crash33

Has anyone been having problems with thier grab handles breaking? I have gone through two sets and even devised strengtheners but to no avail. It seems to always happen when the interior is hot. I weigh 180 and my wife weighs 125 so I don't think we are over working the things.

HorseHauler

I always use the streering wheel and the step bar, is it your passenger side or drivers side?

could always go with a-pillar gauges to keep you from breaking that drivers side handle again

RamWheelsBy4

I weigh about 165 and I have replaced the driver side once. I now am very conservative on how much I really pull on the grab handle. Seems a little flimsy for what it is intended to do. Plastic is not always better.

crash33

I've tried to be gentle on them, and use primarily the bottom as it seems like the top is the weak point, but, like I said, when the interior gets hot it doesn't seem to matter. I've replaced both sides now for the second time. Has anybody seen an aftermarket fix/replacement?

J BODY

I've replaced a few sets...Most notably the lifted truck with no step bar crowd. I was looking at the last ones I did and they all crack at the bottom where the bolt/washer seat. Why they have those open slots in them is beyond me??? (that, and why didn't they run a metal bar through the middle...) We have some large shrink wrap for wiring at work. I'm going to try and put some around the part the bolt seats in and heat it up to adhere it in place on a set and see how they do.

crash33

That's a good idea. I use 1.25 round tubing that just slides over the outside of the plastic. I weld a washer to the bottom of it and put a bigger washer inside. I thought this would pretty much take care of it, but this weekend in 110 degree heat it broke again. I will try the heat shrink and maybe some epoxy on the slots. I too am trying to figure out how to get or make a metal replacement that will look OK.

Peterbilt

What year is your truck. There was a time when there was a rash of handles breaking. It seemed to subside after the 05s. Do a search.

Pete

crash33

It's an 05.

phloop

So far I have yet too break the grab bar, in any thing. I just replaced the grab bar in my '06 with a gauge pod but my '04 that I had for two years never broke.

Maybe when you use the grab bar, do not yank on it when you use it to help boost you into the cab but use it too "help" get you into the cab. It is not a structural component of the cab.


Remember, it is a grab (a point where you hold onto something to help you into/onto something) bar, not a yank (where you use the bar to help haul your weight into) bar.

And what is wrong with the steering wheel as a grab bar??

Crabjoe

Anyone got a part number and aprox price for the driver side handle? I'm trying to order one online after mine, on my '04, broke yesterday.

I'm 175#'s and never had a problem. A buddy of mine over 200 went to get in and it went SNAP!

BTW, are they all that taupe color or do then need to be painted?

goodeyesniper75

my handle broke when my dad used my truck but he is 350 plus so its understandable...so i replaced it with a srt-10 one with the gauge in it

Crabjoe

So the one out of the SRT-10 has a Gauge.... Does it still have a handle, and what gauge is it? I'd like to have a tranny temp gauge.

RamWheelsBy4

I don't remember the part number, but I can look for the invoice and give it to you later. I got mine from my dealer parts department for around $25-$26. They are the OEM replacement and do not need to be painted.

RamWheelsBy4

The OEM part number for the drivers side A-Pillar with grab handle is 5GR29TL2AG.

I found my invoice, I paid 24.95 at my dealer. www.dodgeparts.com OEM catalog has it for $20.48.

steelblitzkrieg

My 02 broke, I'm 230lbs, but it wasn't me...It was the darn 110lb detailer down at Pinky's Klassy Kar Wash! I was told to order the set by the dealer due to color sets (Think dye lot), I ordered one and it was fine, they're far enough apart to not matter if they're off a bit.