Low Maintenance Trucks

I have a 2013 F150 and it’s been a good truck but a few things that annoy me. For starters it has a ‘chrome package’ which includes chrome-clad rims. Yeah they look cool when clean and shiny but I’m not a guy that wants to sit there and detail my rims. What material/ color would be low(er) maintenance?

Also the running boards are flat and supposed to be an upgrade over standard, but they are basically hollow on the underside and collect an impressive amount of snow and ice in the winter which then drops on my garage floor and creates extra mess. Thinking either ditch the running boards or get some solid ones. But WTF make them like that in the first place? Any other recommendations on running boards that don’t collect an over abundance of snow and ice?

Any other suggestions for low maintenance approach as I look for my next truck??

I’d go with standard gray coated aluminum wheels and round running boards and add mud flaps (just make sure they are smooth on the tire side)

Should keep most junk from accumulating.

Yeah chrome clad crap has no match to road salt. I’ve got a 2004 f-150 with brushed aluminum rims and factory running boards that look great with little maintenance. Just some food for thought when you purchase your next truck. I’ve always been a ford guy but those new gmc’s have my eye and it’s not because of the new tailgate they have out, i’m not looking for all the new fangeled gadgets like 12 cameras. When i hear chrome clad I steer away.

Go with the power running boards, the don’t collect crap as they are folded out of the way when driving.

The power boards around here in Iowa are a no go… it seems like they freeze up and the motors break… I think they are pretty expensive to replace as well… I know alot of guys who order trucks and they leave the powered boards off of their trucks.

onestout wrote:

Go with the power running boards, the don’t collect crap as they are folded out of the way when driving.

Those are anything but low maintenance. Greasing and cleaning of the mechanism is a very frequent requirement in salt states. Most in salt states last a matter of years before they fail unless maintenance is kept up.

I took my running boards off once they failed and haven’t put anything on since.

Round stainless steel works the best for me. I’m in the field everyday rain or shine. They are about the only place crap doesn’t catch.

I sprayed my running boards with a linex type coating and couldn’t be happier. Hell, I’d linex the whole truck if I could.

ClownColor wrote:

Hell, I’d linex the whole truck if I could.

You can. Just bring the truck along with a truckload of cash to your nearest LineX dealer.

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I’ve never had an issue with the power tube steps and have done nothing with them. I had more issues with the regular tube steps collecting ice on the rear brace and rubbing on the door.

Forget the running boards. They’re just an eyesore anyways. You should easily be able to step into the truck from the ground without them.

I’ve got a 2014 F-150 and the thing that annoys me is the brake dust that accumulates on the front rims in the summer. I really can’t clean it with a regular car wash either. I have to either use a pressure washer manually or use tire shine and scrub it off. Once I clean it, it accumulates back up within a couple weeks again too.

gimruis wrote:

Forget the running boards. They’re just an eyesore anyways. You should easily be able to step into the truck from the ground without them.

I’ve got a 2014 F-150 and the thing that annoys me is the brake dust that accumulates on the front rims in the summer. I really can’t clean it with a regular car wash either. I have to either use a pressure washer manually or use tire shine and scrub it off. Once I clean it, it accumulates back up within a couple weeks again too.

Agree on both counts. I don’t really like the look of running boards, however I have little kids and have gotten somewhat used to them.

The brake dust on my chrome clad rims were awful. You could could clean them weekly by hand and still not keep up. I will say, after I replaced the break pads it is much better (less dust). But I still don’t care for the rims.

Another thing I got nice beefy BFG All Terrians but made this mistake of putting the white lettering out. Always dirty, won’t do that again.

Is the consensus a white truck is easiest to have look clean?

How about black rims?

lindyrig79 wrote:

The brake dust on my chrome clad rims were awful. You could could clean them weekly by hand and still not keep up. I will say, after I replaced the break pads it is much better (less dust). But I still don’t care for the rims.

I could be wrong but I’ve read that aftermarket brake pads are notorious for leaving massive amounts of brake dust on your rims.

I know a few guys that use Plastidip on their rims, that might be a good cheap option

biggill wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>lindyrig79 wrote:</div>
The brake dust on my chrome clad rims were awful. You could could clean them weekly by hand and still not keep up. I will say, after I replaced the break pads it is much better (less dust). But I still don’t care for the rims.

I could be wrong but I’ve read that aftermarket brake pads are notorious for leaving massive amounts of brake dust on your rims.

When replacing brake pads get the high grade. Will not eliminate the dust but it will help.

biggill wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>lindyrig79 wrote:</div>
The brake dust on my chrome clad rims were awful. You could could clean them weekly by hand and still not keep up. I will say, after I replaced the break pads it is much better (less dust). But I still don’t care for the rims.

I could be wrong but I’ve read that aftermarket brake pads are notorious for leaving massive amounts of brake dust on your rims.

Exact opposite in my experience

sji wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>biggill wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>lindyrig79 wrote:</div>
The brake dust on my chrome clad rims were awful. You could could clean them weekly by hand and still not keep up. I will say, after I replaced the break pads it is much better (less dust). But I still don’t care for the rims.

I could be wrong but I’ve read that aftermarket brake pads are notorious for leaving massive amounts of brake dust on your rims.

When replacing brake pads get the high grade. Will not eliminate the dust but it will help.

+1, higher grade pads should help eliminate the dust. I’ve actually had less dust with aftermarkets on each vehicle I’ve owned. Ceramic pads “should” also produce less dust than metallic pads. Metallics usually have more initial bite but we’re not talking sports cars here.

I use a high temp wax on my rims, helps with washing off the brake dust.

Bring back hub caps!

Ram bighorn….painted wheels and stainless steel running boards.

onestout wrote:

Go with the power running boards, the don’t collect crap as they are folded out of the way when driving.

I have the power running boards on my 2012 f150 platinum, and they collect way more then any running boards I’ve ever had on a truck. I just turn them off now in the winter so I don’t have to help the thing up with my foot and window open then shut it off anyway…
then have to Maintnance them almost every other month pb blasting the pins and putting some hot sauce reel oil on them. Then whip clean all the excess oil because sand will get caught in them And bind them up. In winter snow and salt gets caught between the rockers and the step making the rockers rust out faster. Even if you wash it 2-3 times a week.
If you keep them in down position their so big they look like airplane wings…. Don’t get me wrong their nice in the summer. But they’re a pain to deal with. Amp research is the people who make them for Ford and they’re around 1200-1800$ per side. Not worth the price tag in my opinion but they all came with them in that package.

gimruis wrote:

Forget the running boards. They’re just an eyesore anyways. You should easily be able to step into the truck from the ground without them.

I’ve got a 2014 F-150 and the thing that annoys me is the brake dust that accumulates on the front rims in the summer. I really can’t clean it with a regular car wash either. I have to either use a pressure washer manually or use tire shine and scrub it off. Once I clean it, it accumulates back up within a couple weeks again too.

The dust buildup very likely could be from the hub actuators slightly grinding because of the failing IWE system and hub actuators.
Mine usually doesn’t make it more then 7-8 months before they start failing and need replacing. Along with vacuum selenoids.
It’s one of fords major problems on fords of those years.

With out a doubt white pickups are the easiest to keep looking clean. I don’t clean my pickup near as much as I should and my white one was very easy to keep looking decent. Red, and silver are next as somewhat easy to keep looking decent being lackadaisical on the cleaning. Black is the worst, but they say everyone must own a black pickup at one point in their life. I’m currently on a really dark brown because my wife said it will match the fish house/camper. So far I’m not a fan. But hey, it keeps the miles down on it since I don’t drive it. I’ve had it since September and the guys at work still don’t know I bought it.

I suggest good old fashioned steel wheels and unless you wear a skirt, are in your 70’s or are about 3’6″ ditch the running boards your truck looks better without them.

catnip wrote:

I suggest good old fashioned steel wheels and unless you wear a skirt, are in your 70’s or are about 3’6″ ditch the running boards your truck looks better without them.

I got bitched at by a nurse when I pulled up to the front door of the hospital to pick up my wife and first born for not having running boards. Next kid/pickup I had them, buddy of a buddy needed to borrow my pickup for to run to town to get his wife, she said who’s grandpa truck is this.

The interior is most important to me, it’s basically my rolling office so the 12″ screen is in the near future for me.

https://www.ramtrucks.com/bmo.ram_2500.2019.html#/build/interior/56401/CUT201914DJ2M92A/2TM/ESA,DFX,DME,Z2D,TEA,WH3,KD,A69,ASB,ACL,AHU,MDN,LPD,UAX,X9,PAU,2ZM,APA

Running boards a pointless pain in the arse unless your short and I’m only 5’8.

The power boards suck. I have a customer when I sell him a vehicle with them he’ll lower them and unhook the fuse. Tells his customer salt and the elements will cause it to get damaged and not work. If they put the fuse back in and have issues with the boards he’s not fixing it. The more stuff on a vehicle the more there is to break. Don’t get me started there was a jaguar that wouldn’t start last week when I went to read the manual to make sure there wasn’t anything unusual I couldn’t get in the glove box because it’s electric! Yuppies.

I won’t be getting power boards. Thanks for the info. They sound like high-maintenance to me.

I would ditch the boards all together….agree a truck looks better without. But kids and wife, I’ll have to see if they can climb in on their own without. But also I want a slight lift, so probably not then.

One other thing I have a power sunroof that is now leaking. Was kinda fun to have at first, but I won’t get another one.

Me I am totally opposite would not have a truck with out full length solid running boards. Those solid boards protect the bottoms of the doors as most trucks do not really have rocker panels anymore. Mud flaps do not cut it either by them selves with keeping stuff from flying up into the bottom of the doors, if you are running any speed at all it just builds up right behind the mud flap.