Side Steps and side airbags incompatible?

[Mayhem Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Mayhem]

Like may prado owners I have been wanting some stronger side steps. There's been lots of reasons suggested for why they aren't easily available but the latest ARB newsletter features a letter from a reader and the response from an ARB engineer makes good sense. Coincidently the latest Overlander (July 08) also has an article on ARB's work with the new LC200 and the same argument is expanded on by the writer.

The June ARB Quarterly (p14) says

By making the step more rigid than the vehicle manufacturer’s step, it would also make the side of the car stiffer in a side impact. Before you say this is good news, it also unfortunately means that the side air curtain triggering sequence can be affected by the stiffer step. What could happen is that the air curtain triggering system interprets a higher acceleration due to the rigid step and deploys the air curtain when it is either not needed, or earlier than is intended. If the air curtain deploys prematurely it will also deflate prematurely, and this can have serious consequences in
the event of an accident.

[vx05 Member Find all posts View Profile Close vx05]

This was also what I was told by the local service centre. They rang their contact at TJM and were told that it is on the 'to do list'.
Apparently with the Option pack that includes the curtain bags becoming more popular they may look at it sooner rather than later. I believe that with the R&D required to make it work they would need to sell quite a few units to recoup their investment.

Here is where Toyota jump in and say "Are these the steel slider/steps you've been looking for? They're our latest dealer fit accessory"

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

They rang their contact at TJM and were told that it is on the 'to do list'.

Must be a long "to do list", neither ARB or TJM do sliders for us poor folk with non side air bag Prados...

Mick

[vx05 Member Find all posts View Profile Close vx05]

Well Mick,
When you driving a vehicle which sells so few units, you've got to expect to wait a bit for the aftermarket to catch up to the new models

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

When you driving a vehicle which sells so few units, you've got to expect to wait a bit for the aftermarket to catch up to the new models

Hmm.... it's been 5 years.. still no 120 series sliders.

[dustie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dustie]

Find your comments hard to Stomach VX05. Prado is one of Australia's best selling 4wd's ??

couldn't stomach, so I fitted the ATS sliders and very happy. . Now the missus has to climb 2" higher and with my recent suspension lift may have to fix a ladder

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

Aren't the airbag sensors inertia activated?

I wouldnt think that transfering side impact to the chassis as a bad thing.
If the impact was big enough then the sensors would surely operate.
Or am i about to be corrected????

[Mayhem Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Mayhem]

I wouldnt think that transfering side impact to the chassis as a bad thing. If the impact was big enough then the sensors would surely operate.

Yep - apparently that's precisely the problem. I guess the stock side steps are pretty easily deformed and stop some of the impact being transferred to the chassis preventing the sensors from being set off too early. It can be exhilarating (scary) enough hearing your side steps unexpectedly bang against some object without the airbags going off as well - that would really spoil the day. :shock: Probably take a while to clean the upholstery too!

I can't imagine this is a prado only problem. Surely the R&D costs in developing airbag compliant side steps could be easily amortised across a wide range of vehicles. Actually there's no reason why the R&D has to be local - hasn't this been solved by anyone, anywhere in the world? If it has been done, why not buy the knowhow and then apply it to the local products.

[vx05 Member Find all posts View Profile Close vx05]

Find your comments hard to Stomach VX05. Prado is one of Australia's best selling 4wd's ??

Didn't think I'd need to include a :wink: with that one, but there you go.

Toyota sells 1100+ prados a month, it's now the only proper 4wd that rates a mention in the monthly sales figures for medium size wagons and it seems that just about 1 in 3 cars around our way is a black Grande. Unfortunately, so few of them, as a percentage of sales, actually make it off road that the larger aftermarket suppliers seem not to view them in the same way as say a 200 series.
Also, various bits and pieces on the chassis seem to be different between manuals and autos, and I guess the diesels and petrols too, which would make it that much harder for them to sort out mounting points on the chassis for things like steps.

Mayhem,
I live in hope that some decent steps will be available soon, but I will certainly not be holding my breath

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

I live in hope that some decent steps will be available soon, but I will certainly not be holding my breath

While TJM and ARB don't make 120 sliders, ATS in Melbourne do. Have you had a look at theirs? Look the goods to me....

Mick

[vx05 Member Find all posts View Profile Close vx05]

Mick,
Unfortunately, I think the ATS sliders have the same problem with the side airbags, which we have on the vx. Happy to be corrected, because even at $800 - $900 they look like a very good insurance policy, because straightening a sill and replacing a toyota step would no doubt cost a whole heap more.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Unfortunately, I think the ATS sliders have the same problem with the side airbags, which we have on the vx. Happy to be corrected, because even at $800 - $900 they look like a very good insurance policy, because straightening a sill and replacing a toyota step would no doubt cost a whole heap more.

Yeah I think your right, can't see them being compatible now I think about it.

Mick

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Cheezy also makes sliders for non-side-airbag vehicles
http://www.cheezyracing.com.au/Cr_Produ ... erBars.htm

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Farout these things are expensive.. :shock:

I should start producing them!! looks like a $100 (or so) in materials, 2-3 hours to fabricate them, $150-225... so $325 all up. Call it $400-450 inc powder coating. Hmmmm ...... could be a good side line...

Mick

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

When I said I thought the sensors were inertia actuated, I should have also said that I think they are also directional.
So if you copped a whack from below I would not expect them to fire. Also if it was a front impact I wouldn't expect the side bags to go off.
So with that thinking I would assume (there's that word again) that side steps/ sliders would not hinder the triggering of side impact airbags.
If your going off a step and the sliders cop a beating, the direction of the shunt would be unnoticeable to the side sensors. if you copped a shunt from the side however, sliders being more structurally stiffer and better at transferring energy to the frame, would have some impact on the activation timing of the side sensors, but how many hits would be at side step level, most would be door level, and that's the body not the chassis (rubber mounts) and the sensors are body mounted.
At any rate, I would presume that the changes in activation would be so small they may as well be called zero...
But saying that, the way the litigation is in this climate, one would need to do the testing or risk being up for millions later, weather it was justified or not.