I just picked up a set of bed rails for my 79 explorer f150 and I’m thrilled to have them. Is there any way to correct the pimple like blemishes? I figured worst case scenario my body guy could point me in the right direction. Thanks

 

You are stuck with those pimples, that is corrosion under/inside the chrome that has broke thru. If you pick at it you will expose the corrosion and make more chrome fall off. The part itself is pot/cast metal, if you start sanding on it you are going to have exposed bare metal and it will get worse.

Best case knock down the pimple head (and probably make the pimple bigger) and clear coat the heck out of it totally to seal if from outside air. They also corrode where the mounting hardware (phillips head screw) goes in the single hole, that is a stainless steel screw. And it over time collects water in the recess and can corrode from the installation process of the screw chipping some of the chrome off.

Repop ends only. https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/tru...ide-rail-kit-f

I might have a couple of spare ends, and I believe they are side specific.

 

I will probably have to get the kit you listed since I’ll need the mounting hardware. I see it says out of stock but I assume they would eventually get them back within a few months hopefully.

 

You can email DC and ask that the wait time might be and you might be able to pre order and be the 1st to get a set off the line someday. It is common SS hdwr take the head (end piece) and the metal bracket (that goes in the stake pocket) to the hdwr store and should be easy to find.

Once problem is no one (vendor wise) sells individual pieces and or parts of those rails. Well except for me....and my stash is getting low. You can see what makes parts so pricey. https://www.ebay.com/itm/35499854006...ZxGw9ZYLpcsFos

 

You could take the pitted parts to a good automotive chrome shop. You'd be amazed at how nice those guys can make them look. They strip the old chrome off, polish out the imperfections, and re-chrome. But expect to pay BIG bucks for the privilege.

My originals are pretty badly pitted. I'm just going to leave them alone for now. If I run across a set of nice ones someday, I'll buy them. I may consider the DC reproductions in the future, too. For now, though, it's gonna be "live and let live".

 

Here is a variation on this tactic that may still be possible.
I did this around 1985 for many of the shiny pot metal parts on my '33 Chevy. Prep is labor intensive and the primary cause of the total cost involved. So what I did was get the parts de-chromed and then prepare the corroded metal with a ton of fine file and wet sandpaper work. The chrome shop then copper plated the heck out of them and let me have at it again. With the copper serving as a kind of body filler I invested another crap ton of hand work. My work may not have been as good as a practiced pro but it was cheap. We did the copper plating thing twice on some items. Once I was happy with the surface of these parts I checked with the chrome shop to get their opinion. They buffed the larger, public facing surfaces a little and then applied the chrome plating. It turned out well enough to satisfy me.
A lot has changed since 1985 so this may not be a viable strategy anymore because of insurance liability, environmental regulation or whatnot. If anyone else here has gone down this road more recently than I it would be good to hear what your experience was like. Maybe this is still possible and practical.