Powerstep Installation

[SilverSurfer15]

I just installed mine today. Cutting those threads that are painted is the worst part. My driver side was terrible, to the point the die is about dead but it worked. (eBay special lol)

The actual install isn’t too bad. The “gotcha” moments:

1) I had to trim the “ear” off the driver side motor cover piece. Just a small section but there’s no way that motor was going on in the correct orentination without cutting the corner off. Passenger side was fine. Unsure if I did something wrong but I don’t think so. Same part numbers on the motors so ???

2) wiring is mostly easy. Getting the wires through the dash..... the gromet is to the right of the steering colum, not below (from the engine bay). Which was consuming to me at first. Pro tip, start from the inside. Punch a hole with a razor, stick your finger through it and create some actual work space. Then go back up to the engine bay, tie the wire ends back and together and cram in through said hole.

3) I felt the same way about the dash piece on left. So I didn’t take it off. You don’t have to. Now if you have huge hands or arms it might suck. But I did it, just have to get in the right position. For me that was laying with my head towards the foot rest (far left inside) and reaching up with my left hand in there basically directly under it to get like 50% in, then went back to laying 90 degrees different, head toward the center console which is probably how you started. Then reach up with right hand and actually plug it in. Might sound dumb, but when you try it you will see. You might be able to plug it in from the second spot all in one go but I could twist the damn plug in the correct orientation and get it in from there.

4) I could not drill through the pinch weld. I broke one bit, went and bought some new Milwaukee. Couldn’t do it. Got like 50% and the bit was just sliding down vs going in further. I’ve drilled many a holes but that one wasn’t happening. Not sure if I picked a bad spot or what. So I said F that, filled it with RTV silicone. Might paint it? We will see how it dries. That’s all I had and thought it might work ok.

I just mounted them to the frame. It doesn’t work as good as the body mount, but it’s good enough for me. I might see about drilling the holes again later and put some new adhesive on them. Curious if anyone else had a problem drilling the pinch? I figured it would be simple. I even dropped to a smaller one, went up to a bigger one. Couldn’t get anything. Like it was hitting something HARD.

Overall not too bad. Actual amount of time I spent though was probably 7 hours. A lot of that was shrink wrapping and routing the wiring and what not.


This is how I did the lights if anyone cares. I moved the rear one forward, a bit too far I think in hindsight. But I wanted it to be more where you would step out and not closer to the back, but I should have gone back another 2”. And a view from the backseat, getting out, the light output is still pretty good. Just too far forward.

 

[gr8ridn]

I just installed mine today. Cutting those threads that are painted is the worst part. My driver side was terrible, to the point the die is about dead but it worked. (eBay special lol)

The actual install isn’t too bad. The “gotcha” moments:

1) I had to trim the “ear” off the driver side motor cover piece. Just a small section but there’s no way that motor was going on in the correct orentination without cutting the corner off. Passenger side was fine. Unsure if I did something wrong but I don’t think so. Same part numbers on the motors so ???

2) wiring is mostly easy. Getting the wires through the dash..... the gromet is to the right of the steering colum, not below (from the engine bay). Which was consuming to me at first. Pro tip, start from the inside. Punch a hole with a razor, stick your finger through it and create some actual work space. Then go back up to the engine bay, tie the wire ends back and together and cram in through said hole.

3) I felt the same way about the dash piece on left. So I didn’t take it off. You don’t have to. Now if you have huge hands or arms it might suck. But I did it, just have to get in the right position. For me that was laying with my head towards the foot rest (far left inside) and reaching up with my left hand in there basically directly under it to get like 50% in, then went back to laying 90 degrees different, head toward the center console which is probably how you started. Then reach up with right hand and actually plug it in. Might sound dumb, but when you try it you will see. You might be able to plug it in from the second spot all in one go but I could twist the **** plug in the correct orientation and get it in from there.

4) I could not drill through the pinch weld. I broke one bit, went and bought some new Milwaukee. Couldn’t do it. Got like 50% and the bit was just sliding down vs going in further. I’ve drilled many a holes but that one wasn’t happening. Not sure if I picked a bad spot or what. So I said F that, filled it with RTV silicone. Might paint it? We will see how it dries. That’s all I had and thought it might work ok.

I just mounted them to the frame. It doesn’t work as good as the body mount, but it’s good enough for me. I might see about drilling the holes again later and put some new adhesive on them. Curious if anyone else had a problem drilling the pinch? I figured it would be simple. I even dropped to a smaller one, went up to a bigger one. Couldn’t get anything. Like it was hitting something HARD.

Overall not too bad. Actual amount of time I spent though was probably 7 hours. A lot of that was shrink wrapping and routing the wiring and what not.


This is how I did the lights if anyone cares. I moved the rear one forward, a bit too far I think in hindsight. But I wanted it to be more where you would step out and not closer to the back, but I should have gone back another 2”. And a view from the backseat, getting out, the light output is still pretty good. Just too far forward.

Excellent report, See my comments below

 

[SilverSurfer15]

Excellent report, See my comments below

I don’t see any comments?

I remember why I didn’t go back further on that light. The rear storage box starts there and blocks most of the frame where you want to place it. That was the rub.

Long story short, I’m a self installer but honestly if you don’t have a couple key tools this could be a mother. Like the die. I had to use a 15/16 socket which is slightly too big, keep pressure on the socket with one hand and turn the die with the ratchet. No room to really use the normal tool, and turning it by hand with any kind of plier would suck.

I would just make sure it’s a good shop, and maybe ask them how they clean the threads. See if they give you a blank stare, if they don’t immediately give you a comfortable answer I would just leave.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

Cleaning up the mount studs with a 8mm X 1.5 die and then treating the mount with an anti corrosion spray so those cleaned up studs don't rust over time is one example not mentioned in the instructions.

I was wondering about this, do you have a specific product you use? I’ve never really used anything like that.

 

[gr8ridn]

I did essentially the same installation over the past three days. I had to do it in steps because of the very cold weather here. Like you I would say I have 7 hours into this installation including trimming the boards for the quad cab. For that I set up my radial arm saw with an aluminum cutting blade with 100 carbide teeth. Going slow it made the clean cuts just like the factory. The blade shows no wear so it will be handy for other projects involving aluminum, brass, or copper.

I used a good quality die to clean the mounting studs. I turned it using a 1" deep socket and a stubby ratchet drive. This operation went well and no threads were damaged. I will spray the exposed threads with protectant after I am sure everything is working as it should.
As for your points, they are right on from my experience.

1. I struggled trying to attach the driver motor on the mounted linkage assembly. After 30 minutes of frustration I decided to undo the assembly including the board and front driver linkage to examine what was the issue. The way the instructions were worded the linkage and board was to be mounted and then the motor attached to the drive linkage. On the bench I decided like you to cut off the ear of the drive cover as it seemed to be interfering with the clearance when installed. This is when I discovered the motor was not seating due to the linkage was under sized for the motor gear shaft. No wonder I was struggling. I measured the motor shaft and link bore and found the cover was under sized by .003 inch. I called AMP customer support to report this issue. Chris asked a few questions and said he would send another driver linkage assembly if I would e-mail him my purchase invoice. He had the replacement delivered to me a day later. This time I decided to try assembling the linkage and motor on the bench and install the complete assembly on the truck. Guess what, it went on smoothly and saved a lot of trouble. So I would say you can assemble the motor and drive on the bench and not have to do the contortions to get it attached and torqued properly.
Now I noticed another problem, at full retraction the linkage was hitting the electric frame frequency generator (that's my name, don't know the actual name). Having contact with the linkage while driving could have negative consequences on the intended function. No way anything should be in contact but this was a light contact. Studying the device it was mounted to a very roust aluminum mount attached to the frame. One bolt was used to attach the device to the mount and it appeared the contact could be eliminated if the device was rotated slightly. This worked like a charm, now no contact with the linkage.

2. Again you are right on the money, there is no grommet under the steering shaft. Things are really tight in that area. I can't get into the positions you did with my 72 year old body. I drilled a 1/8" bit from the inside out. This worked after surveying the best path. I used a welding rod with a hook to follow the drill bit I left in place. Soldering the two wires together allowed the hook to pull the wire through the two seals. Both resealed nicely. I will apply a little silicone to insure a water tight seal. My original question about the side cover never got an answer, but studying the drawings it was determined the cover was held by snap fasteners.
3.
Using a plastic whalebone body tool I made short work of the cover removal with no damage. It was apparent I wasn't getting my big hands to the green socket from the bottom. I discovered the module with the green sockets was clipped to the support bracket making it possible to lift and remove from the bracket giving good access from the side. Everything connected and replaced the side panel.

4. Same experience with the drilling of the pinch weld. I have some decent bits, but they were no match for the pinch weld. I painted the partial hole I started to seal against rust. I ended mounting the lights in the designed location and simply ran the wires down and over the pinch weld. After looking at your solution I like that better. I didn't think the frame mount would illuminate the steps, but your photos show they do. I will remount like you did. Clean and functional.

Hopefully between our two reports these will help future installers. I love the steps and once I get the lighting sorted I will call this completed.

 

[gr8ridn]

I can't remember the name of the product, I will get it posted tomorrow. It is a spray can that is lanolin based. I bought it at Lowes.

 

[gr8ridn]

I remember why I didn’t go back further on that light. The rear storage box starts there and blocks most of the frame where you want to place it. That was the rub.

I don't have that issue, Quad Cab has no floor storage boxes.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

So now I’m curious about that front driver side motor. I’m going to snap some photos of mine and compare.

I always attach the motors to the linkage at the beginning, I’ve done a few of these. So that’s how I could tell the plastic cover ear was hitting the corner of the motor and wouldn’t let it seat. I’ll see if I can get a photo of that on the truck but might be impossible.

As for the pinch weld, that makes me feel better lol. At the end it felt like I was drilling concrete. I don’t know what’s going on there, maybe someone else will share some insight. I need to pick up some paint this week for that I guess.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

Photos.... there’s plenty of clearance around my driver side motor.

Also now in better light, I could easily go back on those rear lights. So I guess I was just tired lol.

 

[gr8ridn]

The clearance issue I mentioned was with the retracted linkage assembly, not the motor. Take a look at the clearance from the rear of the retractacted linkage to see either the very close clearance or actual contact with the drum shape of the ATTM. In my case there was solid contact. Not good for the steps or the function of the active tuned-mass modules (ATMM) . There is a lot of new tech in the design of this trucks frame and suspension This technology has been employed by BMW, Mercedes, and Audi in their top models for some time. I believe our RAMs are the first in the light truck segment to employ this design. The frame must be very strong and rigid for this to work. The primary function of the ATTM is to cancel vibrations of the Hemi when in 4 cylinder mode by creating vibrations 180 degrees out of phase. Technically this is called "destructive interference."






















The product I will be using for corrosion protection on the exposed mounting stud is Fluid Film. I have used this in the past with good results. It smells bad for a while but that goes away. You probably want to mask the linkage assembly to prevent over spray. I can't see a benefit to the actual AMP steps, they seem to be well protected.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Fluid-film--Hardware-lubricants-Hardware/4294607587?refinement=4294522088

 

[BigHorn-SV]

For factory build with them, no doubt. I've submitted the question via email for Mopar bolt-on by dealer. Let's see if I get a response. If so, that's a big discrimator.

geotex1: Did you hear back?

Two days ago I asked RAM Chat about installing AMP 's and they said the following: "FCA manufactures the vehicle and will only cover manufacture defects to components added when built. It can affect your warranty if it affects a component ... Anything not equipped when manufacture and is an aftermarket product, could cause your warranty to fail. You would need to speak to the Dealership, service Department the Technicians for further assistance."

A week ago I asked my Dealer Service Adviser who said AMP's no problem if properly installed. My concern with AMP's is even though they are plug and play with no wire cutting, if something happens with my RAM's electronics, could FCA refuse any repair since AMP's are plugged into fuse block and OBD-II port? Seems like a gray area and easy-out for FCA or Dealer if they choose to point to Factory Warranty to avoid some costly repair, if one should occur to my RAM.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

I just looked under the truck in the parking lot, yep it is for sure hitting that little box. Thanks for telling me about that! Now I gotta figure out how to fix that. I’ll reread what you said and atempt that when I get home.

 

[gr8ridn]

I just looked under the truck in the parking lot, yep it is for sure hitting that little box. Thanks for telling me about that! Now I gotta figure out how to fix that. I’ll reread what you said and atempt that when I get home.

In my case I loosened the attachment bolt on the ATTM and rotated it down a couple of degrees. That's all it took, I didn't want to stray too far off the original setting. The angle might have something to do with the tuning of the vibration cancellation.

 

[Lablvr2]

So now I’m curious about that front driver side motor. I’m going to snap some photos of mine and compare.

I always attach the motors to the linkage at the beginning, I’ve done a few of these. So that’s how I could tell the plastic cover ear was hitting the corner of the motor and wouldn’t let it seat. I’ll see if I can get a photo of that on the truck but might be impossible.

As for the pinch weld, that makes me feel better lol. At the end it felt like I was drilling concrete. I don’t know what’s going on there, maybe someone else will share some insight. I need to pick up some paint this week for that I guess.

I installed Amp steps on both my 2015 Laramie and my 2017 and I found the best way to drill the pinch weld was using a uni-bit directly in the middle of the pinch and not where there were spot weld marks. Went right in with ease. I used the hardwire kit because I didn't want anything plugged into my OBD connector and I was going for the clean oem look. My 2019 Limited came with oem power steps and they just don't compare to the Amp steps. Much slower and don't seem to hide as well under the truck like my Amp's did. Only thing I do like is you can contol the retract or deploy via my 12 in U-connect screen. Anyway ..good post..pics and info..

 

[Joeyp]

IMO Amp power running boards seem to deploy faster than any of the factory ones. Also, Amp comes with under cab LED lighting that activates with the boards and shines down on them. I've had them on my 3 previous RAMs as well as my 2019, solid product.

Did you purchase the switch so that you can leave them deployed?

 

[SilverSurfer15]

Did you purchase the switch so that you can leave them deployed?

I did. But it’s back ordered nationally. I’ve heard 1-6 weeks from multiple sources. Amp say 1-2 weeks. Thus I didn’t get it.

Make sure you order 79106, just the switch. You don’t need 79105 with the controller.

Autoanything sells it for 42.

 

[Joeyp]

I did. But it’s back ordered nationally. I’ve heard 1-6 weeks from multiple sources. Amp say 1-2 weeks. Thus I didn’t get it.

Make sure you order 79106, just the switch. You don’t need 79105 with the controller.

Autoanything sells it for 42.

Thanks...I wonder why its only allows them to be deployed for a half hour? I wonder if there's a way to override?

 

[gr8ridn]

I'm waiting on the override switch as well. Too bad because the installation would have been easier at the time the steps were installed. On the bright side I will have time to see if the switch is really needed.

I was thinking of making my own switch setup. With the instructions downloaded it is a rather simple setup. My hang up was the size of the pins that will fit the supplied 8 pin plug. It appears to be a molex mini fit 8 pin plug. Anyone can confirm? If I can source the pins the switch and wire is no problem.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

I thought about that too, but I want the switch that says amp on it or I will be unhappy.

I really only wanted it to try and prevent door dings. Figured I could set them down manually while I’m in a store or soemthing. I used to do that manually on both sides and it was a pain.

As for staying down, they will stay down longer than 30 mins, they will just reset on the next door cycle. That’s my understand anyways. So if you set them down and go away for 6 hours they should still be down. They will just go back to auto mode when you cycle the door. At least that’s how I understood it.

 

[Joeyp]

I thought about that too, but I want the switch that says amp on it or I will be unhappy.

I really only wanted it to try and prevent door dings. Figured I could set them down manually while I’m in a store or soemthing. I used to do that manually on both sides and it was a pain.

As for staying down, they will stay down longer than 30 mins, they will just reset on the next door cycle. That’s my understand anyways. So if you set them down and go away for 6 hours they should still be down. They will just go back to auto mode when you cycle the door. At least that’s how I understood it.