Should We Lose the Step Bars? - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
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Should We Lose the Step Bars? - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
Should we lose the step bars in our long-term 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel?
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Yeah, I guess if you're going to pay pretty much MSRP you might as well custom design it yourself to your exact liking...
Speaking of Dodge, we still want to know what happened to the Dodge Dart.
You seem pretty well set on removing them, but I’ll give you a couple more points in favor of keeping them. For vertically-challenged drivers, the step bars ease cabin ingress and egress. The bars also make it easier to wash the top of the cab, or to secure something to it if needed. And lastly, whoever “negotiated” the price of this truck felt that they were worth the $600 – otherwise they would have gotten the dealer to remove them as well as the $600 MSRP from the final vehicle price.
camrydriver69, the first rule of Dodge Dart is we don't talk about Dodge Dart. But I heard it went to live on a farm where it can run free forever.
It sure would be nice if manufactures would come up with a faster special order process. Granted the cars that have to catch a boat over would still take a bit longer but 2+ months is a long time to wait with all the modern technology. Shouldn't they just be able to tell the computer that the next one built should be exactly the way you want? Or do they do runs of one trim level or a bunch with the same option at the same time?
i remember the dart getting sparse updates at the end but they did eventually do a wrap up...
http://www.edmunds.com/dodge/dart/2013/long-term-road-test/wrap-up.html
am i missing out on some sarcasm?
Yes, you should lose the steps. if you really need them, get a power retractable step. The steps ruin the lines of the truck.
Meh, lose the steps, they're overbearing. Short people can hop-in if they need to. :P
Remove them. AMP Research has power steps that slide out when you open a door. They tuck nicely under the rocker panel when you shut the door. I've put them on every truck and SUV i've owned the last 8 years. Most dealers will remove the hideous tube steps prior to purchase so you don't have to buy them just because they come from the factory that way. They will just go stick them on a lesser optioned truck and sell it to an old guy. Should be noted... Ram claims these steps are shaped/molded to deflect air around the outside of the rear wheels to decrease wind resistance. It might be interesting to see if there is a MPG drop after removal.
Remove them and sell them. You probably won't get $600 but should be able to recoop some of the cost. Chrome step bars are a hallmark of a grandpa truck.
they really are not that bad its only something that you notice when you fixate on them in fact they are un noticable. nobody is judging you for having sidesteps and short people or people with disabilities will appreciate that they are there. i would only remove them if you went offroad all the time or lived on a dirt road where it would be just 1 more thing to clean.
I have tubes on my 2005 Ram 3500, but they're for my elderly parents, not me.
If you take off the step tubes, you are exposing the lower trim to a lot more stuff kicked up by the front tires. If you own it, keep them.
Yes. Lose the tubes. F150 Platinum has the best solution with its hideaway running board.
It is a bit of fun poked at it. There is a line of thought (or conspiracy theory) in the direction that it was more than a cracked spark plug that did it in as it had several good posts about the problem and then the test was quickly wrapped up with only a tiny mention of the problem that caused it to limp half way up California. It was parked in a garage in San Francisco and that seemed to be the end of it, no mention of return trip or going to the dealer just "cracked spark plug".