Westin side steps

[Thunderbolt]

I am the proud owner of a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 QC. Before this I drove two other Rams. The first was a used 1998 1500 QC. It had black tubular nerfs on it when I got it. They were rusted right through in a couple spots underneath. They came off. I later got a 2004 2500 QC. It sat pretty high and after some complaint from the women in my life I ordered steps. After seeing the black painted ones rust so bad I ordered chromed aluminum Westin bars. They looked beautiful when I put them on and I got a lot of compliments. After a year though they pitted badly on the underside. I noticed this when pulling them off to go on the newest Ram. I took them back to the dealer who without question ordered a new set (lifetime warranty). After washing my truck this week I noticed this set is also pitting, this time on top and the steps are only about ten months old. The warranty is great but do I have to keep doing this step exchange every year? Anyone have a friend at Westin? I was thinking of asking if they would credit me for the aluminum steps and upgrade to the stainless ones. Any thoughts or other experiences?

 

[ddutil]

I have the stainless ones, and they are very fine. Quality's worth the $$$ when daily driving on salted roads ('round here). Dan

 

[TowPro]

I got the stainless ones also. $175. 00 Delivered from Ebay.

I have the stainless ones, and they are very fine. Quality's worth the $$$ when daily driving on salted roads ('round here). Dan

 

[Bertram65]

I have the Westin platinum series, black powder coated stainless, no rust yet and it has been close to 3 years, this is the 3rd winter and they still look new.

 

[Thunderbolt]

I spoke to customer service at Westin Automotive today. The rude female I spoke to asked a few irrelevant questions and then when she let me talk I told her that I had already replaced the bars once in the first two years and I wasn't interested in doing that again and again through the life of the truck and asked if Westin would credit the purchase price of the Oval bars toward the SS ones. She replied that Westin was a manufacturing company and did not deal with customers directly. (I wonder why they list a phone # for customer service on their website?) She advised me to take the steps off and return them to the dealer and THEY would decide if they were defective.

The Chinese are winning the war without firing a shot.

 

[J Shocik]

I have Westin SS nerf bars on my truck, been there since Feb. "98. No problems, looks great still. When I bought these, the SS bars were actually cheaper than chrome/steel.

 

[BNH4221]

I'll echo what Bertram65 said. I have the Platinum Series chrome ones and they still look new after 37k and 16 months of driving. Well worth the price.



Steve

 

[Thunderbolt]

Thanks for the replies... I'll take them off and go to the NAPA store and try to work out a trade for the SS ones.

 

[R-N-R]

I have the same oval side steps (chrome), they pitted within two years and I am reasonably ambitious about polishing them. I really like the design, is there any way to have these refinished aside from another pair? Is it worth it?

 

[JGrosso]

I have the Platnum series chromed stainless bars and I haven't had any problems with them. I think they were $500 installed at the place that sprayed in my Linex bed liner.

 

[KWentling]

I made the mistake of getting black powder coated Westins and matching Mr. Pickup grill guard. Coaxed 6 years out of the bars before they ended up in the dumpster. The grill guard looks like heck too. Haven't decided whether to reserect it or not. No more powder coating for me. I'll stick with aluminum or stainless, even though I don't care for the shiny finishes. Is that typical of powder coating or just poor prep work? Both were blistering in the first year. Should have looked for warantee on both.



Kim

 

[Brock]

I bought a set of their Platinum series wheel to wheel for my 06 quad cab... stainless steel with three steps on each side. Great bars... Got on ebay for couple hundred less than MSRP... . if interested I can give you the ebay store I got mine from...

 

[Thunderbolt]

That would be great. Any Pics?