Powerstep Installation

[SilverSurfer15]

I ran into an issue on the first step of installing. I removed the harness backet and removed the bracket from the part. I attached the replacement bracket to the part, but for the life of, I don't see a way to orient the cable harnesses and part to fit the hole alignment they want. Was there a trick to moving or placing the harnesses and part to fit or was it. just fiddling until it worked?

I had the same issue. I even had to call them. I recommend unplugging the main harness there from that clip to start. It’s going to make it WAY eaiser. Then just clip it back when you are done.

Here’s how mine looks, assuming I did it correctly. It’s not really the greatest design.

 

[jaychris]

I had the same issue. I even had to call them. I recommend unplugging the main harness there from that clip to start. It’s going to make it WAY eaiser. Then just clip it back when you are done.

Here’s how mine looks, assuming I did it correctly. It’s not really the greatest design.

Worked like a charm, thanks!

 

[jaychris]

I finished installed the AMP Research power steps today on my 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie, along with the manual override switch. I started at 9:30 and finished at 2:30, which included two trips to the parts store for a few things (a step-bit to install the switch, and a M8x1.25 thread die). Overall, I'd guess it took me, working by myself, 4 solid hours of work. Knowing what I know now, I think it could be done in 3 - 3.5 if you had all your tools out and ready to go from the beginning, instead of getting up and down 9000 times to get something I needed under the truck. :-/

I only ran into two real issues - the first was what I posted earlier this morning, trying to move the harness on the drivers side. The fix that was suggested worked great, and is a lot easier than trying to hunt down a position for the wire harness to make it work. The other was installing the override switch - they terminate one end with long pins to fit into the controller block. One of the pins snapped off somehow when I was inserting it - I certainly wasn't putting any pressure on it. Maybe it was weak, I don't know, but there it is. I'll chat with AMP on Monday, but I expect it'll be a minor pain to fix it.

A few tips I found:

1. I fished the wiring through the rubber gasket next to the steering control. I used a wire coat hangar, taped the ends of the wires into a loop, bent the end of the hangar into a hook, and pulled it back through. Easy peasy. MAKE SURE YOU SUPPORT THE GASKET WHEN YOU PULL BACK THROUGH. It doesn't seem like it's in there very tightly, I could imagine ripping it out pretty easily.

2. I mounted the LED's to the frame behind the steps, instead of through the pinch weld, just based on what I saw earlier in this thread. Seems fine to me and less drilling == better IMO.

3. For the step/motor mounts on the passenger/driver side, make sure you screw the nut underneath the gears before you tighten everything down. There's not a lot of room there and if you tighten the others before screwing on the nut, you'll be pulling it back off.

4. When you mount the motor on the passenger side, loosen ALL of the nuts on the step mount until they are nearly off the studs. That was the only way I could get enough clearance to tighten/torque the top screw of the motor to the mount. Then tighten the step mount back up.


That's pretty much it. It's a bit time consuming, but really not a difficult install.

Here's a few pics, including where I decided to mount the override switch. It's out of the way which I like and there was plenty of open space behind the panel there. It's not a removable panel, but I didn't really care that much about that.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

I should mention:

You can attach the motors before to even start, it will make it ALOT eaiser. The passenger side will go right in, the driver side you gotta twist around a little to get it on with the motor but it’s not that hard.

 

[SpeedyV]

I finished installed the AMP Research power steps today on my 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie, along with the manual override switch. I started at 9:30 and finished at 2:30, which included two trips to the parts store for a few things (a step-bit to install the switch, and a M8x1.25 thread die). Overall, I'd guess it took me, working by myself, 4 solid hours of work. Knowing what I know now, I think it could be done in 3 - 3.5 if you had all your tools out and ready to go from the beginning, instead of getting up and down 9000 times to get something I needed under the truck. :-/

I only ran into two real issues - the first was what I posted earlier this morning, trying to move the harness on the drivers side. The fix that was suggested worked great, and is a lot easier than trying to hunt down a position for the wire harness to make it work. The other was installing the override switch - they terminate one end with long pins to fit into the controller block. One of the pins snapped off somehow when I was inserting it - I certainly wasn't putting any pressure on it. Maybe it was weak, I don't know, but there it is. I'll chat with AMP on Monday, but I expect it'll be a minor pain to fix it.

A few tips I found:

1. I fished the wiring through the rubber gasket next to the steering control. I used a wire coat hangar, taped the ends of the wires into a loop, bent the end of the hangar into a hook, and pulled it back through. Easy peasy. MAKE SURE YOU SUPPORT THE GASKET WHEN YOU PULL BACK THROUGH. It doesn't seem like it's in there very tightly, I could imagine ripping it out pretty easily.

2. I mounted the LED's to the frame behind the steps, instead of through the pinch weld, just based on what I saw earlier in this thread. Seems fine to me and less drilling == better IMO.

3. For the step/motor mounts on the passenger/driver side, make sure you screw the nut underneath the gears before you tighten everything down. There's not a lot of room there and if you tighten the others before screwing on the nut, you'll be pulling it back off.

4. When you mount the motor on the passenger side, loosen ALL of the nuts on the step mount until they are nearly off the studs. That was the only way I could get enough clearance to tighten/torque the top screw of the motor to the mount. Then tighten the step mount back up.


That's pretty much it. It's a bit time consuming, but really not a difficult install.

Here's a few pics, including where I decided to mount the override switch. It's out of the way which I like and there was plenty of open space behind the panel there. It's not a removable panel, but I didn't really care that much about that.


View attachment 17680 View attachment 17681 View attachment 17682 View attachment 17683

Thanks for the details. I hadn't noticed this before, but it looks like the Amp steps are a little shorter than the factory version...or maybe just mounted a little aft of the factory power step location.

 

[jaychris]

I should mention:

You can attach the motors before to even start, it will make it ALOT eaiser. The passenger side will go right in, the driver side you gotta twist around a little to get it on with the motor but it’s not that hard.

Yeah, that would have been easier I think. Even would have made the board installation easier as the step mounts kept moving while I was trying to get the t-nuts centered.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

Yep. I learned this on my first install. I’ve done 3 of these now, lessons learned lol.

 

[jaychris]

For people who have done this install, how tight to the truck do your steps sit when retracted? Mine are very even, but there is a pinkie-finger gap between the truck and the step when retracted on both sides. That seems fine to me, but I'm curious if that's nominal or not.

 

[gr8ridn]

That matches my retracted step position. Like you my gap is even. I think you are fine. I have looked at photos of other power step equipped Ram 1500 trucks and they all seem the same as you describe.

 

[User_7672]

I had the same issue. I even had to call them. I recommend unplugging the main harness there from that clip to start. It’s going to make it WAY eaiser. Then just clip it back when you are done.

Here’s how mine looks, assuming I did it correctly. It’s not really the greatest design.

How do I disconnect or unplug this switch?

 

[SilverSurfer15]

How do I disconnect or unplug this switch?

You just pull the wiring harness plug out of the little clip there. So nothing unplugged, and nothing on that box/module itself, if you follow the harness coming out of it there will be a little clip deal holding it in place shortly after that. Pull that thing out so you can get some play in the harness and actually be able to twist and move the module box around. Then just Reclip the harness when you are done.

 

[Deriggs007]

What are the prices you all are paying?

My dealer quoted me $1800 but not sure what brand they are (I assume Mopar) and he said it was "At his cost" - I call BS
Ameraguard truck accessories quoted me $1800-$1900 for the AMP Power running boards. I'm not sure what version they are, but from what I saw online, most of them are $1400 to $1500.

I feel like I can do better, so here I am asking all you experts on what prices you paid and where to take it. I live in a big city, so most of the major chains are here.

 

[User_7672]

Son and I installed a set on his 19 Ram. Went smoothly all in all. I noticed the the drivers front step linkage while retracted was just touching a canister type object that’s mounted onto the frame. Anyone else run into that?

 

[jaychris]

What are the prices you all are paying?

My dealer quoted me $1800 but not sure what brand they are (I assume Mopar) and he said it was "At his cost" - I call BS
Ameraguard truck accessories quoted me $1800-$1900 for the AMP Power running boards. I'm not sure what version they are, but from what I saw online, most of them are $1400 to $1500.

I feel like I can do better, so here I am asking all you experts on what prices you paid and where to take it. I live in a big city, so most of the major chains are here.

I paid $1597, including the pass-through harness, manual override switch, and shipping. Don't recall if there was tax collected since I live in a state that collects taxes on Internet sales.

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

What are the prices you all are paying?

My dealer quoted me $1800 but not sure what brand they are (I assume Mopar) and he said it was "At his cost" - I call BS
Ameraguard truck accessories quoted me $1800-$1900 for the AMP Power running boards. I'm not sure what version they are, but from what I saw online, most of them are $1400 to $1500.

I feel like I can do better, so here I am asking all you experts on what prices you paid and where to take it. I live in a big city, so most of the major chains are here.

Hit up @Shaun.TFO from Tonneau factory outlet. Send him a private message and let him know what you're looking for. I got a great deal on my AMPs. Ordered on Tuesday 3/5/19 received them via Fedex on Thursday 3/7/19 and installed them Saturday took about 4 hours for install. They shipped out of Los Angeles which is about 250 miles away, depending on your location you probably wouldn't get them that fast, but Shaun hooked it up on the price.

 

[Cab2344]

4 wheel parts has them listed with free install on the front page. Price seems the same, just with free installation if there is a store near you

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

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.

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.

Finished my installation on Saturday. Took me about 4 hours. This is what I ran into.

The paint on the studs comes right off with a die grinder and stiff wire wheel attachment. I imagine this took quite a while to chase with a die. Takes about 10 minutes with a wire wheel to do all 12 studs.

1. Drivers side motor shaft did not did not fit into the linkage casting. Used a Dremel tool with a small polishing cylinder to clean up the cavity. I did not have to trim the gear cover, however I have the driver side motor mounted in a different orientation than the instructions. See the pics and description at the end of this post.

2. For the 2 purple wires to pass through the firewall it's easier to go from the inside cut a small slit with a razor through the rubber boot. I used a piece of 16 gauge tie wire about 30 inches long and pushed it though the slit. Grabbed it from inside the engine bay and taped the 2 purple wires to the tie wire. Then from inside the cab grabbed the tie wire and pulled everything through. Put a little RTV around the slit.

3. I didn't need to remove the side cover to plug in the small harness to the green plug. All you need is a flashlight and you can easily plug it in from down below. Connect the purple trigger wires to the obdII pluje while you're under the dash and tidy everything up.

4. The grommets that come with the steps are garbage and too small for the wire and hole they call out. I used a larger grommet. Drilled the pinch weld with a cobalt bit and a dab of cutting oil, cobal bits are mode for drilling stainless steel, they make short work or most mild steels. The key is to avoid the spot welds on the pinch. The HAZ from the spot weld makes the metal a lot harder on those locations.

This is an FYI for anyone that plans on installing some AMP steps. As I mentioned in number one I have the drivers side motor mounted differently. Something is wrong with the installation instructions for these steps. They show the motor orientation in different ways depending on the installation instructions and I believe that's why you guys had to trim you plastic covers. I installed the driver side motor 60 degrees out from the installation instructions. If you look at the pictures you can see the curved portion of the motor in relation to the center of the black cover both marked in red. This is not my first set of amps and one thing I have noticed is that the motors fit best with the curved portion pointing towards the center of the main driven gear. It's a snug fit but there's enough room to mount it this way on the drivers side and it keeps the motor protected. Pictures attached as well as the install instructions that I chopped up to fit on 2 pages showing a discrepancy in motor orientations I noted the differences in red from step 5 versus 14 and 15. My drivers side linkage looks like step 15 from the installation instructions.

 

[gr8ridn]

Billet1500 4X4,

Nice explanation of the installation on your RAM. I did clock my motor as shown in step number 5. I trimmed the one ear of the gear cover to get a correct fit. This seemed to provide a good even contact of the gear case cover. Looking at your photo of the driver side front view I am clocked at 10 while your install appears to be at 2 o'clock. Interesting that both seem to work and provide good protection for the motor. I think both orientations are viable. The only thing I noticed on your setup it appears the motor might be making contact with the bottom of the cab where the suggested position in step 5 has the motor isolated from any contact with the cab or frame. By the time I reached step 14 in the instructions I was already done with the physical installation and only thinking of the wiring. Good catch on the error you saw in step 14. I am thinking this was pasted from another installation manual and the author wasn't thinking about the motor orientation when he was showing the wiring. Guess this is why neither of us installed the motor facing down. Good food for thought, I will take another look at my driver side motor and see if it would be beneficial to re-clock it as you show in your photo.
I appreciate the sharing of your installation with good details given your experience with prior installations.

 

[gr8ridn]

Son and I installed a set on his 19 Ram. Went smoothly all in all. I noticed the the drivers front step linkage while retracted was just touching a canister type object that’s mounted onto the frame. Anyone else run into that?

I had the same issue. Just loosen the bolt that attached the drum to the mount and you can rotate the drum slightly to gain clearance when the steps are retracted. This device is used to counter frame harmonics generated by the engine so anything contacting it probably negates what it was designed to do. I suggest rotating it only enough to get a little clearance from the retracted linkage. Retighten the bolt to the same torque as you used to loosen it. I didn't want upset the factory setting anymore than necessary. The clocking of the drum may have been determined as part of the tuning. You'll notice the right frame has the same angle. I have noticed no determent from adjusting my clearance only several degrees.

 

[Mark985]

What are the prices you all are paying?

My dealer quoted me $1800 but not sure what brand they are (I assume Mopar) and he said it was "At his cost" - I call BS
Ameraguard truck accessories quoted me $1800-$1900 for the AMP Power running boards. I'm not sure what version they are, but from what I saw online, most of them are $1400 to $1500.

I feel like I can do better, so here I am asking all you experts on what prices you paid and where to take it. I live in a big city, so most of the major chains are here.

Got mine for $1298 shipped.

https://thmotorsports.com/12652224-amp-research-7624001a