Install of Front Runner D3/D4 Ladder

[Naps]

Last weekend's COVID project... installing the Front Runner Ladder to the D4.
The ladder is well made and comes with good instructions, but I did make some slight modification to the rubber seal that FR supply as it made it virtually impossible to bolt home the bottom mounting plate of the ladder. Happy with the result, a sturdy solid fit and a ladder that is pretty easy to climb. Some pics to show you what I ended up doing:

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Removing the rear number plate light and camera housing is pretty easy ready for the fitting of the rubber seal that FR provide to seal and buffer the bottom metal base of the ladder that goes behind the light/camera housing. No hole drilling required, the FR ladder uses the existing mounting bolts to hold the base of the ladder firmly in place.

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The rubber seal was about 4mm thick and really caused some grief in reattaching the rear housing with the ladder plate... as the extra thickness of the rubber seal strip made it crazy difficult to relocate the bolt threads through the holes in order to get the nut threads to align. Despite lots of clamps, pushing and attempts to reattach the nuts... the answer was to shave down a couple of mill with the Dremel. Otherwise it would have been a trip to Clark Rubber for a thinner strip.

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With the thinned down rubber seal and padded out clamps it is then possible to get a socket onto the mounting nuts and screw them home.

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The top bracket attached with the tailgate door hinge bolt hods firm the top mount of the ladder.

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All up, happy with the result and a neat sealed finish.

The ProSpeed ladder from the UK was my first choice as I liked the lower step that they provide, but the crazy high cost to import from the UK, and some feedback from others on the forum made Front Runner, the Front Runner for install [bigsmile1]

Cheers
Naps

[DiscoJeffster]

I did find the seal tight but somehow managed to get it done up and squished up

[Naps]

I did find the seal tight but somehow managed to get it done up and squished up

Hi Jeff, I just simply could not clamp it down enough to get even close enough to thread the nuts... didn't want to risk over clamping and breaking something or cross threading. It all came together really well once I had shaved the seal down a bit.

Cheers
Naps

[Eric SDV6SE]

That looks great, and no interference with the rhino rack? I've been meaning to get the FR ladder for mine, but I thought it would hit the rack as the tailgate door swings up.

[DiscoJeffster]

That looks great, and no interference with the rhino rack? I've been meaning to get the FR ladder for mine, but I thought it would hit the rack as the tailgate door swings up.

No, doesn’t touch.

[Tombie]

That looks great, and no interference with the rhino rack? I've been meaning to get the FR ladder for mine, but I thought it would hit the rack as the tailgate door swings up.

Depends how far back you’ve put the rack.

[iannicki]

I recently bought the Front Runner LR3/LR4 ladder (LALD004). I tried to install it today but I can see no way that the holes on the bottom plate will line up with the light cluster holes. I have sent an enquiry to Front Runner. I will post the reply in case someone else in the future has a similar issue. My bet is the top plate, and possibly base plate, has been welded at the wrong angle.
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[Naps]

I recently bought the Front Runner LR3/LR4 ladder (LALD004). I tried to install it today but I can see no way that the holes on the bottom plate will line up with the light cluster holes. I have sent an enquiry to Front Runner. I will post the reply in case someone else in the future has a similar issue. My bet is the top plate, and possibly base plate, has been welded at the wrong angle.
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Hi Ian,
I think that I also had to wrestle with getting the holes to line up...but not to the extent in you picture. You may be right about the weld alignment. Let us know how you go....hope you get it sorted as they are a good ladder.
cheers
Naps

[Tombie]

Hi Ian,
I think that I also had to wrestle with getting the holes to line up...but not to the extent in you picture. You may be right about the weld alignment. Let us know how you go....hope you get it sorted as they are a good ladder.
cheers
Naps

Define good?

If it doesn’t line up without being forced or coerced I’d say it’s a pretty crap product.

Regardless of finish quality, it not on spec - it’s poor.

[loanrangie]

Standing on the rear step or even wheel works for me, don't see the need for a rear mounted rust magnet.

[iannicki]

Hi Ian,
Let us know how you go....

In active correspondence with Front Runner. Patience is a virtue. If the military has taught me nothing else, I know how to hurry up and wait.


Define good?

If it doesn’t line up without being forced or coerced I’d say it’s a pretty crap product.

Regardless of finish quality, it not on spec - it’s poor.

Current ladder is certainly no good. The general concept I like. The roof rack, axe holder, shovel holder and spare wheel mount are all good, so I will forgive them one misstep if the issue is handled well.


Standing on the rear step or even wheel works for me, don't see the need for a rear mounted rust magnet.

The finish looks unlikely to rust unless chipped. As well as making my life easier when I do not want to just reach around the rack but get up, it will allow my vertically challenged wife to use the roof rack as a photography platform.

[Tombie]

Agree. Unfortunately you aren’t the first to find them way out of alignment.

As I commented the finish is top notch. The QC is sub par.

[iannicki]

Agree. Unfortunately you aren’t the first to find them way out of alignment.

As I commented the finish is top notch. The QC is sub par.

Thanks for that. Good to know. You would think it would either be automated or welded in a jig. Here's hoping the 2nd one doesn't have the holes too low!

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Three statisticians (or Germans) are hunting when they see a rabbit.

https://www.redditstatic.com/desktop2x/img/renderTimingPixel.png

The first one shoots and misses him on the left.
The second shoots and misses him on the right.
The third one shouts, "We've hit it!"

[iannicki]

Done. (well, mostly - I need to buy two plastic fasteners for the interior trim that I broke when trying to reassemble)

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Front Runner sent a second ladder. It was still a bit of work to line up the holes, but you can see the difference between the 1st and 2nd ladders.

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For what it is worth for someone in the future, to line up the holes I inserted a small screwdriver into the bottom right hole and levered the bracket down and then pushed the light assembly over the top with the screwdriver temporarily going into the torx screw hole while I did up the other fasteners.