How to Install Running Boards: Tools, Mounting Points, Torque and the Real Drilling Exceptions

This page boils down five maker documents, read November 2, 2026. Nobody on this site has bolted these on a truck, so what follows is what the sheets say, not shop stories. The order of work is nearly the same across them. What changes is how the bracket grabs your truck, so start there.

Mounting points, by sheet

A sheet covers one part number. So get yours, either from the seller or from the part number in the title, before you buy tools. How to check a listing fits covers that first step. Other kits may mount differently, and Westin says its Pro-e uses vehicle-specific brackets with no drilling.

What to have on hand

The Tyger sheets we read print no tool list, so work it out from the hardware in your box. They use mostly 8mm bolts and nuts and end with a leveling step. Have these ready:

• Sockets for the hardware in your parts list, and a torque wrench that reads your sheet's values
• A wire brush or thread chaser die, which Tyger's stud-mount sheets name for clearing paint off studs
• A second person, which Tyger recommends
• A drill and the right bit, only if your sheet calls for one

The install

1. Check the box and read the sheet

   Tyger says to verify all parts first, because failing to identify damage before installation could lead to a rejected claim. Photograph any damage or missing part.

2. Find and clean the mounting points

   On TG-SS2C35068 you pull the plastic plugs and thread a bolt into each insert to clear paint. On stud-mount kits you use a wire brush or thread die. On TG-RS2D40078 you peel off the sealing tape over the factory holes.

3. Hang the brackets loose

   Follow the sheet's positions. TG-SS2C35068 uses the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th holes. On the F-150 sheet, TG-RS6F60118, the plastic retainers go on first, and Tyger says not to install the brackets without them, because they prevent corrosion between the aluminum panel and the steel brackets. Leave the hardware loose.

4. Set the board on the brackets

   Find the correct side from the sheet's drawing. Set the board on top of the brackets. Do not slide or rotate it on them, since Tyger warns that can damage the finish. Start the combo bolts by hand.

5. Level and torque

   Level the board, then fully tighten all the hardware to your sheet's values.

6. Drill only if your sheet says so

   On TG-RS2D40078, some models without pinch weld holes need two 1/4-inch holes for each support bracket. Finish the install and level the step first, then mark the slots and drill at their center, not too close to the bottom edge of the pinch weld.

7. Repeat on the other side and recheck later

   Do the other side the same way. The Tyger sheets close on the same line: inspect periodically and make sure all hardware stays secure and tight.

Brackets are not always interchangeable. Tyger says all 6 on TG-SS2D35098 fit either side, while on TG-RS2D40078 the front bracket differs from the center and rear ones, so check the drawing on page 1 of your sheet.

Torque values

Tyger prints this table on TG-SS2C35068, TG-SS2D35098 and TG-RS6F60118. The mounting hardware in those parts lists is 8mm, so that is the line to read. The TG-RS2D40078 pages we read print no torque table, so ask the seller for that one.

The steps do not say which class your bolts are, so check the hardware, and ask the seller if you cannot tell. These numbers are Tyger's for Tyger kits. If your sheet has its own table, use that one.

Power steps are a different job

Everything above is for fixed steps. RealTruck's guide for the AMP PowerStep 76255-01A states 3-5 hours, skill level 4 and professional installation recommended, on the 2022-2026 Silverado and Sierra 1500. The fasteners are their own values too: 16 ft-lbs for the linkages, 10 ft-lbs for the board fasteners and 36 in-lbs for the motor screws. Then you wire a controller, route a harness away from the exhaust and steering, tap two wires, plug into the OBD II port and drill for the lights. Power running boards has the rest, and that is the part to weigh before you decide to do it in your driveway.

Mistakes to avoid

• Tightening as you go. Each sheet leaves the hardware loose until the board is level.
• Drilling before leveling. On TG-RS2D40078, the holes come last, and that is the point of the warning.
• Trusting "no-drill" in a title. Check it against your sheet, since can you install running boards without drilling sorts it by part.
• Skipping the plastic retainers on an aluminum body. Tyger says not to, in capitals.
• Forgetting your warranty. Do running boards void your warranty separates fitting a board from damage the board or the install causes. Ford says the second is not covered.

Which part makes this easy to plan

Pick a part whose sheet you can read before you pay. For a 2019-up GM crew cab, this is the rail with the sheet the steps above lean on most.

Other trucks have their own: the Tyger Rider for the new-body Ram 1500^*, the Tyger Riser for the F-150 SuperCrew^*, and the Tyger Riser for older Ram crew cabs^*, which is the one with the drilling note. Some cheaper listings, such as the aluminum crew step for the older Ram^*, come with no sheet we could read, so ask the seller first. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

If the job is more than you want, how much it costs to install running boards covers paying a shop. For the wider field by truck, go to best running boards.

Sorting out your mounting parts? Running board brackets covers them, running board pads covers worn step surfaces, and how to remove running boards covers taking them off.