I live in WI so my 2011 truck gets it's yearly dose of salt and sand and this year has been no different. On my OEM step bars, I am already noticing small rust spots starting to form on the chrome. Is this normal? Aside from cleaning them off all the time is there any product I can apply to protect the step bars from rusting?

 

Rust?

 

Are those the oval step bars that are open on the bottom? That has to be the worst design for anyone who lives in snow/salt country.

 

I had my step bars off last weekend to paint them. I noticed the exact same thing underneath. My truck was new in August, and there were a bunch of places where rocks had hit underneath and corrosion was starting.

 

I had my chrome steps done with line x and love it

 

You have any pictures? Thinking about doing this.

 

X2

 

I had my black Smittybilt tube steps on my 2000 line-x'd in 2004 after they developed bad surface rust. Sandblasting & line-x was about $160 for the pair, they lasted about 6 years until the water/salt got inside around the plastic step parts and then rotted out from the inside.

 

Not really oval or rounded, the rectangular factory bars from Ford on the new 2011/12 F-150's

 

Yes, small rust spots on top, not bottom of the step bars. The spots are the size of a eraser head and smaller. Just wondering if there is some product besides having to wax them (real pain in the ***) I can apply to protect them.