Side Steps

[MattPFN]

I know they all pretty much look the same, but I was wondering if you guys have a preferred brand of side steps. I am going to get the black and chrome kind.

I was looking at Manik or Go Rhino.

 

[RTStork]

The only ones that I have used were made by Steel Horse. www.truckperformance.com has them.

 

[Alto]

I've got the Go Rhino! They are a great set of Side Steps.

If I was to get another set, due to breakage or maybe future replacements. I would get a nice set of Rock Sliders. I've seen some cool ones on J%#Ps. The kind that are very strong maybe even weld them to the Frame.

Protect the side of your Explorer.
Have the use of a step into the Explorer.
But you would also have a new Jacking Point. These are difficult to find on Explorers.(jacking points that is)

I may invest in a pair/or get some made.

Just a thought!

 

[MSTNGGUY88]

I have Westin. They look pretty good.

 

[rockylaurence]

I got a set of SmittyBuilt 3" tubes but after knocking them several times off road I cut about 6" out and mounted them up real close to the door opening. They dont get hit anymore and there's just enough room for my foot inorder to get in..

 

[becker69]

Mattpfn; I have the Ford Stock units that came on my ST (Sport Trac), they are average, but their mounting brackets have been stellar! I have bent and hacked them to crap and they still hold very rigidly. This may have something to do with the fact that there are 3 mounts for each side-step on each side. Rockylaurence; how did you fab the brackets for your nerf bars, and how easy was it. I have thought of trying to mount mine higher also. Thanks.

 

[MattPFN]

My Ex GF has a 01 Sport. The factory ones are good, but the only thing I don't like about them is that they don't have them in chrome and black.

 

[Hartman]

I want black powercoated Westin step bars. That'll have to wait until spring though, ones for a 4 door are so ******** expensive.

 

[rockylaurence]

Becker, I started with a 2.5"X1/4" steel bar and mounted that under the floor board the full legth of the truck between the tires and welded some angle brackets to the under side to secure them. I bolted the nerfs to them. The bar acts as a "Slider" and distributes the off road impacts over a larger area.

 

[becker69]

Thanks for telling me how you did yours Rockylaurence.... Having a Sport Trac I am really kind of hosed when it comes to working any type of armoring or sliders for my rockers (all the lower side of door tapering into my rockers is grey plastic; not sheet metal... it is not as easy as if they were the common style. And Damn' it, I really need to learn how to weld! Thanks.

 

[rockylaurence]

Becker, do what I did: buy a A/C D/C welder for $200 and teach yourself. Since I've had mine, I've built front, and rear bumpers, nerfs and lots of other things that more than pays for the expense of the welder. However, it takes me a long time to do it and the man hours invested probly puts me on the negative side of value. He He! But there's nothing like doing it yourself or being able to make something you bought a little better.

 

[becker69]

RockyL; I agree, that is what I should do... I live on a military post right now and I do not have a garage (but I do have a car-port!) so that limits alot of what I would want to do. And I must agree; their is nothing like the feeling of tweaking something yourself, and making the enjoyment that much more personal.

 

[2001ExpSport]

Say WHAT!

Originally posted by becker69
Mattpfn; I have the Ford Stock units that came on my ST (Sport Trac), they are average, but their mounting brackets have been stellar! I have bent and hacked them to crap and they still hold very rigidly. This may have something to do with the fact that there are 3 mounts for each side-step on each side. Rockylaurence; how did you fab the brackets for your nerf bars, and how easy was it. I have thought of trying to mount mine higher also. Thanks.

Are you serious? The stock nerf bars are WEAK!!! The first day I went out I bent them up, down, left, right. They are completely trashed. When it comes to protection, they have none to give. They are diffenitely just for stepping, that's for sure!!!!

 

[becker69]

01ExplorerSport; well, I guess in hindsight of the post you cited; maybe I was easy on them. To me, I was scraping and binding them left and right, and besides bending the under-side of the brackets, and 1/4" scratches the length of them... I only ended up with one decent bent spot. I guess, subjectively; it depends on how hard you are on equip. I haven't had the op. to really give mine a work out, that was my first time out wheeling with the ST. I can say that they suck b@lls for taking away the precious little bit of clearance that I have with stock tires.

 

[2001ExpSport]

Don't worry man, I was just giving you a hard time. They are nice, don't get me wrong, I still have mine. Took me two hours to get them bent back enough to fit...LOL. PLus, I was REALLY hard on them, I'd show you a pic, but Photopoint closed down and I lost about 100 photos.

 

[becker69]

I am kind of ticked off that Ford didn't make their side-steps bolt directly to the frame... I thought that they were until recently, and after looking I wasn't happy that the brackets go directly to the rockers (underneath all the cute grey plastic that I have as cladding). I wish I could afford some real sliders or nerfs, but I already have too long of a wish list for the X-ST.

 

[unabonked]

Thats odd, I have stock Nerfs on my 98 sport and they have held their own. I've been hit from behind and the slid sidways into a pole and they just needed touch up paint. It the truck was going slow by the time it hit, but pole was bent, nerf was not. All it needed was repainted a little. As for the bumper, those are trash. that one was totalled but it may have been weakened from an earlier accident: someone pushed it in about 2 inches while parrallel parking behind me. Boston driving is worse on your truck then any off road trail!