Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

What about filling tube steps with home depot canned expanding foam.
It doesn't weigh much and would fill the cavity and drys very hard.

It has been done on motorcycles to stop vibration of handlebars.

They might be less prone to bending or denting .I have done mild to moderate wheeling with them on and havent had problems ,I try to be carefull.
For some of the sick all day wheeling as done in a off road park I would remove them.

Question is would whould it make a big difference. :confused: or any difference?.

Just thinking out load :rolleyes: :D

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

It's not the steps that are the issue in this circumstance, it is the brackets that will bend them up into you door.

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

I don't think this will help you like you think it will. Bebe is right about the brackets and foam is just foam... I doubt that it would have stopped this:






(Oh, BTW, I have no idea who this is... Hope it not any of you guys)

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Take the steps off and get the rock rails!

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Maybee gm should have put a bracket in the middle?
I guess I will be carefull, keep it light and have the wife spot when in dought.Otherwise i'll take them off if im planning a day of wheeling .:cool:

My wifes 5 ' 2" she likes the steps.

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

That's probably a product of the dealer saying, "Oh yeah, you can wheel with these steps on. They don't have to come off like on the H2. They don't hang lower than anything on the rest of the vehicle." They said that to me, and I know better now to never listen to a salesman.

The whole foam idea. I think really the problem would just be getting the foam into the center of the steps, unless you can take off the plastic traction things and fill from there. Otherwise, this stuff will probably never reach the middle. Also, it might just decide to eat the finish off the chrome if you get any on it, which is a good possibility with this stuff. I think that the step will bend, filled or open. If it doesn't bend, your brackets will (which is probably what was said before). Just discard the steps, and step up in. I took them off my H2 a long time ago after I somehow bent one on a stump in some grass. Actually, the chrome rail was fine. It was my brackets that bent. So, depending on the impact, your brackets might go first anyway.

And finally, why is that guy in the picture in that position? It looks like there were better lines to take than that one.

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

My GF is 4'11" and keeps bitching that I too the steps off :mad:

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

On the other hand, the way those steps stick out, they have most likely protected me from countless door dings in tight parking lots!!! I like them because I can use them to reach the board rack on top. I'm only 5' 8", but with size 12 feet!!!!

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Yea my wife is 5'2" and uses the steps everytime.

S.

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Wife is of average height but still bitched about not having the U-Steps on. At least the U-Steps are EASY to put on/off. All four can be done in about 10-15 minutes.

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Yeah, I don't see any structural benefit from foam by itself. You'd have to fab up some trick brackets out of bondo, duct tape and chicken wire. Now that might do the trick. :D

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

If you can hold off, I have a company that is making quick release brackets for the side steps that will attach to the rock rails.

Leave the rails on all the time, remove the side steps quickly and easily.

Sound good?

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Yeh I thought it probobly wouldnt do any good.
If I damage them they will come off.
Its easy to clean the roof with them,or put somrthing non the roof.

I dont think it will take more than 10 minuted to take off both steps when needed.
Maybee ill get a 12 volt impact wrench to pop them off.


Option 2 ...fill with cement :eek: :confused: :rolleyes: :)


If you can hold off, I have a company that is making quick release brackets for the side steps that will attach to the rock rails.


List pics and info when available:cool:

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Bebe, I love you :p

Keep me posted please.

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Lucky me, Wife is 5-9 and does not need them, said "get those rocker things" So I don't need them. Don't waste your time filling the tubes man, your gonna bust em anyway.

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

X2 ! :)

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Now that's a good idea, count me in...

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Luckier yet, I don't have a wife. :D

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

Foam doesn't have the structural integrity to offer any help. Even the expanding foam compresses and crumbles under pressure and would do that in the tubes.

It's added in things like bike handlebars to change the harmonics of the bar. It deadens the bar.

You would have to fill the tube with something that doesn't compress, like concrete. ;)

Re: Had an idea might be stupid you decide
 

I might have slightly different perspective than most on here. I've actually used the foam on my surburban, mostly for sound deadening, but it does have some very good structural capabilities.

Here's what I did and what happened. I filled the entire rear panels of the suburban with spray foam (the area between the inner and outer walls). I think it took 25-30 cans total (this was the really good UL-listed fireproof stuff, minimal expanding). It completely re-inforced the rear of the truck - much more sturdy, plus it made the sheetmetal so tight I could hit it with a baseball bat and wouldn't make a dent.

But, would it work on the rails? I don't know but my now ex-girlfriend ran her truck into the rear of the suburban on the sheet metal above the rear wheelwell (where it was full of spray foam). She bent her (steel) front bumper and quarter panel, and I had absolutely no damage to the suburban. Since she used the bumper and hit the sheetmetal, I figured it was the spray foam re-enforcing the sheetmetal that made the whole area bulletproof.

If you do end up doing it (can't hurt) and it hits a rock, let us know if it works.

Here's a pic of the bumper and the sub. You can kinda see the wrinkles in the subs sheetmetal where the spray foam actually expanded out the side of the rig. The bumper bent back about 8-10", enough to push the wheel well into the tire.