4M Q7 Side Steps/stepboards

[wayne99]

Long time lurker and first time poster.......

I purchased a 2015 (65 plate, September build) 4M Q7 last August, which I absolutly love. Coming from a A5 and A6 its incredible tech and all however, I've recently been looking at adding side steps for 2 reasons:
1. It will assist the other half getting in the vehicle and not scrapping along the bolster damaging the seat (I'm guilty sometimes to)

2. With it being so large when parked I'm hoping that the other car doors hit the side steps before the bodywork.

I'm coming up against a few problems, when discussing with Peterborough and Huntingdon Audi they are telling me that all of the securing equipment is available to order on the system but the physical step boards aren't. I've also tried 4 x 4 Direct in Derby and they are advising that I purchase the step boards for the 2005-2015 model years. These look more likely to fit the 4L model and I'm positive there are differences.
I seem to remember when originally researching this back in August that there also maybe some issues on the chassis where it doesn't have the structural rigidity to support these being used but I cant find that article/forum post (can anyone confirm?)

So my question is, has anyone fitted step boards to a early 4M model and if so where did you get them from? and what was the fitting like?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Wayne

[Papereyes]

Do you have the all wheel steering as an option on your car.

I have them in mine and the side boards aren't compatible if you have this option.

Also think you can't fit the 4L boards into the 4m

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[wayne99]

Thanks for the reply,

No the all wheel steering isn't an option that I have.

I was 99.99% positive that was the wrong information from 4 x 4 direct but its nice to hear it again so its not a mistake to make.

[Papereyes]

I do remember that the first 4m also had issues with the mounting points for side boards and think it was updated in MY17 but think Andy or someone else can confirm

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[MFGF]

I do remember that the first 4m also had issues with the mounting points for side boards and think it was updated in MY17 but think Andy or someone else can confirm

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Hi,

I found the original thread on this. The official line from Audi is that you can't have OEM running boards on any car built pre Jan 2016 as the necessary floor strengthening isn't present. You can't have OEM running boards on any car with AWS as the added weight puts the car over its weight limit of 3 tonnes.

Here are links:

New Q7 running boards - Page 31
New Q7 running boards - Page 32

There appear to be many people with non-OEM running boards on pre-Jan 2016 cars and cars with AWS though. I think Andy has done a couple. Might be worth you reaching out to him?

Cheers!

MF.

[wayne99]

Thanks MFGF,

That's the exact forum thread that I was talking about (I didn't realise it was 30 plus pages long but it was a good read over the weekend)

I was as I remember then that OEM running boards aren't able to be fitted hence the unable to order stance from both local garages.

I would be interest to hear from anyone who has fitted non OEM running boards to pre Jan 2016 cars and how the lack of floor

strengthening holds up in comparison?
Ill try and reach out to Andy as he seems very knowledgeable on literally everything.

Thanks again