Running Board Alternative...

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PACNW96

PACNW96

Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Threads
41
Messages
568
Location
Mukilteo
My wife and mother-n-law have been complaining about how difficult it is to get into my 96' LC. When I first got the truck I pitched the OEM running boards and got the front mud flaps which I prefer.

I hear sliders are the way to go or the new step sliders Slee offers, but kind of spendy. Will sliders help you get in the or are there other good alternatives other than the OEM boards that will allow me to keep the front mud guards.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. :D

Russell
 
Of course, everyone is going to say, get the sliders but if don't need sliders and don't want to put your running boards back on--you can go with those "Nerf" bars. They can be had for about $150/pair. You'll have to check with the vendor about whether your mudflaps will fit with the bars.

http://www.man-a-fre.com/garage_sale/garagesales8.asp
 
On my previous 93 (US model) I had the Manik running boards installed. They helped a little as there were no running boards when I bought it. They are "wannabe" sliders in appearance, and can be bolted on yourself and welded for additional strength. (Really a step-bar compared to true sliders, so I am told.) Truly, they had to be welded to keep from slipping from the "up" position under my weight (200 lbs. +, usually ;) ). But my wife (5'3") said they were better than nothing.

David
 
The new Slee Step sliders are not on his page, but you could contact Christo about buying a set. I bought these rather than standard sliders as they are "Family Friendly" yet fully functional as sliders.
Slee Sliders 007.webp
Slee Sliders 005.webp
 
OZCAL said:
Ken those are really nice. Would you tell us how much or is it better to talk to Christo Slee directly?

David
Click to expand...

I would rather not speak for Christo.

They are really nice!
 
How thick is that piece between the tubes (the one with the diagonal slots), 3/16"?
 
Sliders with a rock rail, such as Christo Slee or Ken Hanna offer, do provide a nice step to access the vehicle. Certainly they are not cheap but you need to consider what your money is buying. They are NOT "running boards", they function as such but have "real" mounting points to the frame and can withstand some pretty serious impacts that would drive running boards into the body panels (read "damage multipliers").

D-
 
I will be ordering a set of the sliders that Romer has pictured there from Slee Offroad.
Although the price may seem steep, they look good, are functional as sliders and as such, will protect the rocker panels from impact.

These will go on the wife's 80...which doesn't see a lick of offroad time now...but likely will when I inheret it... ;)

I have a set of his "regular" 80 series sliders on my 80 and have bashed them on enough Sierra Nevada granite and Moab slickrock to be able to say that they're well worth the money.
 
NorCalDoug said:
I will be ordering a set of the sliders that Romer has pictured there from Slee Offroad.
Although the price may seem steep, they look good, are functional as sliders and as such, will protect the rocker panels from impact.

These will go on the wife's 80...which doesn't see a lick of offroad time now...but likely will when I inheret it... ;)

I have a set of his "regular" 80 series sliders on my 80 and have bashed them on enough Sierra Nevada granite and Moab slickrock to be able to say that they're well worth the money.
Click to expand...

D - You already have a 97' that appears to be built up real nice, why are you wanting the :princess: 450?

I really like the look of Slee's new sliders, looks like I need to save some extra pennies for those.
 
Montana Cruiser said:
D - You already have a 97' that appears to be built up real nice, why are you wanting the :princess: 450?
QUOTE]


My guess is that when D gets done beating the crap out of his rig, he will take the toys off of it and place it on his wifes well cared for 97. Seems like a smart man, bought two of what he wanted and then when he needs the other one, he just has to get his wife a nother car, say a 100 series!
Click to expand...
 
Mom in law will not like using angled tube sliders as a step into the Land Cruiser. If making it easy for your passengers to get in and out is your primary objective then running boards or step sliders are a better choice.

If not going offroad then any sort of slider is a lot of $$ and weight for being just a step.

I don't use my tube sliders to get in and out, but do find them akward to stand on when accessing the roof rack. The are fine for their intended purpose of fending off rocks. Step sliders would work much better for passengers than tube sliders.
 
Romer said:
My guess is that when D gets done beating the crap out of his rig, he will take the toys off of it and place it on his wifes well cared for 97. Seems like a smart man, bought two of what he wanted and then when he needs the other one, he just has to get his wife a nother car, say a 100 series!
Click to expand...

Pretty much along those lines.

We picked up the 2nd 80 a little more than a year ago. The Honda Accord she was driving was getting cramped with all the kid gear she was hauling around. She caught an episode of Dateline, Primetime, 48 hours...one of those shows...that covered side impact crashes. After talking about that, we decided that although the Honda was a great car and relatively safe, it would be safer for herself and the :princess:s in an armored 80.

So, the plan is for me to keep building and wheeling my current rig, which is still my daily driver (so I can't get TOO crazy with it) and slowly armor up her 80. Right now, it looks like I'll be armoring hers with all Slee stuff -- sliders, rear bumper without tire swing, and slee front bumper. Then, I'll put a 2.5" OME lift -- most likely, I'll transfer mine to hers -- to raise it up enough so that if the average car hit it, it would strike the slider first.

Eventually I'll take hers over...nicely pre-built...mine will be the hard-core wheeler, the 2nd 80 will be the light-duty wheeler and daily driver.

I hope to put her in a 100, but she says she's ready to get back into a convertible...maybe I can convince her that a 40 series would be just the right drop-top for her ;)
 
04-02-05 05:50 PM
Junk IF you don't wheel your truck then why did you take off the OEM boards?
Click to expand...

Most of my "wheeling" now is done on old logging roads and not as often as I used to unfortunately. I wheeled my 95' 4runner quite a bit and just prefer the "no running board" look and extra clearance.

Thanks for all the input.

Russell
 
Tell the wife with the lift, the Slider option provides a level of armour if a car would hit you on the side. You of course feel its necessary to spend the extra money because you are concerned for her safety.
 
I didn't get them yet, He had one set when I went to look at them and he had already shipped them. I may put the stock caps back on in the meantime. They fit with these sliders.
 
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