Flexible step??

[1leglance]

Ok I know I have seen these on military trucks or tractors or somewhere.
But I am looking for a step to help my 1 legged self get into the Sportsmobile.
What I have seen in the past has 2 thick steel cables hanging down with a metal step connecting them.

I am low on search mojo I guess cuz I can't find it.

I am thinking of adding rock rails or something but we couldn't yet until we saw how the wheelchair lift would effect things.
Even with rock rails I want to have max clearance so a flex step would be great.

All thoughts welcome.

 

[spencyg]

Those flexi steps you refer to don't ever look all that "flexy" to me. They look mightly sturdy when people stand on them (probably due to the fact they are usually supported with 1" wire rope). You would need some sort of very sturdy frame mount to make it work, and if you were to come right down on it on a trail, I'd bet it would do some damage to the rockers.

Something hinged at the frame that could be pulled up tight to the rocker during travel and released down when you exit would be the most ideal I'd think. I've had thoughts of doing some pneumatic steps using an air cylinder, a solenoid valve activated by the door switch, and the OBA....probably more complicated than you're looking for though....

Good luck...not an easy order to fill!

Spence

 

[KSJeep]

When we lived in TX alot of folks take an old stirrup, attach a leather or nylon strap to, the other end mounts inside the door. Same Idea as your looking for just diff material. I know, may look to redneck....lol

 

[Martyn]

Lance

The guys at All J Products made a small removable step that fitted into a slider, it was a custom job for one of the owners modified Jeep Scramblers.

Maybe give them a call.

 

[1leglance]

When we lived in TX alot of folks take an old stirrup, attach a leather or nylon strap to, the other end mounts inside the door. Same Idea as your looking for just diff material. I know, may look to redneck....lol

Hey now I was born & raised in Amarillo...what you are talking about isn't so bad after all.
Maybe update it with something that matches the Sportsmobile but the core concept of a stirup that would rest in the pocket step and flop out when the door is opened might just work.
Would have to come up with a way to get it back in the rig since that is a long way to reach down

 

[ntsqd]

The idea that looked the most practical to me was to build what is essentially a stirrup. The one that I saw was specific to Jeeps in that it had an anchor clip designed to slip over the sill of the tub. I suspect that you could use a seat belt buckle with the buckle end firmly attached if quick R&R is desirable.

AMP Research makes or made a very nice and I'm sure very expensive automated step. A friend has them on his truck and they are impressive.

 

[rynosurf]

Some of the trucks at my work use heavy rubber sides with a steel step. You could probably use an old tire. The step usually flexes if you hit something but worse case scenario the rubber will tear before it takes a chunk of your frame off.

 

[1leglance]

Great ideas guys...keep'em coming
I will be looking at SEMA for something and will check out the AMP power steps.
However I would like a solution that allows rock rails for body protection.

Very creative minds around here.

 

[KSJeep]

Small world Lance, we just moved from Amarillo after three years there. The call of the desert southwest was just to strong.

 

[1leglance]

3 yrs....well you pretty much saw all there was to see then

Self hi-jack of my own thread..
I didn't appreciate Palo Duro Canyon till I moved away...grew up riding the Sad Monkey Railroad, watching the musical Texas and playing in the red mud of the creek at the bottom of the canyon.

My family had a cabin on Greenbelt Lake, great times playing in the creek and motoring around in a 50 ford sedan with all the body panels cut off.

Wide open dirt roads out by the town of Canyon where my cousin lived. Crazy fun chasing trains down the tracks on our motorcycyles laid the skills down for later pro-racing.

Nothing to stop the wind from Canada to the Gulf, tornado chasing club in jr high...good times.

Thanks for the memory trip and now back to my thread

 

[Trail Monkey]

Lance,

in NY sometimes truckers will use two very heavy cables like 1+" dia., short lenths welded to a step, one on each side. it supports the step very sturdy, but if you wack it it just moves out of the way. if you hit it good enough a sledge will straighten it out..

 

[7wt]

I'd have one custom made out of bar stock aluminum. Make two of these but about a foot long with a clamping screw on each end. Maybe 1X1X10"? Take two short pieces of cable or if you wanted to be really cool, a section of Viking winch extension line, tie a knot in the end and clamp it all up. On the aluminum you could put a strip of anti-slip tape on it for a finished look.

 

[overlander]

The M1 tank uses a wire flex step on the front left. pretty effective and stiff.

I'll take my camera to work with me this week, and see if I can find anything ingenious on the umpteen model MRAP's we have on base. We'll see if gov R&D can solve your problem.

You may also want to consider fitting a Land Rover Defender folding step on the side. Flips up out of the way, and easy to retrofit to any other vehicle.

 

[gjackson]

You may also want to consider fitting a Land Rover Defender folding step on the side. Flips up out of the way, and easy to retrofit to any other vehicle.

The Land Rover step was my first thought. Tom Sheppard mounted one on the rear of his G.

Find them here:

http://www.roversnorth.com/store/c-116-side-rear-steps.aspx

cheers

 

[FlatlinesUp]

redneck tip from the deep mud pits is just use a length of chain hanging down that's attached to your frame/rocker protection/slider. Put the ends 12-18" (or however far) apart and when you hit stuff in flexes and then drops right back.
Suppose you could put a flat step on the bottom as well if you wanted, or just hang a piece of 3/8" " thick steel by two short chains