Are running boards on a Ranger like lipstick on a pig?

[Burnt Money]

I like to think of them as a ding protector when the idiot parking next to me throws their door open

They saved my truck one day when the wind caught the door of the guy parked next to me. I heard it hit, got out and looked it was a chip off the running board. Guy was super apologetic about it. I said no worries I don’t like them any way lol. I was going to remove them till that happened lol. Also probably saved some damage offroad in a mud hole one day. Bottom of the running board took some heavy gouges.

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[30coupe]

Oversized tires are like lipstick on a pig in my eyes.

Mine too, especially the ones that stick out past the body of the truck. I never figured out why one would want to sling mud all over the side of the truck.

 

[LaBalbe]

They saved my truck one day when the wind caught the door of the guy parked next to me. I heard it hit, got out and looked it was a chip off the running board. Guy was super apologetic about it. I said no worries I don’t like them any way lol. I was going to remove them till that happened lol. Also probably saved some damage offroad in a mud hole one day. Bottom of the running board took some heavy gouges.

Yes, this! They've minimized the damage on two separate occasions when the wife misjudged where she was positioned in a parking space; first time it was a wrought-iron fence at Starbucks (see https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/straightening-a-runner-board.21302/) and the second time was a concrete pillar in an underground downtown parking lot. Damage to the truck would have been a lot worse both times if the runner boards hadn't been there.

I agree with the function over form aspect; in my case, function is letting the shorter/stiffer members of the family get into the truck, and offering added protection in parking lots, whether fixed objects or door dings.

In less than a year, Thing One turns 16 and I don't have the parking space for a beater.....

 

[Frenchy]

This is going to be a to reach their own type of thing. Don't get me wrong, when I had my 2019 Ranger I did not have running boards whatsoever and I definitely did consider them. I really considered it after I did the lift since getting in it was a little bit more troublesome.

With my 2012 Frontier, I did have running boards on it and they were okay to an extent. I ended up removing them because I bet the s*** out of them while OffRoad. Now I have a set of rock sliders that tend to do a little bit better for myself and the truck. That said if you don't take your truck off road, I wouldn't worry about rock sliders either.

 

[subquark]

I'm short, my wife's short - side steps are a necessity.

I even have a bed step.

I couldn't use the truck without either.

I also grab the door handle and always use the steering wheel to climb in. Kate always uses the passenger grab handle. I'd use one on the driver side, but the non-US parts dont fit our NA Rangers.

But it sounds like you're tall enough and they're in the way, so take them off. =)

lol, I had the side steps about a month before I got the Ranger!

if not this, at least a milk crate! =D

 

[trmkars]

I picked up my Ranger new in July of 2020. It has the factory running boards. I didn't like them. My plan was to replace them rock sliders that would fit tight up against the cab/bed.

Well 84k miles later I haven't replaced them. I keep thinking that one day I would tear one off while traveling across the desert, but even after countless impacts they are still in place. They definitely have saved my cab from rock damage.

Yes the plastic trim is missing on one side or the other, but they are still solid. They have certainty far exceeded the durability test.

From time to time I use them climbing in and out of truck especially when the ground below is uneven (rocks, ruts, holes, etc). Plus other family or friends use them getting in and out while on pavement, so that great the running boards help them too.

Someday I will replace them with sliders, but for now they more functional than I thought they would be when I first bought the truck.

 

[LawnMM]

Unfortunately, my wife and I are in our 70s, so we qualify as elderly passengers even without guests aboard, lol!

I'm not knocking your age at all, but after reading your first post and prior to seeing this follow up above I'd already guessed it based upon your use of the word trousers.

It's a word my father (your age) and my grandfather used in his time and you don't really hear much beyond these days. Brought back some good memories of my younger days spending a summer in college painting my grandfather's two car garage so thank you for the trip down memory lane.

I'd probably keep the assistance, or at least don't get rid of it as you may need it and wish you still had it if removed.

 

[WOADKIL]

One: the front of my 2021 XLT stock running boards do a great job of blocking mud and dirt from the front tires from hitting the rocker panels and doors

Two: they act as de facto rock sliders.

I was driving off road trails in Joshua Tree couple weeks ago, and high centered on a rock on Berdoo Canyon trail. Bent the passenger running board about two inches up in the middle. Definitely saved my body work. Got home and removed the board and used a bottle jack to re-straightened it. Like new!

 

[Deleted User 38384]

I'm glad I had mine earlier today when I was off road and I framed-out trying to crest a steep hill.

 

[Burnt Money]

Yes, this! They've minimized the damage on two separate occasions when the wife misjudged where she was positioned in a parking space; first time it was a wrought-iron fence at Starbucks (see https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/straightening-a-runner-board.21302/) and the second time was a concrete pillar in an underground downtown parking lot. Damage to the truck would have been a lot worse both times if the runner boards hadn't been there.

I agree with the function over form aspect; in my case, function is letting the shorter/stiffer members of the family get into the truck, and offering added protection in parking lots, whether fixed objects or door dings.

In less than a year, Thing One turns 16 and I don't have the parking space for a beater.....

We are in the same boat with kids driving! My daughter turn 16 in 7 months lol.

 

[Tom_C]

My wife uses them. I tried to train myself to use them but now I usually step over them on the way in, and get a dirty calf on the way out.

If you can train yourself to use them it will save wear and tear on the edge of the seat. I just never got there.

But yeah, ding protectors, and I do think they protect the paint. We have property on a gravel road, and the mudflaps don't catch all the rocks, so the steps help deflect the rest.

 

[Jeffrey Babb]

My recently acquired 2022 Lariat has running boards, which I was at first ambivalent about. Now I'm starting to think they are more of a PITA than they are worth. First, I don't need them to get into the truck, unlike my F150 that was enough taller to make it necessary. Second, when I try to get out, I have to either force myself to use the running boards or drag my calf on them getting out. That's all well and good when they are clean, but the spring slop in Iowa will soon eliminate that possibility. That means I'll end up cleaning a small area with the back of my now formerly clean trousers. ?

At this point, I'm seriously considering taking them off and seeing if I like that better. They seem to be more cosmetic than utilitarian on a stock ride-height Ranger, which is what mine will remain...I'm somewhat vertically challenged. What do the rest of you think?

Unfortunately I need mine, wife barely 5' tall.

 

[bbeverag]

My wife could not get into my tremor without them. I find them convenient now that I am used to them but hated them in the beginning.

 

[majorv]

Oh yea, I’m 5’3” and my truck has a 3” lift in the front to level the truck so I need ‘em (plus I’m over 70). But besides that, I use the running board to tie my shoelaces (lol), to reach the front windshield to clean it…and it saved some body damage when I didn’t notice a riding lawnmower sitting in grass at my aunt’s house. Turned right into the gravel drive, heard a noise, and discovered my passenger side running board had taken the brunt of a very sturdy red metal Craftsman mower!

 

[Josh Stretch]

I have a young kid, a short wife and a mom with bad knees. I installed a set of Amp Research powersteps and couldn't be happier! I installed the optional switch as well so I can lock them up for offroad and lock them down for the carwash. My kit came with a broken motor that was cracked and bent so I installed the passenger side step and only had that one on my truck for a few weeks until they sent a replacement for free (they were out of stock, that's why it took a few weeks). It actually worked great that way! But I decided to install the second step and I force myself to use it to save the upholstery on the driver's seat.

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