Do you really need running boards?

Replaced my 2008 FJ recently (frame rusted away) with a 2016 SR5 Premium. Both vehicles have similar running boards but I cannot ever remember a time when I actually stepped on them.

Anybody else have this opinion? To me the 4Runner would look better WITHOUT running boards. Would I be crazy to remove them?

 

The answer is no, but the side steps aren't always for you. If you will never have a short person or someone who has a hard time getting in your ride you don't need them.

My elderly mother needed them to get in, my girlfriend uses them to get in, if little kids were riding with me they would use them too.

So do I use them, hardly ever, but other people in my life do. Plus there are way better looking options out there besides the stock steps....way better.

 

Mine came without any and I thought it looked great! The rock sliders are dual purpose for me, but if I didn't off-road I probably wouldn't have anything there.

As @aroyalsfan pointed out, they are nice for others to get in and out. It's your choice, though.

 

I think they look better without as well. My wife is short, 5'0", and she hates running boards/steps - thinks it makes it even more awkward to get in. We're used to big lifted jeeps and what not though, so she's sort of got the pull and hop maneuver down.

My daughter (7), on the other hand, does somewhat rely on my sliders to get in.

 

Thanks guys = good points.

 

They sure come in handy when I'm washing my 4runner and need to get at the top.

 

Living in Pittsburgh, the salt ate up my FJ. I kept that truck so clean but didn't expect what was happening underneath. The 4RUNNER I picked up had 30k and the underside was very clean. I went to my buddy's who had a lift and sprayed everything but the brakes and exhaust with Duplicolor rubberized undercoating. Now I am taking it through the $32/month unlimited carwash that sprays the underside of the vehicle. When getting on top, I typically stand on the the tires.

 

Don't have them. Scrapped the set that came on it.

I hate them, they get in the way when I get in, it's like I have take a wider step to get over them. Looks fine without them, plus improves clearance for off road.

 

i DO miss my FJ......................

 

Another benefit is they can help prevent door dings from other cars.

 

This is a great point. Not so much for other trucks or suv's of the same height, but cars definitely. Their car door will take the brunt of being flung into the steps.

 

If you're not very tall, they certainly help. The driver side doesn't have a grab handle like the passenger side, which is an oversight in my opinion. Before I had sliders installed, I was grabbing the steering wheel and awkwardly climbing in about half way, and then adjusting the rest of the way in by grabbing the seat back or center console with my right arm. A friend of mine bought a 2011 FJ new, and never installed running boards or sliders. He and I are the same height. Over the years he has worn a hole in the left side bolster from climbing in the same awkward way. And as someone else mentioned, they also provide door ding protection. I think it's money well spent.

 

The limited models that do grocery duty need them

 

Thanks to my sliders I don't need to grab onto anything. I now step up with my left foot on the slider, and just sit down sideways into the seat, without touching the seat or steering wheel with my right hand.

 

I'm 5'10" and have no use for them. I've always considered that they just add weight and decrease clearance.

 

I had nfab bars on my 2018 for about 3 months then took them off because I liked the look without them. Threw them on my wife’s white runner because they looked better in her car. I love my look with no steps.

 

I used mine yesterday to remove the CB antennae from the roof before going into the car wash. Also use them to access the roof rack, avoid parking lot dings, and my girlfriend is only 5'3", so she uses them every time to get into my vehicle.

I'm 6'2", so don't need them to get in, and they do annoy me getting out. I ditched the factory boulder catchers in favor of Tygers.

 

Those - I LIKE!!!

 

I assume the difference between sliders and steps is where they mount right?

 

Correct. Sliders will bolt or weld to the frame rails. They're intended to support the weight of the vehicle and protect the body as you navigate through large rocks and boulders. Steps usually attach to the body and are not intended to support the vehicle.

 

So MountainMan's Tyger's are sliders....... correct?

 

Looking at the Tygers now vs RSG I think I know the answer

 

Sounds like you've already drawn this conclusion - but the tyger's are closer related to steps. They attach to body, and are not really designed to be strong enough to take a hit (from a rock or tree/stump or something).

 

Incorrect. They attach to the body, not the frame.

This

 

At 6'2" the only thing they did for me was get my pant leg dirty. I always take them off of new vehicles. I have two sets of Tundra nerf bars in my shed.
I just think vehicles look cleaner without them. (With a few exceptions)

 

Hated the OEM ones that came on my '20 SR5P. Took them off the first day and threw them in my attic. Would give them away if I could find someone to take them.

 

I hate mine too - they just collect dirt

 

Exactly. I bought mine not for serious rock crawling, but to just be snag free in the woods and allow access to the roof rack. They don't impede my clearance at all.

 

They get the back of yer pants dirty, but they make great garage shelves. LOL! Oh, they do protect yer rear wheel well flares, though. JAT.

 

They get the back of yer pants dirty, but they make great garage shelves. LOL! Oh, they do protect yer rear wheel well flares, though. JAT.

Not exactly sure how that works unless they stuck out substantially. Most vehicles have curved side panels which would not be stopped by something as low as steps. Just sayin'.