Anyone tried installing the running boards? Is it DIY. Basically buy parts and bolt on

 

nobody has on this forum that i've come accross. Are you talking about OEM? It would not be bolt on. You'd have to take kick plates off. Why would you add them anyways, except for looks?

 

I agree -- they make getting in and out more difficult rather than easier IMHO. It's not convenient to step on them and if they are dirty, they rub one's pants and transfer dirt.

 

On the good side, they offer a certain degree of protection to the doors against unwanted bumps and dents caused by ignorant drivers opening the doors of their cars parked right next to yours in parking lots. However, it only applies for saloon cars .. theres no protection from off roaders of similar or taller heights.

 

We've had our GLK for three weeks and my 4' 10" wife decided she wants them. I got the sales guy to help out and with tax they were $560 but I don't want to pay $381 to have them installed, so I'm going to do it myself.

I'll take pics and post them after I'm done, along with any tips that might be helpful.

 

looks so good though...

 

Hey how did they come out and was it easy to install can you give me some pointers

 

So the wife got home about 4:30 pm on Sunday and I said, what the heck, I'll give it a shot.

I had already opened the boxes with the running boards and saw that it's a two piece setup. Basically its a hard, rigid plastic inner piece that attaches to the side of the car. The only thing in the boxes besides the running boards was a small bag with 10 of flat washers with a nut welded in the middle of the washer where the hole would be normally. Common sense says I'll need 5 for each side.

So I grab a flashlight and look under the car, there are 5 or 6 of the washer/nuts visible, so I take them off (10mm socket/ratchet). Then I look at the ends of the running boards and there are two plastic anchors on each end...sort of like what you use on the inside of door panels, etc. You pull out the little piece in the middle of the anchor about 1/2" and then use a pocket knife to pop the entire thing out. These attach the trim piece on the car to the inside of the wheel well.

The trim piece is pretty loose so I open the doors and pull and it pops off. That exposes the inner rigid plastic piece which is held on with 6 or 7 of the same washer/nuts. I take them off and that inner piece comes off.

Reverse is the opposite...take the new running board inner piece, attach it (this is where the extra 5 washer/nuts for each side get used), the the actual running board is slid over that rigid plastic piece you just put on and it has some clips on one end. I just hit it firm with my hand and it popped into place. Put the 5 or 6 washer/nuts on the bottom of the running board, reinstall the plastic anchors at the ends and your done.

It took me about 40 minutes from start to finish. The only tools you'll need are a flashlight/droplight, 10mm socket/ratchet and a pocket knife.

Honestly, it was so simple I was shocked...

 

Can any one tell me exactly what to do to make the lamb clear and Every bulb i need to make the entire lamp and foglamps Xenon ultra white.... i alsowant to custom install the blue LED daytime running lights under the chrome upgraded fog lamps and where can i purchase the LED Brake lamps................Please help!!! Thank you

 

a couple of pics with the running boards...

 

Thanks much for your tips! I installed the new running boards yesterday and it took 1.5 hours for me just because I didn't know that I wouldn't need the "OLD" running boards and inner pieces anymore. I ordered the parts at a local dealership (appx. US $ 500 including tax with GODD customer discount...Thanks!) and their Labor estimate was 4.5 hrs. ($150 an hour) I am glad that I checked this board first. Thanks again for your post!

 

You were quoted 4.5 hours and hceptj did it in 40 minutes?!

That's why people hate car dealers...

 

The MB dealership quoted me 3 hours minimum. So to do it in 1.5 hours was also pretty good. Glad someone got some use out of this...

I do a lot of car work myself, so I'm pretty handy but I'm telling you, if it took the dealer more than an hour they would be ripping us off.

 

So much for Factory Trained Mechanics...

 

Does anyone has pictures showing the installation procedure to help?

 

First of all, I would like to thank hceptj for the advice. Picked up the running boards from the dealer today, it is sunny and dry today so I decided to give it a go. I think it is actually easier than replacing the ash tray and cup holder with storage trays in my SLK, just that it is more labor intensive, would be easier if I had power tools. I do want to clarify something in case anyone else wants to do it, there are 2 plastic retaining anchor pins in the front towards the wheel well, and there is only 1 plastic retaining anchor pin in the back towards the wheel well, but there are 2 more plastic retaining anchor pins in the back at the bottom. I was confused about the extra nuts from the package, they are to be used for the inner piece, there are actually extra bolts in the car that were not used with the original trim. It does take a bit of brute force to get the outer running board to fit before putting on the nuts. Including time to fill up the wine and doing it at a slow pace, the whole thing took about 1.5 hours, much easier than I thought. As long as you step on it to get out of the car, it has less chance of getting dirt on your pants than the stock trim.

It makes the car looks somewhat better, it also helps keep the door ding down. Lord knows how many dings the step bar on my ML prevented, I actually witnessed someone intentionally tried to ding my ML last week only to find out that their door hit hard on the step bar.

 

Glad it went good for you CB...

 

I just did this too. Wife wanted them for herself and our small kids. They're actually pretty functional. It's much easier to wash the roof of the vehicle now. Like the others said, very easy installation and a well built accessory from Mercedes.

-Nick

 

Thank you for your great information. I just order one will try install see what happen !

 

Please forgive a newbie question, but what GODD customer discount? I'm getting ready to order the running boards for my GLK and will take any break I can get!

 

Uhh, I think he just misspelled good...

 

Got mine from Mercedes Benz Medford, OR (they've got them listed on ebay). Was around $475 shipped.

-Nick

 

Do we tuck the inner corners of the fender protector/sill out side the corners of the running board or on the inside after installation?

 

Spooner below was right. It was GOOD customer discount that my dealership offerred during the first few months after buying a new GLK from them. However, you may want to just try it with your dealership since a lot of them has similar discounts for their customers.

 

Im thinking of doing this mod as well. My wife is 5'-0" tall....but the GLK is somewhat low already...so Im not sure if the running boards will help her at all.

I do know that it should prevent most samller vehicles from denting the side doors since the running boards stick out past the door panels.