What are the sidesteps really for ?

[greasy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close greasy]

I know, its helpfull when you have children that want to get into the car.
Anyway, at the moment I dismounted mine. I saw, that the sidesteps are mounted to the body and not to the framerails. When I get hungup on a gab with the sidesteps, they will maybe deform the underside of the body. So I thought its better to have them off. I plan to go offroading and I am a little afraid of getting hung up on the sidesteps.

But while I drove like this the last weeks (looking much better), I recognized my daughter having big problems getting into the rear seats :roll:

What do you all think ? Leave them on or not ?

Do they help dirt getting away from the doors, thrown up by the front wheels ?

Thanks, Peter

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

Leave on, my thoughts r you're better off damaging side step vs your sills, plus it is easier for the kids.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

Leave them on! if it is throwing up dirt onto your body work it will throw up stones when off road, and that wont take long to wreck your paintwork.

Cheers Andrew

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

Better yet, get some rock sliders which mounts to the chassis.

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

Silvo has the solution, have a look at this build up here

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

What Hutch and AJ said are very good reasons to leave then on. I see them as an early warning system.
As far as sliders are concerned, wouldn't this car have side airbags thus creating issues if sliders are installed.

[teza h Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close teza h]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

Well if you dont intend to fit sliders,and you do make contact,better to damage a step than a sill,you realy dont want to bend up a sill, not a cheep repare.

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

What Hutch and AJ said are very good reasons to leave then on. I see them as an early warning system.
As far as sliders are concerned, wouldn't this car have side airbags thus creating issues if sliders are installed.

MDS69 where have you been?? :wink: they now make air bag compatible sliders

[greasy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close greasy]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

Agreed !

I will put them back on for my next trip.

Silvio´s Sliders are awesome. That´s what I really want !

Thanks,

Peter

[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

Leave on, my thoughts r you're better off damaging side step vs your sills, plus it is easier for the kids.

I agree with Hutch, after a rugged weekend at the springs the sliders/side steps took the wacks which are cheap to replace rather than damage the car which isn't

[lissted Member Find all posts View Profile Close lissted]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

My 2 cents
Put sliders on. The sills are actually plastic the whole way along. I've seen the side step get caught at the front then bend up hitting, denting and scratching the door. Not cheap at all. Sliders, best of both worlds!!!!
Peter

[PradoLover Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close PradoLover]

sidesteps rock sliders for 150

Having just smashed up the drivers aluminium side step going thru 15inch of water river crossing and a submerged rock turn over to jam the side step last week end I am all for replacing the side steps with rock sliders. You want to hear steel manufactures whinge and carry on about side airbags and steel side steps. I have spent a considerable time going thru regulations etc - there is nothing I have read that states side steps need to comply with any reg's even the ADR 72 for side impact makes no mention of them - they are about stopping vehicle intrusion thru being T boned by another car or slamming into a pole or tree. The side SRS's are much different to frontal airbags in the way they perform. They inflate MUCH faster at 5 msec compared to about 20 msec for frontals and they are suppose to remain inflated for about 5 sec's in case the car then rolls over after the initial impact. Frontal SRS are suppose to start deflating at about 50 msec or so as the occupant's head starts to contact it. Side SRS are set off by acclerometers of G sensors - in the seat for toyota's apparently. I can't see how Side steps are going to affect the firing setting or the operation of the curtain SRS's with something hitting the car door with its intrusion prevention bars - the ADR 72 makes a good read and the testing required.
The photo of a supposedly ? tested airbag compatible bracket is interesting with its buckle plates - can't see that this would interfere with what a rock slider is suppose to do vertically and it will obviously collapse inwards if struck laterally - BUT this may then defeat the purpose of a rock slider if you slide a little sideways on a slope or in a rut onto a rock - the slider is going to be compressed inwards then may have sill damge anyway.

I have some photo's of 4 runners etc from the USA with some very nice looking rock sliders but I have not worked out yet how to post this pictures.
I am in the process of designing my own set of sliders/mini steps before finding a steel fabricator to make it.

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

An added benefit of the side steps that I have noticed is that they stop car doors (not other 4WD doors) from hitting the side of the Prado.

[dannyson Member Find all posts View Profile Close dannyson]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

We use ours to step up into and out of the vehicle - instead of 'sliding' in/out and crushing the seats.... :? .... or is this not what they are for? ops:

[LargeInAPrado Member Find all posts View Profile Close LargeInAPrado]

Re: What are the sidesteps really for ?

We use ours to step up into and out of the vehicle - instead of 'sliding' in/out and crushing the seats.... :? .... or is this not what they are for? ops:

exactly

Im 6'6 and with the OME 50mm lift (actually 80-95mm) i need the step to get up and over the seat otherwise im rolling the edge of the seat getting in... which in time will damage the raised thigh support area badly ... if i was seriously rock hopping i might look at sliders if they are available