Westin step bars install not going well

the instructions that came with my Westin 25-0830 step bars show the truck frame rails to be 3-sided. My frame rails are boxed, 4-sided, so the mounting bolts are not long enough to reach thru the frame rails. Has anyone else run into this problem?

The instructions that came with my step bars are for '95-'99 Tacomas, even though I ordered a set that would supposedly fit my '04.

Do the '95-'99 Tacomas even have 3-sided frame rails? I guess it doesn't matter since I'll have to be sending these back . Does anyone even know what I mean? Crap, I was really looking forward to installing these step bars this weekend.

Does anyone have a set of step bars on their '04 XTRACAB 4WD they really like and can recommend? A lot of the vendors list step bars for Tacomas up to '03, then skip to '05. What's up with that?

 

they just screwed up and sent you the wrong ones my 07 ones went right on. no probs. call em and see what they can work out for your wasted time and money to send back they might surprise you?

 

I called Westin tech support (very friendly and helpful). They assured me that the step bars would fit my '04 even though the instructions indicated they were for '95-'99.

I crawled under my truck with tech support on the phone. He explained to me the front mount tab assembly went THRU the hole in the frame rail from the OUTSIDE. I mistakenly thought the mounting bolt had to go all the way thru both sides of the frame rail from the inside, and it was way too short for that. The little plastic square is what kept the assembly from falling into the box frame.

Once that light bulb went off, install went fairly smooth. An extra set of hands would've helped but a few hand cramps later and the bar was on tight.

 

yeah installed a set on ex's truck and thought it was kinda odd install...did yours also tie into the transmission crossmember?.... hers also kinda sit out at the back...kinda like the fronts are closer to door than the rears are

 

the front mounts use the crossmember, if that's what you meant, lower silver bolt in pic. The bolt is thru the last available hole in the mounting bracket. Clearly, Westin made some compromises in the mounting hardware to get the bars to fit as many diff trucks as possible. my bars are even and level.

 

yeah thats the one I was thinking...hers was reg cab so that might be the reason for bars sitting kinda funny...they are level but if you are looking striaght down on them the rear is out farther from body... hard to explain lol

 

the really isn't any adjustment for that on my bars. but since you said she was an "ex," who cares? lol

 

How did you get your bars to mount? I have an 04 tacoma v6 4x4?