Hi Tim....good idea on some gaskets between the aprons and the boards. I stumbled onto some "gasket" material from NAPA....more like a sheet vinyl product that is absolutely great for making ALL the little cushions that protect the paint and help to eliminate squeaks and rattles. Check it out...it isn't cheap but it cuts like butter and wears like iron.
When you go to install the aprons, you'll be faced with a few alignment "issues" which more than likely will have you loosening up the running boards from their brackets as well as at the rear fenders. I even had to slack up the bed mounting bolts and do a little "fine tuning" to get everything tweaked into final alihnment. The PO of my core truck had managed to bend the running board support brackets (4 out of 6) and after struggling for a couple hours to bend them back into alignment, I wound up cutting the rivets and using bolts with shims to secure everything in alignment. Hopefully, you won't have these same issues but if you do...it might be advisable to bite-the-bullet and loose the rivets. Think I had about 8 hours in T&E before I finally was satisfied with the final fit.
From your album, it looks like you're doing an outstanding job on your truck.....getting the often maligned misalignment issues under control sure will make a difference in the final appearance of your ride.
Dave
