Black Sidesteps on G
- Thread starter Trypto
- Start date
mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
I don't sorry...but I would highly recommend also looking at Karl/G-Wagen Accessories black aluminum diamond plate steps and rock sliders;
http://g-wagenaccessories.com/products/sideStep.htm
He has clients all over the world.
otiswesty
Regular guy
Hi Trypto. The ORC steps are a black version of the standard Mercedes step as you can see. Since the original step is polished stainless steel. The black step must be made by chemically etching the polished metal followed by powder coating to create a durable and scratch resistant finish. The trouble is managing removal and replacement of the rubber inserts in the side step itself. You may ask Alexandra Baur at ORC for their experience with the finish on the side steps that they sell. alexandra.baur@orc.de
Personally I feel that that side step is slightly too narrow and only serves to get your pants dirty getting in and out of the vehicle. The side step made by Gwagen accessories pictured above is a bit wider but still quite unobtrusive, and is also more fitting for the Gwagen in my humble opinion. The 463 Mercedes side step is difficutt to use as designed and I recommend trying to use one repeatedly on someone else's vehicle before buying a set for yourself.
Personally I feel that that side step is slightly too narrow and only serves to get your pants dirty getting in and out of the vehicle. The side step made by Gwagen accessories pictured above is a bit wider but still quite unobtrusive, and is also more fitting for the Gwagen in my humble opinion. The 463 Mercedes side step is difficutt to use as designed and I recommend trying to use one repeatedly on someone else's vehicle before buying a set for yourself.
otiswesty
Regular guy
Mike Serpe at Gwagenpreserve.com might have a set of those Europa running boards. Not sure if he would want to ship to Moscow though. Worth a try.
mserpe@yahoo.com
mserpe@yahoo.com
zimm
Expedition Leader
these mount to the inner rocker via the factory captive nuts and are heavy, strong welded steel units. they are definitely stronger than the body part they are attaching to, and i question the wisdom of attaching what is tantamount to a slider to the body only, without bracing to the frame to prevent twisting damage should you place significant forces on the outer edge.
they also were poorly fabricated. they rust out due to water intrusion. i would never recommend buying a set.
for these reasons i removed mine and they have been sitting in my shop. i was going to rebuild them but i'd be better off to just copy them in stainless and add braces to the frame.
DUTCH
Curmudgeon
No signs of rust on mine. They are 13 yrs old and are just as solid as the day they were installed.
Europa Intl. side steps
I had the Europa side steps on my G500 for some time, they are a perfect solution for someone that drives only mild off-road trails, they do a great job of protecting the bottom of the sills from the odd boulder or log and are relatively light weight for their strength.
My favorite feature is the width, I used the outer tube of the step to pivot the vehicle around obstacles in tight turns.
If you find yourself on more extreme trails they wont last long, they will bow from upward impacts and the outer tube will eventually bend up to the point of blocking the doors from opening.
I made myself side steps/rock sliders that are very similar in appearance/function to the Europa Intl. steps but made with thicker material that won't deform on rocks, I also invented a nifty way of solidly tying the steps into the frame rails without welding or bolting anything to the frame.
I have completed the testing of my side step design and plan to make these available to the G community (but not before I prototype and test the front and rear bumper designs I have been fine tuning since 2005- think 460/461 bumpers made from 3/16 plate instead of sheet metal).
Stay tuned...
I had the Europa side steps on my G500 for some time, they are a perfect solution for someone that drives only mild off-road trails, they do a great job of protecting the bottom of the sills from the odd boulder or log and are relatively light weight for their strength.
My favorite feature is the width, I used the outer tube of the step to pivot the vehicle around obstacles in tight turns.
If you find yourself on more extreme trails they wont last long, they will bow from upward impacts and the outer tube will eventually bend up to the point of blocking the doors from opening.
I made myself side steps/rock sliders that are very similar in appearance/function to the Europa Intl. steps but made with thicker material that won't deform on rocks, I also invented a nifty way of solidly tying the steps into the frame rails without welding or bolting anything to the frame.
I have completed the testing of my side step design and plan to make these available to the G community (but not before I prototype and test the front and rear bumper designs I have been fine tuning since 2005- think 460/461 bumpers made from 3/16 plate instead of sheet metal).
Stay tuned...
mk216v
Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Add me to the list as well. Curious to see what you've come up with!
Here is my custom-made work for my 2012 G500. Wanted to retain stock exhaust, follow the "V" shaped lines of my custom winch bumper, be painted Obsidian Black like the car, and have as much clearance as possible while maintaining a platform for use as a step. They are mounted to the 6 holes that OEM ones are, and have been tested my lifting on them and 3 large guys (me included) jumping on them…nothing scientific, but I usually don't build weak **** 
…note the two textured top 1cm square solids for slip protection, and the rubber ends so that the mating to the flares is done well.
We can produce and ship bare metal from Dubai so that you can match the color of your truck (or flat black if you wish) with all hardware needed.
Enjoy!
…note the two textured top 1cm square solids for slip protection, and the rubber ends so that the mating to the flares is done well.We can produce and ship bare metal from Dubai so that you can match the color of your truck (or flat black if you wish) with all hardware needed.
Enjoy!
Attachments
Thanks man - took me a year to figure out how to design them (Was used to Defenders…which take a simple 80x80x5 mm box and that's that…