Hey everyone, new guy here, but have been lurking for a while. I've searched the board and have read <96 Runner's> write up on painting the chrome trim around the fenders, but I haven't seen anything that addresses my particular question.

I apologize for not having a picture of it, but I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. I was interested in removing the running boards on my white '97 SR-5, but it has chrome piping around the fenders and the running boards are molded up into the fenders, front and rear.

If I remove the boards, I'll also have to remove the plastic molding that blends the boards to the fenders and the chrome trim. As a result, the chrome trim will not cover the entire fender and would look silly, or so I think.

Since my truck is white, I don't think the painting option would work for me, and I like the look of the chrome trim, and I'm sure that removing the chrome trim would reveal 7+ years of grime on the fender that may not come clean.

Does anyone have any ideas, or suggestions on this? I can get some pics if necessary. Thanks a lot, I look forward to many more posts.

 

A lot of people have taken off their running boards. The chrome strip stops about 4-5 inches from the bottom of the fender. I too had 7 years of grime, and it came off without any issues. I say go for it, take em off. You'll only know how it looks once it's off.

 

remove them and buy mudflaps (they might even cover some of the grime if it doesn't come off)

 

A 4Runner without any running boards or fender trim looks like a base model Hyundai. The lines are lost.

 

I removed my boards and cheapo chome trim and it didn't look bad with beefy tires but I'm bored with it and will be finally installing my painted Bushwackers this Sunday so it'll look the way it's suppossed to.

 

I removed my running boards and still have the chrome trim. I like how it looks. Definately way better than with the running boards on. The grime under the running board molding cleaned right up. Here's a pic.

 

Thanks 00Runner. Did your running boards have that same plastic molding that rose up on the front and rear of the boards? It looks like maybe it did on the front, but perhaps not the rear, since the trim on your rear fender covers almost the entire fender.

I believe on my '97, the chrome trim on the rear fender does not cover that much of the fender because the plastic molding piece is quite large, (identical to the front piece). Hard to explain, I should just post a pic.

 

servo,

The molding on the running boards did cover the trim. It just covered more trim in the rear than it did in the front.

 

I have just the chrome trim left on my white 97 - took off the running boards within a week of buying the truck...

Here's a few pics that I could find quickly...

http://home.earthlink.net/~stavolaim...s/IMG_4583.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~jstavola/crystal/26.jpg
http://home.earthlink.net/~jstavola/crystal/38.jpg

John

 

I removed the same chrome/black running boards off of my 2000. I installed rock sliders. As you see in previous pictures, the trim on the back fender comes down far enough to look fine, but the front looks funny as it is pretty short (plus you lose the mudflap effect of the old plastic pieces on the old running boards. I ordered a set of the factory front mudflaps which are molded to align perfectly with the existing short trim. There was plenty of clearance for the sliders and gave me some much needed splash/grime protection to the side.

You can get the mudflaps from TOR on the boards.

 

I wonder if there was a difference in some of the chrome trim between model years, or even within model years.

I looked at the pics Mojo_Risin posted and it looks like his rear fender chrome trim covers almost the entire fender, just like 00Runner's. I took a peek at mine last night and the rear chrome trim covers as much of the rear fender as the front trim covers the front fender, which is to say about 2/3rds to 3/4ths of it. I also noticed that the rear passenger molding looks like it has rubbed off some paint, so that would be another reason not to remove the boards.

I don't know if I'll remove the boards or not, but thanks to everyone who replied and posted pics. I don't wheel that often, although I did last weekend and I did cause really minor damage to one of the rear plastic moldings as well as bent some metal piece on the underside of one of the running boards.

 

The choice was made for me. I was doing some very "mild" off road driving in some snow banks and I quickly found out how low and bendable the running boards were!

 

Ha ha, there ya go! Maybe I should have been less careful out there, bent them up good and then be "forced" to remove them. Then my wife wouldn't be able to complain about the possibility of removing them, she'd probably want them gone if they looked bad.

 

Ha, ha. If you stick around here, it won't be long before those kinds of thoughts become the norm.