Xterra Step Tube Modification
By: Bob_98SR5

Tools and Hardware Needed:

Drill press
Corded Drill (better, but cordless is doable)
10mm tap (1)
10mm bolt (5)
Crescent wrench (2)
Long Bolts (3)
Nuts (3)
Lock washers (3)
Self-tapping screws (4)
Tape measurer (1)
Level (1)
Sharpie (1)

Obligatory Disclaimer
I am providing this write up for illustrative purposes only. Perform at your own risk. Any mods (including this one) you perform on your vehicle is your responsibility. Furthermore, commercial use of this write up is prohibited---all images and text are property of 4Runners.org. Linking or copying any portion of this write up may result in legal action.

Addendum: Just buy sliders. If you don't get the tubes for free and cannot weld yourself, the cost alone will buy you a decent set of sliders including the welding cost.


Summary: I really like the Xterra step tubes. RandyM was the first and maybe the only person I know who modified the Xterra step tubes to fit onto a 4Runner. Randy simply tapped some holes into the frame and just bolted into it. I didn't want to go that route and after several emails between us, I was convinced that there was a better way to do this. My initial thought was to create "arms" that could mount onto the existing stock 4Runner hangers. My efforts, however, were not successful as I could not find a shop that would take on my project. Robinhood150 (Steve) was nice enough to begin CAD'g a custom solution but by the time we traded a few emails, I already decided that it might be too much trouble.

Thus, I reverted back to Randy's solution with one modification: I wanted the step tubes to stick out farther. I know a few Xterra and Pathfinder owners who aren't happy because the tubes don't stick out far enough. Dirt and mud tends to accumulate between the small gap between the step tubes and the bottom of the cab. No big deal to me because I know to be careful, but since I host clients every few weeks, it could get a few pant cuffs muddy.

The First Cuts
To start, remove the top plastic cover of the step tubes cut off exactly 5" off each step tube. Mark it with masking tape and/or a Sharpie pen and then cut it off with the hacksaw. One interesting note: the tubes are extremely light and easy to cut because they are made of aluminum.

Unbolt the arms from the step tube and cut off the four 1/4" mounting plates and the weld flash. Since I only had a hacksaw, it took some time cut the mounting plates off. Here's a good tip: after you are done cutting the plate and flash off an arm, take your Sharpie and mark the bottom side of the arm "cradle" with its position (i.e. LF, LR, RF, and RR). Here is a pic of one with the end cut off:

And here's one with the flash clealy removed:

The Aluminum Blocks
I went to the local metal shop with one of the mounting plates I cut off and had them cut 1" aluminum blocks of the same size. I then traced 2 holes in each block and began drilling with my cordless drill (big mistake). I wish I had a drill press for this operation as it took nearly 30 minutes for *each* hole. My neighbor had great pity on me and loaned me his corded drill and tapping/drill oil. Here is a pic of an unfinished block to show the width of the block:

And here's a pic of the blocks with the holes cut into them. Labeled each block for the welder. A good tip: Mark the position between the two holes. See LR? That is where the welder will weld the arms. I did the other ones correctly.

After a frustrating search for a reputable aluminum welder, I finally found one (only 1 of 3 within 10 miles of my place) and he welded the cut arms to the aluminum blocks. He offset the arms by about 5/8" from the edge. Here is a pic of the completed arms:

Mounting Arms Back onto Step Tubes
Due to the position of the front arms and bolt holes relative to the front frame crossmember, the front arms (for both sides) needs to be bolted towards the rear of the step tubes. I utilized 2 of the front holes (2 out of 4) and used two self-tapping screws to secure the other holes.

Some Things to Know about the Frame and the Gas Tank
The frame itself should be view in two dimensions. First, if you are under the 4runner and looking up, the width of the frame varies from front to back. The front part near the front cross member is thicker. Sorry, I don't have the measurement but take a look and you'll see. Second, the frame's height is consistent in height, but the top part of it is difficult to utilize power tools because the lower part of the body prevents access to it.

The gas tank is located on the driver's side underneath the left passenger seat. Since there is very little clearance between the inner wall of the frame and the gas tank, there is really no way besides tapping a threaded hole to secure the driver's side rear bolts.

Mounting on the Frame
Here's where my total lack of planning significantly lengthened the time it took to finish the project. Since I had the blocks welded vertically, the top holes are impossible to drill effectively because the bottom part of the 4runner body overhangs in such a way that it is impossible to drill it perpendicularly w/ a conventional drill. I went to Home Depot to see if a right angle drill would work, but the minimum clearance is 5 inches. Had I thought things out, it would have been better to weld the blocks horizontally. Oh well.

Mounting the Passenger Side
This side is the easier of the two. Because the front mounting point on the frame is thicker, you will need a longer bolt for the bottom front hole. For the top hole, you will need a bit to drill a small pilot hole on an upwards angle, and then drill another 11/32" hole to create a hole for the 10mm tap. Here is a close up:

The rear passenger side is just like the front passenger side. However, since the frame is a little thinner, you will need shorter bolts (I believe it was 1/2" smaller). As explained above, you can drill the bottom hole all the way through with no problem. You will have to drill and tap the top hole just like you did for the front. Here's what it looks like with the metric 10mm bolt up top and the standard bolt at the bottom:

Mounting the Driver's Side
This side was more difficult for one reason alone: the gas tank. The ability to drill and fasten a bolt through both walls of the rear part of the frame is prevented because the location of the tank. There is virtually little clearance between the inner frame wall and the outside protective cover of the tank:

Thus, you will need to drill and tap both the top and bottom holes for the driver's side rear. The front position is just like the passenger side.

Comments and Learning Points
- This mod really isn't a mod that will save you *significant* money. Luckily, I got the step tubes free. However when I was looking around, I was quoted anywhere from $50 to $200. Aside from the step tube cost, your most significant cost will probably be the welding. Good aluminum welders are hard to find, but that might depend on the area you live in. The bolts and other miscellaneous hardware will cost you about $20-$25 total.

- Drill press, drill press, drill press! As I said above, I drilled the holes with a regular drill. What a total waste of time. Along those lines, if you have access to a metal cutting saw (NOT a sawzall), your cutting time will be significantly reduced. I opted not to use a sawzall to cut off the original mounting plates because I was concerned about losing too much of the arm and making them too uneven.

- I was initially worried that the threaded holes/bolts would deform and "give" under daily use, but this thing is rock solid. If I were to do this again, I might have used all standard bolt sizes instead of the metric bolts for the tapped holes and standard for the long, bottom bolts. But given I had the metric taps already, I didn't want to spend more money on another tap set.

- See if your welder can weld the two self-tapping screws on the re-mounted front arms. I attached 2 of the 4 holes with self-tapping screws but since the metal is so thin, I have my long-term doubts that they will hold up.

Here are some pics of the completed project on the next page.

Questions or feedback? Email me and I'll try to get back to you. If this article helped you save time, money or just made things more convenient for you, please consider donating to keep this site alive.