Ram 1500 Rivnut and side step installation

In this video we look at installing factory side steps onto our Ram 1500 Classic truck. These bodies are the same from about 2009 to 2018/19ish, then they are called the classic after the latest restyle. We take a deep dive into the installation of the rivnuts /nutserts needed to mount the rails with the provided install tool included with the kit.
The hardware I’m told is no longer sold separately by the dealer if you give them the newer model years. They will tell you that they are only included if you by the steps as a package however the kit for the older years works just fine. The kit I used was Mopar part number 68193128AB.
I took your feedback from the last video and tried to do better on the sound quality. With that I filmed in the wrong aspect ratio so I had to edit it the best I could. A good lesson for the next video.

[@rmgibbs1861]

Thank you very much! Mine 2014 1500 came with the hardware kit. Very helpful video!

[@MoparHollics]

Thanks for the video very well explained I'm looking into buying myself some OEM steps second handed in great condition 👍

[@chrisbleeker2415]

well done, Thank you. I'm installing mine today, always nice to get an idea before!

[@wethepeople7629]

Best video of how to install Side Steps 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@ericrose1744]

Thank you, I’m glad it helped!

[@user-ym1du1kq1q]

outstanding video. everything you need to know. great camera work as well. thanks so much buddy

[@ericrose1744]

Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@user-ym1du1kq1q]

@@ericrose1744 great job. really helped me alot. thanks

[@denalidude]

very well done. thanks so much... been dreading putting mine on my mega cab. P.s. Love the Michael Keaton reference. (220-221) whatever it takes.... Totally made me smile... told my wife I need to have coffee with this fella

[@ericrose1744]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful. I’m down for some coffee if you bring the baby some chili.

[@unclesam7660]

Thank you needed this for my ram ‘17 Ram 2500

[@ericrose1744]

I’m happy you found it useful!

[@SkylarMelo]

My 2011 didn't have any of the rivnuts pre-installed, and my hardware kit from Dodge didn't include the rivnut tightener lol. Long story short, screwed up a bunch of the rivnuts and gave up on installing the step bars. Sold them off there after. If only this video existed last year 😂 but now that it does, I'll be reattempting it with a fresh set of step bars soon! Cheers

[@ericrose1744]

Man sorry about that. I’ve had one of these every other year for work since 2014 and this is the first one that had the nuts preinstalled on the front. Hope this helps when you get a new set.

[@SkylarMelo]

Just picked an identical set to yours in the video. Now my new problem is no pre-drilled pinch weld holes 😂. That's easily solved I guess, still need to acquire the rivnut tool and missing rivnuts (hoping to use my screwed up one still, as the pinch weld bolts should help hold them.

[@markshoemaker65]

Great video thanks👍

[@user-eo4nl8eg5e]

Thanks a lot for this video 👍

[@XxnosmanXx]

Didn’t know about this hardware kit you can purchase from the dealership. That makes life a lot easier with the proper hardware made for our trucks. Thanks for posting this installation video.

[@ericrose1744]

No problem! I’m glad I could help!

[@derElektriker90]

@XxnosmanXx My thoughts exactly. You took the words right out of my mouth. Thank you! @ericrose1744

[@srs4310]

Good video,thks. I bought the hardware kit.

[@saints9532]

On the rear passenger side the nuts and metal in between the nuts peeled off! Now it's rattling like crazy

[@johnnemeth2252]

Thank You!

[@srs4310]

Do u think the two brackets per running board is good enough???? I bought a nice set of take offs and I've seen some have 3 brackets per running board.

[@ericrose1744]

This set was also a set of factory take offs and it was only installed with two brackets. Two should be fine but three wouldn’t hurt. I ran them for several months without an issue.

[@NickXinyiYao]

Do you know the size of those rivet nuts? I bought M8 as suggested by the seller but they seem to be too small for the hole on the truck. Thank you!

[@ericrose1744]

They are M8-1.25 thread pitch. Overall height measure 20mm, the hex is a 13mm wrench size, head diameter is ~21.5mm.

[@NickXinyiYao]

@@ericrose1744 Thank you for the details! Very helpful.

[@gerardosantana3548]

Can you post the addrres to get the kit same on video comes with. The specet too?

[@ericrose1744]

www.amazon.com/Genuine-Chrysler-68193128AB-Mounting-Hardware/dp/B00TNEEBA4/ref=asc_df_B00TNEEBA4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=647229172985&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16251321279304742750&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1021222&hvtargid=pla-1949301003725&psc=1&mcid=6f39387c1f213d82a9be2e6b83aa7cdb

[@mkuhlman77]

😆 I bought a set of boards and bought a tool to install but the tool doesn't have a 90 degree bend so they've been sitting in my barn for a year. I feel like an idiot seeing that I have the proper tools this whole time.

[@ericrose1744]

Don’t beat yourself up bud. Now that you know get out there and get that project done 🤜🏻🤛🏻

[@AMERICANMODIFIED]

Hi, I like your content. Do you accept sponsored product?

[@ericrose1744]

Glad you liked the video! I usually post little projects that I can’t find other resources for, like my Bronco II, in hopes it would help someone out. I don’t know much about sponsored products.

[@AMERICANMODIFIED]

@@ericrose1744 hello, do you have Instagram account or an email address?

[@AMERICANMODIFIED]

Maybe we can further our conversation there.

[@AMERICANMODIFIED]

Do you have an email address or Instagram account?

[@AMERICANMODIFIED]

Hi, please tell me your email so that we can discuss sponsorship in detail.

[@alanosborne1947]

If you can remove the support brackets from the rail and just install the brackets wouldn't it be easier to do it that way instead of doing the "belly balance" method? I have an 07 Mega Cab and you can remove the rail from the brackets just sayin! Work smarter not harder....😉😉

[@ericrose1744]

I suppose if you had a new kit that would be easy. In this case they were take offs from a newer truck. I didn’t want to separate all the pieces and align them all. With my luck it would have made this project twice as long for me.

[@derElektriker90]

@alanosborne1947 That’s what I did but only to pressure wash all the parts. I plan to reassemble it all the way you described but was thinking I would have to do some welding until I came across this video.

[@gerardosantana3548]

Sorry spacer

[@FM-kc9py]

I'm having an issue with the 2 front ones that were already on the truck... can't get the bolts in been using WD40 to try and clean it up any othet remediation

[@ericrose1744]

Tough to say without knowing exactly what’s going on. There may be an alignment problem on the holes, threads on the bolts or nuts may be gunked up. If they thread in but not past a certain point maybe chase the threads with a tap to clean that out.

[@FM-kc9py]

What size tap

[@ericrose1744]

It’s been a minute since the install but I believe they are M8-1.25 which is a very common metric coarse thread. If you want to be sure take one of the bolts to the hardware store and you can measure the thread pitch with one of their tools and pick up a tap while you’re there. If you leave all the brackets assembled but finger tight it may help with alignment. My guess would be if there was nothing there before you got your truck the threads are just trashed with road grime and corrosion. Chasing with the tap will help as long as the nutserts were installed straight from the factory.

[@FM-kc9py]

Perfect thank you. Ya its pretty much road grime and corrosion so been try to clean it out