Wondering what experience you guys have with the factory side steps and the abuse they will take. I have no illusions that they are rock sliders but wondering if they will stand up to light abuse or just bend up into the rockers? My x is new so it will be a while before i bang it up to much.

They won't take any abuse at all. They are pretty sturdy as a step but thats about it. The fist hit from the front back or bottom they will fold like a straw. Take them off if you want to go off road cause they will cause damage and even blow a tire. Yes it actually happened.

I dont doubt it, kinda why I was checking. I saw a liberty with factory steps come down hard on a rock and they took out the rocker panel. Big kinks in the metal were the brackets landed.

The brackets are thin, stamped metal, and the steps themselves are pretty thin too - they won't stand up to anything, really.

The oem steps flex with a person standing on them, what chance do you think that they will have to a stump or rock, or even a big ol fat guy.

Im 6'1" and 286 and they dont flex when i stand on them but that is why I asked. There great for loading the roof box and skis and junk thought, guess ill just have to take them off before upping the offroad adventures.

Anybody ever try modifying them to withstand a little more abuse? I would think its all in the mounting and they bolt directly to the frame? Mybe some reinforcement or spacers on the top side to keep them out of the rocker panels. I know squat about the x's offroad parts, maybe someone could post a pick of the mounting on a good set of sliders?

Im 6'1" and 286 and they dont flex when i stand on them but that is why I asked. There great for loading the roof box and skis and junk thought, guess ill just have to take them off before upping the offroad adventures.

Anybody ever try modifying them to withstand a little more abuse? I would think its all in the mounting and they bolt directly to the frame? Mybe some reinforcement or spacers on the top side to keep them out of the rocker panels. I know squat about the x's offroad parts, maybe someone could post a pick of the mounting on a good set of sliders?

Not worth the time or effort. It's not just the mounting brackets that are weak, the steps themselves are as well. I bent my sliders' mounting arms first weekend I had the X... Took em of the next day.

Not my pic but here's what you can expect if you wheel hard and leave em on:
http://www.shrockworks.com/files/products/d_140.jpg

Thats nasty.......

That's nothing

Lol, ye I have seen far worse. Some where they wedge right into the tire and kill the tire.

i just bent my pass side up pretty nasty style last night but maybe i can convience the wife to let me get rocksliders

Lol, ye I have seen far worse. Some where they wedge right into the tire and kill the tire.

Kind of like Kuma's?

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/KUMA-26/IMG_6867.jpg

i just bent my pass side up pretty nasty style last night but maybe i can convience the wife to let me get rocksliders

lol, my wife allowed me to get rocksliders as long as she can still use them as a step....she is not really happy with the result but getting used to it....however, I had to promise her to paint flowers on our next car hahahah....so be careful what are you are doing or promising

Kind of like Kuma's?

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/KUMA-26/IMG_6867.jpg

I almost had mine do the same... The driver side nerf was less than 1/2" from the rear wheel. I didn't even notice at first!

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn205/MCB-CA/Xterra/x_pml_fr15.jpg

I dont offroad hard and I will be putting a small lift in to clear where I do go. I like having them for loading the racks. Besides it sure cuts down on door dings. Id rather they hit my steps on my 2010.

I will bet that if you remove them you will realize that the truck will be easier to get in and out of and that the steps won't wipe themselves off on your pants as you get in and out. To load the rear you stand on the rear tire and the front you stand on the door jamb. I had to remove one and have my pregnant wife get in with and without and she realized that it was easier. ( she is 5' 10' so that might help too)

Paul

So reading this thread worries me a bit lol. I just picked up a 2011 pro 4X last night. Would I be better off taking them off when I go off road or leaving them on the truck since they are from the 4x? I don't know if the sliders that come on the 4x are any tougher or will they fail like the ones shown on this thread?

So reading this thread worries me a bit lol. I just picked up a 2011 pro 4X last night. Would I be better off taking them off when I go off road or leaving them on the truck since they are from the 4x? I don't know if the sliders that come on the 4x are any tougher or will they fail like the ones shown on this thread?

I don't know if yours is modified but the pro 4x I drove a while back had the same type step rails that get bent and jammed on the 1st gen X's. I ditched mine as soon as I got the car and now I got Rock sliders a local fabricator built me for $150. It's worth the money seeing as I kissed them on a rock the other day and not even a scratch or ding on the X.

thanks28, I would remove them. They are not very durable. The moment you meet a rock at the wrong angle they are toast. Schrockworks has some real rock sliders.

thanks28, I would remove them. They are not very durable. The moment you meet a rock at the wrong angle they are toast. Schrockworks has some real rock sliders.

???? ... Kinda confused on who or what you are saying here. I clearly said in my post that I ditched them and had Rock Sliders made and mounted.

Ive got a Drivers side left... I destroyed my passenger one, And theres a nice big ol dent in my rocker on the passenger side too.

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n398/0ddb4ll/ECXC%202008/0ddb4ll%20TB%20-%20Botond/IMG_0378.jpg

ECXC 2008 I ditched mine (cause thats where I tore the passenger one up)

So reading this thread worries me a bit lol. I just picked up a 2011 pro 4X last night. Would I be better off taking them off when I go off road or leaving them on the truck since they are from the 4x? I don't know if the sliders that come on the 4x are any tougher or will they fail like the ones shown on this thread?

The pro4x is not supposed to have step rails in the first place so that it can have that extra clearance. Your dealer put some cheap ones on and charged you $1400 for it. They tried to do it to me. Take it back and have them removed.