rdang

I'm sure some of you are getting sick of people posting pictures of their 4Runners with their running boards off, I personally can't get enough of it.

Here it is with the boards still on:


With it off:






Question is, for those that did remove their running boards, what did you guys do with this hole? I see a lot mud getting stuck in here and rusting everything out.

tiresrus

Looks like you could put a dab of silicone in there

rdang

It's a pretty big hole, I don't think a glob would even fill it.

dirtoyboy

if u arent putting the running boards back on dont worry about it.

If you are putting them back on just put the original bolts back in

rdang

I have rock sliders I need to put on, is everyone referring to the same hole?

dirtoyboy

aye sorry, i thought u meant the stock bolt holes...

dunno, maybe a piece of plastic cut to fit and siliconed in place

hross14

take those Flares off to and put on sliders--no more hole and added wheeling protection

trd_4runnin11

behind the flares and cladding is many more holes, so I wouldn't really suggest that option. I honestly don't see that hole causing any problems so I wouldn't even worry about it, but thats just me.

ornery

mudflaps?

MadCityRich

Could filling it cause water/salt/dirt to build up behind it and cause rusting? I'm just thinking out loud.

MadCityRich

seanz0rz

mine were full of rotting leaves when i took the running boards off, now they are clean, i dont think the would cake up with mud since the drain down.

hross14

Nope, just steel and paint--Take that off and there is nothing else there except pinch welds and maybe some holes from the flares.

trd_4runnin11

Well, the fender flares are connected to the cladding, and there are holes in the body panels behind the flares and cladding. So unless he wants to have a bunch of holes going around his fenders and above his rocker panels, then I'd leave the flares on.

I looked into this as well because when I got my limited I didn't really like the limited flares. I figured .."No problem, I'll just take em off." Only to find out that it is not really that easy.

rdang

Yeah, I would leave the flares on - I like the way they look, especially what it will look like once I get my new 33x12.5 swamper SSR's on there.

Whitey13

You are saying there are no holes from taking off the flares, just steel and paint, and then you say maybe there are just some holes...FROM THE FLARES??

I'm sure the OP has no interest in taking off his flares anyways. It appears that your truck has a slight lift....I am assuming from the 17" wheels. Are you running 265/70/17 tires?

rdang

Yeah, they are 265/70/17 BFG Rugged Trail T/A's, hoping to get rid of them when I get my new rims and tires. Lift will hopefully be going on this weekend (Sonoran Steel 1.1).

Whitey13

Are you going to stick with a 17" wheel?

rdang

Nah, would have been way to expensive for the wheels - I would like to keep my OEM 17's, but they are just not recommended for 12.5 wide tire (or so I've heard).

notanymore

well, you could buy like 3 tubes of silicone and fill it
im not quite sure but couldnt you hammer it flat then silicone it then?

Godzilla

I had the same thing, and to help the issue I just put on some front mudflaps from a first gen 4runner using the existing screw holes for the flares on the inside of the wheel well