but I came up with the widest running board (6.5") for the best price. Steelcraft STX600 Part # 600-11700. This vendor say's they got them for the Ranger but more research is needed.
For my XL, these black $200 running boards can't be beat for my special project.
Please note: You cannot walk in a body shop now days and expect to pay less than $250 for a ding in your truck door, so these running boards are a bargain if the vendor has them for the Ranger and the brackets fit properly on the undercarriage. They sure do look pretty



Disregard the F-150 truck picture but inspect the 76" (correction 68 3/4") running board.

 

[DIYAndy]

Since the STX600 running boards have a special rust proof coating on them then there will be no drilling and machining on them. All I am doing is adding a 1" square, perforated, powder coated, steel tubing which holds the acorn nuts and bolts. Special brackets will need to be designed to anchor them to the running boards.

BTW - just having the wide running boards "alone" would be sufficient in preventing door dings. It is really not necessary to add the square tubing with acorn nuts for "payback" but it is only a personal preference

 

[RedlandRanger]

Since the STX600 running boards have a special rust proof coating on them then there will be no drilling and machining on them. All I am doing is adding a 1" square, perforated, powder coated, steel tubing which holds the acorn nuts and bolts. Special brackets will need to be designed to anchor them to the running boards.

BTW - just having the wide running boards "alone" would be sufficient in preventing door dings. It is really not necessary to add the square tubing with acorn nuts for "payback" but it is only a personal preference

I will be interested to see a photo when you are done. Those running boards look awfully wide. But, they do appear they will do a good job of helping to protect from door dings.

 

[DIYAndy]

I will be interested to see a photo when you are done. Those running boards look awfully wide. But, they do appear they will do a good job of helping to protect from door dings.

Oh yes, pictures will be available after this project is complete BUT these third party vendors all say "we have parts for the new 2019 Ford Ranger!" In most cases, after asking them for specific installation manuals/docs they run, hide or stutter. The popularity of the Ford Ranger caught many third party vendors flat footed and they are still trying to play catch up in their engineering design efforts for accessories for the new Ford Ranger. On many occasions, I had to send back parts that were engineered wrong or defective - vent visors are a prime example. This project requires the running boards with the proper designed brackets for the Ranger undercarriage. Until this vendor produces the proper docs - this project is in a holding pattern.

Also, after acquiring and installing these wide running boards, I have to make 100% sure that this door ding protector will pickup as many vehicles as possible. The door swing distance and arc calculations does take time. What this door ding protector will pickup is mostly cars but not other trucks and higher center of gravity vehicles

 

[DIYAndy]

My devious neighbor said to use castle nuts with blue Loctite on the bolts - he is one wicked individual.
He also suggested adding RF remote control linear actuators that will move the perforated steel ornament bar(s) in and out from the running boards

 

[DIYAndy]

I have a policy that when I buy an aftermarket or third party accessory that NO drilling will be performed on my new Ranger. Running boards are one example that should be designed exactly to fit the pre-manufactured mounting holes from Ford Motor Company. A lot of vendors will say " just drill a few extra holes" for their running boards/sidesteps/nerf bars to fit properly. My comment is "NO Sale" This project requires wide running boards and the wait could be long to finish this project.

 

[Richard Conley]

I've been thinking exactly the same...I need a rock slider for overlanding and it will pay back dividends to offending door swingers...I have this to cover my ass and serves as a step quite well

I would love something like that for a running board step on my SC like that. I don't want full length boards and can't find any nerf/step setups that don't extend all the way to the end of the cab.

 

[TheMarkP]

My solution

 

[DIYAndy]

My solution

Nice lookin rock slider(s)
For optional "payback" , for the careless door dingers, just add stainless steel worm gear band clamps with high crown acorn nuts with bolts drilled into the clamp will do the job.
BTW - I found them - perfect for a Ranger 4 x 4 but not so for my 4 x 2.
https://www.relationsracewheels.com/products/bolt-on-rock-sliders-2019-ford-ranger?variant=2263916888072

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