Dang.
I'll have to (gingerly) try standing on mine. Would save having to carry a little step stool or having to ask ToddUMA (who is 6'5") to please wipe my roof down at g2g's!

Another reason to keep them!

A

 

My wife and I really like the running boards, they go with the retro look.
At 5'9" I never had a problem with hitting the boards, maybe from driving a Jeep for years it becomes a habit. And I do stand on mine all the time to clean the roof. Tires make nice steps too, again it's a Jeep thing.

 

Hey 3amigos, I'd strongly advise against removing your running boards. I just went through the process of having my '08 fitted with them, as well as splash guards. Read this thread- https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/tsb-06-08-51-002-04-11-2006-body-paint-body-damage-rocker-panels-15129/

I had to get my lower rear doors repainted, it took a good while to get GM to approve the job & I was without the car for 5 days, although the dealer did work with me & the car finally looks good. BTW, I'm also in the Champaign area.

 

Silver Bullet, et al: I want to thank you all for the info. It would cost $200 to paint the rockers, and with this info (even with the factory splash guards installed on all four corners) I think I would be paying a lot more for additional repaints. I'm sold. I'll keep the running boards. Now what the #%@! am I going to do with these rocker panels.

 

Ebay , Classifies on here.. i dunno

 

Copy that...or keep them, paint them and install them for the summer months. I dunno.

 

i wouldnt go threw the hassle to install/uninstall and pay to paint..
just sell em, get your money back .. and go bout ur way

 

I have the running boards and I have put on the oem mudflaps, still the rear door is getting a beating.
personnaly the HHR looks sportier with out the boards and they dont offer that mush more protection on the paint so why not take'em out

 

i do know what you're talking about with getting some dirt on your pants from the running board. I'm a tall guy so using the running boards to get in or out isn't an option. I try to swing my ;egs out far enough usually. However I'm at my parents right now, who live on a dirt road, and so do my inlaws. So right now the hhr is 2 toned, dirt brown half way up the car.

With the standing on them issue. I do it all the time and i'm at 220lbs. When we got in town here my wife was so nice to park with the passenger side (i just drove for 6 hours... so i was relaxing) in the snow. Didn't feel the effort to move the car was needed, so i walked along the running boards, shut my door and jumped off them on the back to get in the drive way.