Black TRDparts4U tube steps installed

Hello, all. My first post here, so be gentle.

I've found this site to be a great source of information and opinion since I purchased my 2011 Tacoma PreRunner SR5 V6 double cab a couple of months ago.

This post is on the tube steps I purchased from www.trdparts4u.com.

I bought my truck without most of the bells and whistles. Mostly because I just didn't need them.

I didn't opt for the tube steps from the dealership. I didn't think the dull metal color would look good on my Tacoma, which is red with mostly black accents.



I wanted a basic tube step in black and after much searching over the Internet and reading this board, I decided on buying item # PT767-35112 from TRDparts4U.com.

I am not a mechanic by any stretch but after reading other posts by members of this board I felt I could take a chance with these tubes.

The item arrived on schedule and the box was sturdy and packed well for shipping. The top tube was in a plastic sleeve but I removed it for the photograph. The tubes were in fantastic condition; no scratches, dents or uneven coloring. They are metal with a black powder coating that is very smooth to the touch. The ends have plastic black caps on them. The steps are a heavy plastic that appears very durable. The brackets are solidly built.



According to the instructions, which are written exactly as genuine Toyota instructions are, all I'd need to do is pop off 12 plugs (6 per side) and bolt the tubes in place. So, I grabbed the creeper and my torque wrench and went to work.



The plugs came out easily and with the help of my 12 year old son, I had bolted the tubes up in no time. Working at a steady pace, I was able to get it done in around 30 minutes. Not bad and I think the tubes really look good on my Tacoma.



Passenger side view...



Rear view...



I know a lot of you like to see details, so here are a few additional shots...



Looking down from front door...



And rear door...



The front end of the tube...



And the back end of the tube...



How far the tubes stick out from the truck...



All in all this was a very easy upgrade and I think a very attractive upgrade.

I hope you enjoyed my post as much as I have some of yours.

 

Great looking steps! I'll soon be in the market for some as I plan to lift my truck a bit more. I'll definetly consider these. I like how they look factory but are black. No drill install is a plus too.

 

Wow those look great. Great write up too!

 

Those look great. These are the same as the silver ones but in black. The black looks very good compared to the silver which looks cheap.

 

Looks great!

 

Looks good!

Black on red is a fave of mine.

Color match that front grill, and do the BHLM. Changes the whole attitude of the truck IMHO.

 

Nice job, neighbor-and looks great with the red-

 

Those look amazing. Do you think those would reduce door dings??

 

I have these same steps, only they are silver. I would say from experience that they definitely do reduce door dings. The tube steps stick out a little past the body and sit at the right height that they catch most swinging doors before they hit the body of the truck. I would also recommend these steps and my wife likes them since they help her get into the truck easier.

 

Those are really nice!

 

I have the silver one and now want the black ones. They're nice. How much are the pair shipped?

 

The black looks great with the red, and I think better than silver or chrome would look. I'm biased though - I picked up a pair very much like this (also black, and from Autoanything) in August for my 2010 Timberland Mica, and have been really happy with the color. I'd had a pair on my 2006, which was white, and when I bought the new truck I really missed them.

Good choice!

 

PS I think mine were around $180 shipped. Can't remember if there was a 10% sale at the time, though. Shipping was free.

 

wow,those look great!! this will be my next mod!!

 

Nice work. Next cheap mod would be sanding the chrome grille and paint it black along with the BHLM. I would also do the black vinyl lower valence. Welcome to TW!!

 

I'm new to these boards so you'll have to educate me here... what is the "BHLM"?

I am debating the color grill.

 

I've been asked via PM about the mounting hardware so I thought I'd share it with everyone.

Everything you need comes in the box; the 2 tubes, 6 mounting brackets, washers, lock washers and bolts. The tubes are packed with the mounting brackets attached but not tightened.

I'm a heavier guy and when I step on these there is no give at all in them. Very sturdy. And I was surprised at how light they are to pick up.

To me, they look better in person than they do in the photos I provided. The flash kind of makes it look lighter than it really is.

Hope this helps!

 

Nice write up and nice look for your Truck !!

 

Thanks for the nice pics and info, very helpful. Looks great. On my new Silver DC, the dealer had the 4+" wide chrome step tubes , very large steps, didn't like the way they looked, will probably sell those and have ordered some black steps.

 

Hmm, interesting that this photo appears to be the exact same photo as the product pic on the website, except not cropped quite as much. A little guerilla marketing here perhaps?

Tell you what - hook us up with a tacomaworld discount and we'll forget it ever happened. I lke the way the black ones look.