Hey guys, I need to put a set of steps on my truck so the old lady can get up in it.........I really like the classic look of the Carr Hoop II steps, but they dont list any for dents........however they do list them for E series vans starting at 1975.5..............any one have any idea if these will bolt right up somehow, or what would need done to fit them?

Hoop II Steps

 

My sister has a pair on her 79 4x4 not sure how they have them mounted up but they look really good. If i remember right they are just bolted through the seam of the cab.

 

That's sooo nice ya can drive yer mom around.

 

Funny, but around these parts old lady means, woman, wife, or girlfriend

But, Old man is your dad.........

 

Aka ball n chain... That's what I refer to mine as

 

Aka ball n chain... That's what I refer to mine as

 

I was only pulling your chain. My pal refers to his wife as "The Department of the Treasury".. it's no wonder he's broke all the time!

Back to the thread.. them steps are fine for trail riding and stuff but I find they would hang down too low and get hung up, bent, or get ripped off (physically).

I prefer tube steps / frame-mounted sliders. Haven't found any specific for a Dent but I do have a tubing bender.

 

My truck is pretty much on road only, every once in a while........I have other toys to beat on, and play with.......

I was just curious if I could make the ones for the van work, I assume they bolt to the frame?

 

Just today I was working on a set of steps for my '75 F-250. It has a 3" cab lift, and my wife currently uses an inverted 5 gallon bucket to clamber into the cab, with me pushing from behind !! She's a shorty, but she's soft and sweet. . .

The wife - not the truck. . .

I'm trying to make my steps frame mounted, but not sure of the feasability of the idea. It requires a 24" arm welded to a 7" vertical mount. I'm gonna go ahead with my plan, but might have to abandon it for something with less leverage. Anybody else make their own steps?

Paul

 

If you look close at this pic, hopefully you can see the Carr steps that are on my truck. This was taken several years ago, but I've never had any issue at all with these steps and will be re-installing them when the resto is finished. I think they are great, never loosened up and the black powdercoat is still in excellent shape. I also liked them because in my opinion they don't take away from the lines of the truck. They bolt to the back of the lower rocker and are rock solid, no need for long brackets to the frame.

 

Can't say I like drilling holes in the cab for steps. I'd bet over time they will pull through. I want some rock slider that will act as a step. But as posted before that's a long way fron the frame to the edge of the cab.

 

My 85 year old grandma has no problem getting in my truck with no step

If I were installing steps I wouldn't drill into the cab, first fattie you pick up will rip em off

 

My FIL made his own steps that bolted to the frame side on his '77 F-250, absolutely no attachment to the cab. Each side bolted on the frame, then he had a piece that bolted across the middle under the frame just to tie them together so that each step added support to the other side.

Imagine two 10" or so long 1/4 wall angle bolted vertically to the frame. Then he had two pieces going out horizontally from bottom of those verticle pieces to under the step itself which was a course open mesh screen like near 1/4" wire (it didn't bend or flex when you stepped on it) in a frame of angle. Then there were two braces angled up from just underneath the cab out of view that went to the tops of those verticle pieces bolted to the frame sides.

Now build two, one for each side of the truck for balanced looks and to remind the driver that there's a like step over on the pass side.

Then lastly, he used two pieces just wider than the frame itself to bolt to tabs welded on (he welded tabs on for bolts so would not have to drill the angle itself and weaken it in some way) between the verticle pieces, so that each side supported the other side's verticle pieces against flexing inward below the frame, yet allowed each side to be installed or removed one at a time, or the centers in case of need for service / repaior.

He primed and painted his. When he was meassuring, I remember he parked the truck level and dropped a plumb bob off the side to establish the maximum width, he was careful to not have the steps wider than the truck's body. His steps were about 3 feet long, just guessing. They extended just about to rear edge of cab, I remember you could stand on them and be close enough to reach over into bed at front. The front end was near the front of the door, maybe not quite. Certainly not to fender.

Wish I had pics to post, that was in the late '70s early '80s, probably weigherd near 100 lbs total. He also cut and welded his own front grill guard and hitch. The truck's long gone to some farmer in Ga. after my BIL took it south.

 

Actually I need to double check - after I posted I realized they may also bolt thru the cab floor. But regardless, based on experience over several years with them, I disagree with you. They remained solid thru thin and thick (fat). For my truck, I like them.

 

I can see that.

Especially if you were pulling carpet and maybe added some thicker steel in the floor to spead load or etc?