Amp Power Steps on a K5 solved.

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Rhett Croley

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Augusta, GA
First Name
Rhett
Truck Year
1990
Truck Model
K5
Engine Size
496
First let me explain: My wife has always been down to ride, for 26 years, but we're both turning 50 this year and starting to look a little silly jumping up into this old Blazer w 7" of lift on 36" tires. She's been on me for years about a step but I like my clean look as-is. I told her retractable steps would be the only way I'd do it so she said she'd buy them if I could make it work. I'm putting this out because I started thinking about this years ago and to this day I can still not find any documentation of anyone doing this. All I could find was a sweet little 9 second youtube video of a power step inserting and retracting on a K5 and that's it. The guy won't reply to any of the questions so all I knew is that it was possible.

After much research I settled on a set of power steps for a 2014 F250. Then I settled on a bracket size. Obviously you'll have to mount to the underside of the cab floor to make these things disappear so I came up with an 8"x28" and a 4"x28" -1/4" plate steel bracket with 5 gussets(In hindsight I wish I'd gone with 4.25"x28" because I could have used the extra 1/4" but I made it work). One problem is that the floor surface is uneven. This size 8x28 piece will lay flat all except for a portion of it toward the rear of the truck but I have a fix for that also. I used the two outside seat bolts for 2 of my eight(8) 3/8" fasteners/bolts. Both of the factory nuts on the underside will need to be cut off. A cut wheel did the trick. I've attached a pic of my hole layout on the mounting plate. Pay attention to how the two pieces are oriented and the notches in the edge of the 88x28 as well as the two v-shaped notches. I trimmed @5/8" off the top of the bracket and you'll need that notch or lose 1/4" of depth. I also "clocked" the motors clockwise 2 hole positions from the original locations. To do this you'll have to grind off the alignment dowel(you'll see once you open it up). I also had to cut out a square hole for the motor assembly to fit. If you use a 4.25" x28" piece instead of a 4" then you won't have to cut as much step bracket or square hole like I did.

When you put it up under the truck you'll see that the rear inside corner of the 8x24 will not touch the floor because the floor is offset up, uneven. What I do not have a picture of is the 4"x4" 3/8" plate piece I tacked on the floor side of said corner to make it right.

You will have to notch the cab frame but I don't think I've compromised anything from the looks and feel.

What I do know is that its totally unseen and works great, very solid. It may even be the end of ripping the crotch out of my old blue jeans getting into this thing.


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SquareRoot

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I see you like to post stupid comments based on your posts. Crying out for attention, lonely, wtf

I was being serious. They look really nice.....and robust. Good job. What's the other truck in the background?
 

Rhett Croley

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Location
Augusta, GA
First Name
Rhett
Truck Year
1990
Truck Model
K5
Engine Size
496
I was being serious. They look really nice.....and robust. Good job. What's the other truck in the background?

Forgive me. Each side/assembly was @50lbs.

Good eye. '86 K10 short bed in the background in the process of receiving an LT swap from an '05 Escalade 6.0 LQ9 and 4L80 trans, Texas Speed stage 3 cam kit, Holley Terminator X w transmission control and 92mm throttlebody. Estimating 410-420chp
 

SquareRoot

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Its all good. I have been thinking of something similar for my 85 K20. I hate the "loop" type step I have on it now. Why did you choose the 2014 F250 model? I'm just trying to save time and energy figuring it out myself if someone else (like you) have already worked it out.

The K5 and the K10 sure makes a nice pair. My next project, if I ever get around to it, is an LS swapped K5.
 

Curt

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K-30
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Nice work.That came out amazing!Paving the way for others to have that option and a detailed starting point.
 

Rhett Croley

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2020
Posts
20
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Location
Augusta, GA
First Name
Rhett
Truck Year
1990
Truck Model
K5
Engine Size
496
Nice work.That came out amazing!Paving the way for others to have that option and a detailed starting point.


This idea has been kicking around in the back of my head ever since these retractable steps came out but there's nothing on it, just a bunch of blogs that go nowhere. What set it in motion was my wife buying the $1400 steps for Christmas. If I couldn't make them invisible when retracted then they wouldn't stay on it long so I wasn't gonna risk spending the money. You could say she sponsored the experiment. I must say, it came out great.
 

Corvette Ed

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Excellent job. Blazer looks great,I had one identical to it years ago.
 

TheFishBox

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Would your setup clear saddle tanks in a pickup setting?
 

RoryH19

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Forgive me. Each side/assembly was @50lbs.

Good eye. '86 K10 short bed in the background in the process of receiving an LT swap from an '05 Escalade 6.0 LQ9 and 4L80 trans, Texas Speed stage 3 cam kit, Holley Terminator X w transmission control and 92mm throttlebody. Estimating 410-420chp
That's a good idea. I didn't know what steps to go with on my k5 build. I just went static nurf bars that connect to the frame. I couldn't think about putting holes in my floor after all that metal work.
Your k10 swap is similar to my k5. A 2004 Escalade gave its drivetrain.
What are you using for the transfer case?
I went np241c from a 90-91 k5 or suburban. That way it could have the digital output for the computer to shift the trans.
 

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