I have had a real issue trying to find a low step for the Jeep. My wife injured her knee in a kayaking accident and just cannot climb into the Jeep. I bought a stool - but that is a pain and I hate running around like the coachman. I bought the slider step by Bestop, which you pull out. When it is out, the step is 12" from the ground which is perfect. BUT they rub on the sheet metal of the Jeep wearing the paint and denting the area where they mount. Not very well thought out. I returned those and got the N Fab steps. The step is 15.5 inches high which works pretty well without totally wiping out the ground clearance. I had Line X applied to the area screwed up by the Bestop steps.

 

Are you talking about this Bestop model?

I don't understand how it can damage the paint?

 

yes - where it touches the sheet metal it rubs a line in the paint and it is so tight it dents the sheet metal. I usually like their stuff.....but had no luck with this.

 

follow up -

The mounting brackets for this attaches to the pinch weld and the Jeep bottom. When you put the screws through the plate into the mounting bracket it pulls the plate against the side of the sheet metal. In your picture at the top of the black steel plate is a piece of molding which presses against the side of the jeep. When the body flexes, the molding and sheet metal rub against each other. Add dirt and you have sand paper! After a week, I removed the steps and had a line. The other problem I had was tightening the screws pulled the plate so tight against the sheet metal it left a small dent. I don't think the plate followed the contour of the Jeep very well. The spring for retracting the step is a bungee cord inside the tube. I think it is a interesting concept but the mounting needs work....I called Bestop and apparently no one else has had a problem...

 

dfj- nice looking Rubi- that step looks great!

 

Thanks for the info. I'm upset because I wanted to buy this model after my 4" lift kit....