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Side Steps for Santa Cruz. Yes or No?

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#41 ·
mjb4450 said:
Factory authorized side steps do not lower the ground clearance. Accessories such as side steps that come as an option are designed to not alter the advertised ground clearance. Otherwise they would have to have two different specs for vehicles with and without factory side steps. Take a measurement of the ground clearance from the lowest point of your control arms to the ground and then find a SC with steps and take a measurement of ground clearance at the steps.
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Was referring to the ground clearance at the running board 😂
 
#45 ·
The Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz want to look like trucks with the side steps, but I have to zonk them both for not having the front pillar handle. They messed thing up for the left handed people. Lol

It doesn't have anything to do with the left hand, but has to do with the left foot. The pillar handle is close to the center of gravity with their left foot. The further the handle is from their left foot, the harder it is to straighten themselves out if they fall sideways or backwards.

The left foot has to be far enough to the left to get the right foot pass the front of the seat. The left foot is somewhere under the front pillar.
 
#51 ·
The side step prevents people who don't use it from sitting further into the seat. They have to slide more of their ass on the left side of the seat. Is the left side of your seat getting damage?
 
#52 ·
Our 2023 Night Edition came with the oem side steps installed. Didn't order them, just bought the last new 2023 Night edition in our area at this time.

Our thoughts based on having the side steps...

Do they serve any purpose on the factory stock vehicle?
Only one. They help protect the rocker panels from gravel and asphalt.

Down side?
They make exiting the vehicle a bit of a PITA. Anybody suffering from diabetes would probably want to avoid the constant bumping of their shins. The steps force the legs out awkwardly to where the back of the ankle rubs the step and the front of the shin gets dinged by the lower door edge.

Could the side steps have other uses?
Yes, if one installs a roof rack/basket and or puts a 2+ inch lift kit on their Cruz. The side steps would be useful in accessing such a rack/basket.

Do they work aestheticly?
The side steps don't look right on the Night Edition with its 20" wheels and 50 profile tires.
The 20" wheels could work if we lifted our Cruz 2 inches and running 60 profile tires.

Still, feel the best would be to start with 17 or 18 inch wheels and run 70 series profiles.

Hope this helps,
Later
 
#53 ·
Wachtergeist said:
They make exiting the vehicle a bit of a PITA. Anybody suffering from diabetes would probably want to avoid the constant bumping of their shins. The steps force the legs out awkwardly to where the back of the ankle rubs the step and the front of the shin gets dinged by the lower door edge.
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So why not avoid all that and use the steps for their intended purpose, i.e. step on them when entering and exiting? On my Grand Cherokee I don't "need" the steps but they do make it more comfortable to step up with left foot, in with right leg and then sit down into the seat rather than slide onto the seat and the same with exiting, put left foot on the step, left hand on inside door armrest, right hand on top of door frame or "A" pillar handle, lift yourself up and step down in one quick easy motion. And BTW the Grand Cherokee has the exact same ground clearance as the SC.
 
#54 ·
You ever walked up a set of stairs that wasn't quite right? Made stepping harder than it should be? That's what the sidesteps are like.
The floor boards are already less than a shin's length to the ground.
 
#55 ·
mjb4450 said:
So why not avoid all that and use the steps for their intended purpose, i.e. step on them when entering and exiting? On my Grand Cherokee I don't "need" the steps but they do make it more comfortable to step up with left foot, in with right leg and then sit down into the seat rather than slide onto the seat and the same with exiting, put left foot on the step, left hand on inside door armrest, right hand on top of door frame or "A" pillar handle, lift yourself up and step down in one quick easy motion. And BTW the Grand Cherokee has the exact same ground clearance as the SC.
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Yeah, not so much.

Your Cherokee has the benefit of being a Jeep product with a long history of aftermarket development. The side steps and door frame on the Cherokee are a fair bit different from those of the Santa Cruz.

Please note that we didn't order these, they came with a truck bought off the lot. We didn't argue because the price was right and it was the last new 2023 Night Edition available in our area.


To further elaborate...
The side steps were in no way designed to be used while exiting the vehicle

The rocker panel rubs hard on the back of the ankle when trying to fit a foot on the step.

Then there is the body mechanics part that when using the side step you no longer simply turn and step out. Instead we end up doing a weird angled deep knee squat on one leg while trying to contort through the door by lifting ourselves with the grab handle and simultaneously trying to duck our heads under the door frame.

Much easier to simply swing legs out, lean forward and stand.

As I said, the side steps can help when outside the vehicle by:
Protecting the rocker panels
Accessing a roof storage system

They might help when washing the roof, but standing in the bed would make more sense. Also could give extra anchor points for a car cover.

But in no way are the side steps helpful when exiting the Santa Cruz. Spouse has size 5 feet and still considers them a nuisance when exiting.

Our thoughts are, putting side steps on the Santa Cruz was like putting side steps on a Subaru WRX. Not needed and have little to no use.

Hope this clarifies what it's like to have the oem option side steps on a Santa Cruz.
 
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