[fuelsmoke1]

I was thinking about putting steps on my truck. Not sure I want the tube style. I was looking on ebay to see what they have available, and I found these steps called iBoard running boards.
They are made of aircraft aluminum and have a tread on them.

Anyone have a set of these on their Frontier? I have a crew cab. As I have never seen a set of these in person I don't know if they are very tough? I do like the look though. I just don't want to throw $150 or so at weak steps!
They may well be very strong and if so I may spring for a set.
Hopefully someone else took the leap of faith and will have some thoughts on the quality as well as how the installation went.

Thanks!

 

[2013Pro4X]

Do you have a link or picture you may be able to post?

 

[fuelsmoke1]

This is a link to an ebay post (you can copy and paste to go to the ebay listing.)
Iboard Running Boards 4" Fit 05 16 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab | eBay

They sell these in 4 , 5 and 6 inch wide steps. The 4 inch are $159 for a crew cab and claim to take an impressive 550 pounds per board. Most other steps are 300lbs or so.

I'm thinking these might be a pretty nice step

You can get them in polished aluminum or satin black. Not sure if they offer any custom colors?

 

[2013Pro4X]

Thanks for the link. I have not seen them on a frontier before, they look pretty nice. I'm pretty sure I've seen them on a few full size trucks in the area.

 

[shift_RUSH]

Those look sharp.
IFF the satin black means they are all black w/ no chrome...then that would be my choice, fwiw.
YMMV

Happy modding!

 

[fuelsmoke1]

I watched a youtube video showing how to install them on a ram truck, they look very easy to install. I realize the Nissan will likely have some differences but the parts all look rugged and well thought out. Looks like a nice product.

 

[shift_RUSH]

I recently procured some Nissan steprails/nerfs and installed them. While I don't recall the exact #, the amount of recommended torque on the nuts going on to the factory frame studs is quite low. So, figured this to be a good time to mention it.

 

[jjs34748]

They are made of aircraft aluminum and have a tread on them.



FYI there is no such thing as "aircraft aluminum". As a 20+ year aircraft mechanic specializing in structural repair I can tell you that aircraft use aluminum alloys that are the same as any other product that uses these alloys. for the alloys to be used on aircraft it has to be certified by the FAA which I guess you could then call it "aircraft aluminum" but then these steps would cost in the several thousands of dollars.

Now that being said, the listing does give you the specific alloy the steps are made of being 6061 aluminum alloy and this link will tell you what specific materials are used to make this alloy.
ASM Material Data Sheet

6061 is a strong alloy with a favorable strength to weight ratio but it is usually heat treated to a T6 condition which actually makes is susceptible to being a bit on the brittle side. on aircraft it is usually used for machined fittings that don't have a variable of stresses put on it, meaning it is not like the main structure of an aircraft that has different stresses put on it from things like pressurization and flexing of the structure. This is what makes it good for the application of side steps. really the only stress locations are on the brackets used to mount it and at the mount point on the step.

They will work very well for you as long as you are not using them to support the weight of the truck itself. Just remember with any aluminum alloy, it does corrode over time, so you will need to take care to repair any damage that goes through the protective coating.

A little long winded to tell you they will work just fine, right?::grin::