Hi All.

New 2024 Defender V8 - we had the deployable side steps put on by an independent (reputable) shop because the factory ran out of the parts in the UK.

When they deploy - they don't seem to come out as far as they do in my 2023 Range Rover LWB ATB.

Whereas on my LWB - I can put my entire foot on the tread - on the defender, I really can only put my toe area (front of the shoes) on the tread.

Can anyone let me know what experience they have?

Brad

 

If you take a pic with a measuring tape, I’ll compare to my 110 with deployables.

 

Measured in full but note 1.5 inches is under the car itself thus not usable real estate.

In realty 3.5 inches of usable real estate.

 

Just to show now how it is on my 2023 autobiography LWB and my mothers 2015 LWB

 

And are these factory UK deployables? They look different than my US deployables..Mine look like these (never mind the insane e-bay price lol)

 

i know they are OEM but they do appear to be different than yours.

Just don't get the benefit of spending 5000 bucks for the deployable if they only come out as far as the fixed. Seems like no benefit.

 

@Bradley Scott sorry for the delay. Just got my car back from body shop. Here’s a couple pics of my Defender deployables. I measured from the bottom black trim piece just near the door opening.

 

I just got a quote from my dealer for the purchase and installation of the JRL OEM deployable steps onto my 2020 Defender: $7114

yikes

 

I had good luck with knock-off running boards off of EBay for my 2017 Discovery.

Has anyone had any luck (or even found) a quality aftermarket deployable side step for Defender?

 

Can I be brutally honest? (with apologies to anyone who actually has the deployable side steps)

Do not get them. They are expensive @ 7k installed. They break. They get caught on things and break. They get confused and go in when they are supposed to go out, and vice versa. They break. Oh, and they break. Did I mention -- they break? You may want to go read up on the L460 and L405 forums about the number of failures on the JLR genuine deployable steps - it is a borderline comedy how utterly disastrous the deployable side steps are for the price they are, especially in an environment that is susceptible to any corrosion.

I can justify deployable on a Range Rover or a Range Rover Sport, or an Escalade -- for aesthetic reasons, the deployable make sense, you want to hide them under the car.. but on a Defender, the truck looks good with steps sticking out. It's a Defender after all.

For a specific use case, also you can't get these motorized boards if you intend to go offroad with any vigor.

Instead - I would get the cheap fixed side steps if you are not offroading. Another option, that I did, is actual functional rock sliders that double as steps. They serve the same purpose as the deployable side steps and the Defender looks good with them on there...

I put these rock sliders on mine which also double as side steps. They do say "Tuffant" on them, so I could understand someone not liking that.

3K all in with shipping. Mjuch cheaper than 7K. The JLR side steps are wimpier, but cheaper.


side view

good stoppage


front door view

rear door view with Tuffant logo

(install photo)

can take a rock !

side view - looks good

another side view