Ive been lookin at step bars for my 96 reg cab for awhile and cant decide on what to buy. I need stainless because i live in the northeast and salt is a problem... Are westins CPS series worth the money since they have a lifetime warranty? also i have a si/do flowmaster exhaust and was wondering what the best intake would be to bump up my mileage and performance alittle....thanks

 

I very much Like my stainless Westin tubes. No complaints. Thick too.

 

If it matters to you, I have found that Westin's customer
service is complete crap.

 

I wonder what step bars you went with. I have a 96 reg. cab and ordered wildcat flash chrome side bars. they will be delivered soon. I am worried that they will have cab mounts instead of frame mounts. I will coat them with plenty of wax because I live in the northeast too. I plan on pouring some rustoleum into them also.

 

I got the wildcats installed and was very impressed at the durable hardware kit. Mounts to the frame. Plenty of step room and low enough from the cab that I didnt have to modify the brackets like some have had to. They installed very easy and look super. I don't know what to expect from durability but they have a 6 yr. warranty and if you don't use abrasives on the chrome, they will replace them minus shipping. 227 dollars total.

 

If salt is a problem I would skip the rustoleum for the inside of the bars. It can crack if you get any flex at all.

I would and go to homedepot/lowes/menards and by an SBS modified roof coating and pour it through. Henry is a good brand but there are others. (SBS stands for styrene butyl styrene)

You have to get a gallon because they don't usually have smaller amounts. It can be lightly thinned for pouring instead of brushing see the directions. It cleans up from paint/chrome and your hands with mineral spirits and a soft cloth. It will notnot harm the paint chrome, etc..

Make sure you rinse or wash the inside first to remove any salt and let thoroughly dry. Then make sure that the bars and roof coating is warm (in sun or in heated house for several hours before you pour it in....also make sure it is brushable grade not trowelable. Then pour it in and let it run out.

It is really messy to work with but it is probably one of the best products you can use for helping to seal out weather. If you use it for undercoating, brush it on straight in two coats.

It is also known as rubberized roof coating or modified bitumen it will cost 10-12 bucks and is great for sound deadening and undercoating where you don't have high heat!

It remains flexible for years and won't crack if you get any flex at all. It is completely waterproof!

This is the same as the premium quality undercoating in a can...except it is thicker and better.

I used to work for a commercial roofing company and sbs products are among the best available for commercial flat roofing.

I know you didn't ask for this but, I undercoated much of my truck with this stuff

I also used sbs modified bitumen ice and watershield which comes in self adhesive sheets (no mess) to sounddeaden my truck and protect it from corrosion. I did the floorboards, behind the seats, door panels inside the speaker cavities. It is almost as quiet as my acura) It is basically the same stuff as dynamat and others like it for about50 cents a square foot instead of $10 bucks a foot.

 

Anyone have or actually see the "Go Rhino" lighted step-pad for their tube steps? I'm wondering how bright they really are. They are suppose to LEDs sealed in the plastic. Thanks

 

I can put another plug in for Westin, though I can't vouch for their salt resistance, as I live in a snow-free area. Got my bars on eBay (amazing deal -- $10 and they were new; shipping was more than that). During installation, I discovered that a few parts were missing, so I called Westin and they sent me a new parts kit at no charge.

Once on the truck, they look and feel great and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I'm pro-Westin now...good luck.

 

I had my step bars sprayed with Line-X, no chips or rust!

 

Westin SS is a good way to go, they hold up pretty well. If you live in an area that uses salt in the winter, why would you buy chrome steps? Pouring a coating into a step bar with 90 degree turns in it and expecting the entire inside to be coated is a probably more than a waste of time, you have probably made small ridges to hold salty water inside the tube and help it to rust faster is all.