I did it! the pictures tell the story...

 

looks cool, I like them

 

I'm going to do another pair in the bumper color (Light Prairie Tan Metallic), went to the salvage yard and pulled all the good Aerostar emblems I could find.

 

I pulled one off a parts Taurus and did what you showed, did it in red to put on a red SHO.

 

Glad to see you solved your problem, and fairly cheaply at that.

 

I saw it, looks great in red too!

 

yes, it cost nothing, I used the Aerostar's emblems and I had everything else, great passtime for a rainy saturday and sunday.

I noticed you are a Ford Parts Expert so if you don't mind, here's a parts problem:

1) the Aerostar "Sport" model came with running boards.

2) I found a "Sport" model in a salvage yard with intact running boards and removed each side in one piece by removing 16 flanged bolts from brackets attached to the three under-body cross "ribs",

3) I did not remove the "cage nuts" where the flanged bolts screw into because I assumed the nuts would be factory pre-installed in my 1997. They were not, only the holes are there.

4) I went back a week later to pull the cage nuts and the van had been crushed already. gone forever. Now I don't know what cage nut to get.

do you have access to any "Sport" technical info. that shows what type and size of cage nuts were used by Ford for these running boards in 1997?

thanks.

 

Here is a breakdown of the Sport running boards:



from what I can tell, the nuts are m8x1, still available from Ford, but as you can tell, the pic sucks for deciphering. I have never seen the running boards in person on an Aero, so I don't know if they would be the 45260-S2- NUT #8-1 or N623333-S100- NUT M8X1.

I hope this helps

EDIT: The more I look at the pic, I think it would be the 45260-S2- NUT #8-1.

 

yes siree, thank you very much. Those are the running boards, identical. I have to say, I've yet to see any running board more "heavy duty" than these. The 1/2" thick rubber step/pad attached to the steel frame has "Aerostar" impressed into the rubber, and you can leave off the "fairings" and end up with just a "step", which is what I plan to do.

yes, you are correct, the nuts that I need are the 45260-S2 (16 of them). Is that the part number?
(the N623333-S100- NUT M8X1 are "J" clips for the fairings attached to the fenders with chromed phillips screws).

the 16 bolts are flanged, and I took them off with a 10mm (3/8") socket. (the 10mm socket fit better over the bolt heads than the 3/8" socket).

attached is a picture of a '97 Aerostar "Sport" which came with those running boards. (not my van).

ok, I'll check with the Ford dealer tomorrow and will let you know what they say. Again, thank you.

 

I know what they look like via pics, but I have never been under an Aero with those attached, they are kind of rare. I have thought about searching for a set for my van, but with the current condition it is in, I am thinking it is not worth it.

Also, only one warehouse has them (ND), 6 packages, so it will take 2-3 days to get in, and they come in a package of 15 . Sometimes I don't get Ford 's thought on packaging parts.

And yes, that is the Ford part number (45260-S2).

 

I haven't seen one of those running boards in person before, so I'd like to get some information. How high is the step on the board? Or, how much lower is it from the floor panel inside the door?

Sometimes I have to transport some elderly people who are not able to get up to that first step inside the door. A shorter step really helps them. Right now, I pull out a tool box that they use as a step. If the step on the running board isn't too high, that might work.

 

I have not measured those distances exactly but if I had to guess the height from the ground to the running board step, the board step would be at half the distance from the ground to the first rubber step inside the door; in my opinion, a very comfortable "rise" anyone can handle.

the 3 brackets on each side are heavy duty steel, about 5/16" thick, shaped like a stylized J. They are bolted to the 3 existing cross "ribs" in the Aerostar's underbody, and then the step is placed over the brackets and bolted from underneath.

there are two flexible material (ABS or fiberglass), formed "fairings", or "mudguards" which are screwed to the existing front and rear fender "lips" with "J" clips and chromed phillips screws. (to the same holes as the inner wheel housing plastic covers).

there is a thin steel 1" high x 80" long bar (p/n 10182 in the diagram) that was rivetted to the rocker panels at the factory, and onto which the "fairings" snap on to keep them straight; I don't want to drill holes into the rocker panels, so one option (if you want to use the fiberglass mudguards or "finishing pieces"), is to secure this bar to the rocker panel with double-sided 3M Molding Tape which will hold fine once the tape adheres good by heating the rocker panel length with a hair dryer.

 

Thanks Jose. That step sounds like it's in just the right place. Now I would just have to find a set of running boards.

I would have to first straighten out the dent in my rocker panel placed there by the grease monkey at Sears when they installed their LAST set of tires on my van. Then I might consider welding that bar to the rocker panel to reinforce it, in case some other grease monkey tries to do the same in the future.

 

all running boards mounted to an Aerostar will have the same height from the ground to the board to the step; you can't go any higher, and you wouldn't want to go any lower unless you like to scrape the pavement

the famous damaged rocker panels of the Aerostar; you want to know what I do? I print 5 sheets in my printer in huge bold letters and tape one sheet to each corner of the van when I've taken it for service. The sheets read:

DO NOT PLACE THE LIFT ARMS UNDER THE ROCKER PANEL EDGE OR YOU WILL DAMAGE THE SHEETMETAL. IF YOU DAMAGE THE SHEETMETAL, YOUR EMPLOYER WILL HAVE TO PAY JOSE FOR BODYWORK REPAIR.

USE THE JACKING POINTS LOCATED UNDER THE CHASSIS BEHIND THE ROCKER PANEL BOTTOM EDGE.
THANK YOU !

*the 5th sheet I give to the person writing the work order.

 

93nighthawk: I found them at Levittown Ford Super Center in NY, $ .58 each plus mailing cost. I spoke with Mike there and he understood that I didn't want to pay $14.95 UPS charge to ship 16 nuts. He found a way to mail them for $8.35. Best I could do I suppose.

Ford Repair Parts: Levittown Ford Super Center

Thank you very much for your help with this.