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Westin Steps Bars And Body Creeks

C

cpaavalanche

GUEST
Hi ya'll

Last Sat my brother-in-law was kind enough to install Westin Step Bars on our 1500 Z-66. Sunday went to the Ca State Fair and no problems. Monday, wife took kids to school and every time the truck experienced any kind of moderate body roll or torque, squeeks can be heard inside the cab like crazy.

I looked at the installation instructions, and it appeared to be installed correctly.

I took it to the shop were we had purchased them, and they said the installation was done correctly. The shop guys said if it does not stop spray silicon on the rubber gromments (spelling?).

Any thoughts on what I should do. I do not want to remove the steps. But on the other hand, having my new AV sound like a 65 chevy with bad suspension parts is another story. >:D

Love the website, I have been reading alot of the posts and gained lots of great info on my truck. ;D

 
Are these mounted using the bolts that go from the frame to the body? Sorry I don't know the correct names for these things. They have rubber spacers or bushings between the frame nad the body of the truck, right? I would check the torque on those bolts.

-Mark
 
In order to install the bars you remove the bolts that are in rubber bushings, (3 bushings in each side of the truck) you install 3 large washers between the bushing and the step bar and reinstall a longer bolt (provided by Westin) and torque to 65 ft pounds.

In a nut shell, the steps bars are attached to the 3 rubber bushings.

Apparently, that was what was done according to the instructions.

 
I don't have the westin steps, but I do have steps that are similar. I am also getting the creeking noise, but it's only on one side of the truck. I've isolated it to the area where the step bar attaches to the truck toward the rear of the driver's side. I took the truck to a friend of mine that runs a repair shop. He made an adjustment to that step and I thought he had solved the problem. But the very next day it was making noise again. The funny thing is that it only happens on the one side of the truck. I am taking the truck back to the place that installed the steps tomorrow morning for an adjustment. I'll try to find out what the guy does to make the creeking noise stop. You're right....it is a really annoying sound.
 
The step bars that mount by the body bushings are well known for squeeking and rattling
You can take it apart, grease it, put it together and eventually it will come back
Thats why I went with the Manik bars
they mount to the factory mounting points along the rocker panel
also fit closer to the body than most
 
Capecruis8der said:
The step bars that mount by the body bushings are well known for squeeking and rattling
You can take it apart, grease it, put it together and eventually it will come back
Thats why I went with the Manik bars
they mount to the factory mounting points along the rocker panel
also fit closer to the body than most
Click to expand...

Ouch :7: Well if it comes to that I guess I will have to look into another brand of bars.

The dealer that sold me the truck just call and wanted to know if I have been experiencing any trouble with my truck. I told her about the bars, the differential whine at 45MPH and some misplaced molding. She said bring it in and they would look at the bars.

This dealership is real good at the customer relations, but their service department is not that customer focused. Well see ;D
 
Good luck. If they don't help then I had an idea. Now please don't bash me too hard, I'm not a mechanic or anything ;)

I was thinking that maybe it is the metal washer against the other metal pieces? Maybe you could a rubber washer (with the metal one) ? Probably not a good idea but it's all I have :rolleyes:

Hoepfully the dealer can fix it for you.

-Mark
 
nh_Mark

I used to a fairly good mechanic, but new vehicles are now way out of my league. ;D

Rubber bushing might work. I will ask the dealer when I take it in.

Thanks,

cpaavalance.
 
I have the Westin step bars on my AV and they have not even made so much as a peep.

 
flynhigh said:
I have the Westin step bars on my AV and they have not even made so much as a peep.
Click to expand...

My brother-in-law who installed the bars on my truck also installed the same exact bars on my father-in-law's Avalanche, and he has no problems whatsoever.

Go figure.
 
Just took my AV back to the place that installed my step bars. The guy crawled underneath, loosened some things up, made an adjustment, then tightened things down again. So far so good. Like I said in my earlier post, the creeking noise was only on the back end of the driver's side step bar. Hopefully he corrected the problem for good. I will post again if the creeks come back.
 
My Westins are completely silent.
 
I installed my Westins last weekend and never heard a sound.

Ask the wife to listen just to be sure (she is more sensitive to this kind of thing) and no problems reported!

Glad to say!!!

BlackJack
 
I installed the Westin steps on my AV 15,000 miles ago and nary a peep!! Check that torque.
 
Thanks for everybody's feedback ;D

The creeks and groans are now unbearable. They only appear at low vehicle speeds, and I swear I think other drivers can hear them. They are that loud.

I have reinstalled them according to manufacturers specs. E-mailed Westin regarding the problem. (They did not respond), and finally I am just plain tired of the noise.

I am taking them back this week and getting my money back. I will be in the market for another brand, if anybody has any suggestions. Preferably, ones that do not attach to the bushings.

On a lighter note, I took my Av to the dealer for a low speed whine in the rear end. He called and said yep their is a whine, and we can rebuilt your differential, but cannot guarantee that the whine will go away. Wonderful :7: Since the vehicle only has 2,500 miles I will wait it out for awhile.

Again, Thanks for your input :)





 
I also had the famous Westin Nerf Bar body creak (rear drivers side) on my newly self-installalled Signature Series step bars in a black powdercoat . After reading this thread I was a little worried that I wasn't going to be able to resolve the issue and I that I was going to have to return these excellent pieces of stainless steel.

When I went back out to my Av to check the ideas presented here, I found a couple of interesting issues:

1. The torque on the bolts seemed to have loosened after the first drive around town.
2. The drivers side rear plastic body panel was rubbing on the step bar.

I ended up loosening all the bolts on the driver's side and pulling the bars as far away from the body panels as I could. Then I slipped a piece of cardboard between the bars and the body to make sure they was not touching and I retightened the bolts to the proper torque.

I also retorqued the passenger side bolts and checked the driver side bolts a week later and viola...no more creaks, squeaks, or rattles coming from the step bars. I've been golden ever since (3 months or so).

P.S. My Westins shipped with a plastic spacer to go between the mounting bracket and the bar tubing. Westin must have been acting on other squeek and creak commments. Maybe they are listening even if some people don't get responses back from them. :)

P.S.S. Now that it is snowing fairly regularly, I am seriously considering some sort of mudflaps (not the stock ones, I personally don't like the looks of them). Snuds (snow + mud) are accumulating on the tubing which not only makes them slippery but also impedes door swing after the snuds harden! Also, it protects the powder coat from rock chips which will must likely compromise it's rust resistant finish.
 
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