Reverse Engineering
2004 Dodge Running Board Trim
The customer had lost the passenger-side end cap off his running board. Months of searching turned up nothing — the part was discontinued years ago, no aftermarket replacement existed, and the only lead was the surviving driver-side trim still on the truck. He brought it in to see if it could be reverse engineered. It could.
The Build
Modeled From the Surviving Side
The remaining driver-side trim was measured and rebuilt in SolidWorks from scratch, with no factory drawings and no CAD file to work from. A PLA prototype surfaced dimensional errors and a design flaw baked into that first model — found on a test piece rather than after committing to a full-length run.
A series of cross-section test prints, worked from both ends of the part, verified full contour compliance before any material went into the complete part. When the customer questioned how PETG would flex in service, a cross-section sample was bent by hand right there to show him exactly how it behaves. After correcting the geometry, the full-length PETG part fit perfectly — a replacement for a piece that simply no longer exists.
Downloads
Get the Files
Files are published on Creality Cloud with slicer profiles included. Download the 3MF for the fastest path from file to first print — the part is already oriented on the plate with supports configured.
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Download on Creality CloudPrint Settings
Slice It Right
This is a big part — 271.5 mm standing on end, a full overnight print. PETG is the material choice, not a preference: the cap lives outdoors on a vehicle, takes sun and road heat, and has to flex rather than crack when a boot catches it. Tree supports are genuinely required here at 48.40 g, about 18% of the filament, and come away from the curved underside cleanly.
Fit
Built For One Truck
This was modeled to the passenger-side board on one specific 2004 Dodge, from that truck's own surviving driver-side trim. Running board styles varied by trim level and by whatever aftermarket boards a truck has picked up over twenty years, so check it against yours before committing to a twenty-one hour print — a cross-section test print off the end of the part is the cheap way to find out, and it is exactly how this one was verified.
Got a part that is discontinued with no replacement in sight? That is exactly the kind of problem I like to solve. Get in touch.
More models and tested slicer settings on my Creality Cloud profile.
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