The short answer: the right Grenadier side step depends entirely on which mounting system it uses — hinge-bolt, body/chassis plate, or full rocker-rail — and each one installs differently. The DVA SideStep mounts to the rear door hinge bolts with no drilling in about 30 minutes per side. OEM running board steps bolt to factory body plates and a center chassis bracket (15 mm and 18 mm hardware, allow 3 hours). Rock slider steps clamp to the rocker rail with M10 and M12 hardware and typically require two people. Get the mount type wrong before you buy, and you're returning a 15 kg box.
- Roof access priority → DVA SideStep (hinge-bolt, no drill, 30 min, folds flush when not in use)
- Entry step + OEM look → INEOS factory running board (body/chassis plate mount, 15 kg each, 3 hrs both sides)
- Entry step + rocker protection → rock slider step (rocker-rail mount, M10/M12 hardware, heaviest option, two-person job)
Why the Mount Point Changes Everything
The Grenadier's body structure offers three distinct attachment zones for steps: the rear door hinge bolt pattern, the factory body-mount plates that INEOS pre-provisions on the lower sill, and the full rocker rail that runs below the floor pan. These aren't interchangeable. A step designed for one zone literally cannot mount to another without fabrication.
This matters for two reasons beyond fitment. First, each zone carries different load into a different part of the structure. The hinge-bolt zone transfers load through the door surround into the B-pillar — fine for a folding access step, not rated for sill-strike protection. The rocker rail is the structural backbone of the underbody and handles rock contact loads. Second, if you ordered your Grenadier without any factory side step or rock slider option, INEOS allows you to request a heavier spring specification — because factory side steps and sliders add meaningful weight to the lower body, and the factory spring rate reflects that. Owners who add heavy aftermarket rock sliders to a vehicle spec'd with light springs have noted a noticeable change in ride height under load.
Know your zone before you buy. All three types covered below use the correct zone for their load case.
Type 1: DVA SideStep — Hinge-Bolt Folding Step
The DVA SideStep is purpose-built for roof access, not entry step use. It mounts directly to the rear door hinge bolt pattern — no drilling anywhere on the vehicle — and folds flat against the door when stowed. The spring-lock mechanism holds it positively in both positions. At 250+ lb load capacity and cold-rolled steel construction with matte black or red powder coat, it's built for the repeated loading cycle of accessing roof rails, crossbars, and rooftop tents.
What you need
- DVA SideStep set (driver + passenger, 2 pc)
- 15 mm socket or spanner (rear door hinge bolt size)
- Torque wrench
- Anti-seize compound (optional but recommended for aluminum-to-steel contact)
- 30 minutes per side, single person
Install sequence
The DVA SideStep ships with all mounting hardware. Each step uses the existing hinge bolt pattern — no new holes. Open the rear door fully to expose the hinge bolts. Remove the specified bolts (the SideStep bracket interfaces directly with these), seat the bracket, and reinstall the bolts through the bracket into the existing captive threads. Torque to spec. Deploy the step to confirm spring-lock engagement in both positions — the step should lock with a positive click in both stowed and deployed, with no rattle or rotation under hand pressure. Repeat on the other side.
Both Wagon and Quartermaster variants are supported. The hinge bolt pattern is identical across both body styles.
Cold-rolled steel, spring-lock in both positions, matte black or red powder coat. 250+ lb load capacity. No drilling, no permanent modification. Fits Wagon and Quartermaster. View DVA SideStep →
Type 2: OEM Running Board — Body/Chassis Plate Mount
The factory INEOS running board steps are handed — each comes boxed separately with its own hardware, and the boxes are approximately 1.8 m long (they won't fit in the back of the Grenadier without folding the rear seats). Hardware is included but tight: exactly enough bolts with no spares, so don't lose anything during the unboxing.
Hardware included per side
| Mount Location | Fastener | Tool Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front body plate | 4× M10 bolts | 15 mm socket | Into captive welded nuts on body plate |
| Rear body plate | 4× M10 bolts + nuts | 15 mm socket + spanner | Nut-and-bolt through body plate |
| Centre chassis bracket | 3× M12 bolts | 18 mm socket | Into captive chassis nuts; angled gap is normal |
Each step weighs approximately 15 kg (33 lb). That's heavy enough that one-person installation requires a workaround. The approach that works: use a screw jack under one end of the step to hold it at mount height, slack-fit the two bolts on that end, then lower the jack and repeat at the other end. With both ends loosely supported by their bolts, the center chassis bracket aligns easily. Then torque all fasteners to spec.
Fitting was a doddle — or it would have been with two working hands. Each step is about 15 kilo, more than I could lift, hold and bolt. So I dug out a screw jack, jacked one end up, slack fitted two bolts and repeated that at the other. With the whole thing floppy, the centre mount was easy. Total time was 3 hours for the lot, both sides.
— Forum member, TheIneosForum.com — Fitting Ineos Side Steps (2023)
The center chassis bracket mud trap
The OEM center chassis mount has an angled gap where the side bolt geometry prevents the bracket plate from sitting fully flush against the chassis wall. This gap is a known mud and water trap. Before torquing down, treat the gap and the exposed bracket with a corrosion inhibitor — Bilt-Hamber Dynax S50 or equivalent wax-injection product works well here. The step itself has a thin powder coat that benefits from the same treatment on all non-visible bolt threads and contact surfaces before final assembly.
One-side alignment issue
Forum data from multiple installs indicates the near-side (passenger side on RHD vehicles, driver side on LHD) center chassis bolt hole can be slightly misaligned with the captive nut in the chassis wall. A small amount of file work to open up the bracket hole resolves this — it's not a defect, it's a casting tolerance issue. Don't force the bolt; enlarge the bracket hole slightly to achieve alignment.
Type 3: Rock Slider Steps — Rocker Rail Mount
Rock slider steps mount to the Grenadier's structural rocker rail below the floor pan. They're the heaviest option and the most installation-intensive, but they serve a dual purpose: entry step and sill protection against rock strikes. Hardware for aftermarket rock slider steps typically follows the same mounting pattern INEOS uses for the factory sliders:
- Front mounting points: M10 × 1.5 bolts (Grade 8 / 10.9)
- Center mounting points: M12 × 1.5 bolts with 18 mm OD washers (Grade 8 / 10.9)
- Rear mounting points: M10 × 1.5 bolts
Most aftermarket slider steps use 4 bracket plates per side (8 total), each bolting through the rocker rail to distribute the strike load. This is not a one-person job — the combined weight of brackets plus slider plus step surface typically exceeds 20 kg per side before hardware. Two people and a jack stand for step alignment is the standard forum approach.
One important consideration before installing rock sliders: if your Grenadier was spec'd from the factory without side steps or rock sliders, the suspension was set up for a lighter lower body. Heavier aftermarket sliders add significant unsprung weight low on the vehicle. If you notice a change in ride height or handling after installation, the fix is a spring rate consultation — not a slider removal.
My design criteria: able to carry 100 kg, fend off low scrub and not protrude more than about 25 mm, have minimal impact on the performance of the sliders, and able to be removed in the field in the event of damage. Mounting is 50 mm U-bolts running parallel to the chassis to slide over rocks, tree trunks, etc.
— Forum member DaBull, TheIneosForum.com — Side Steps: Build Your Own (July 2024)
Common Mistakes Across All Three Types
Mistake 1: Not pre-treating contact surfaces
Powder coat is thin on all three step types. Unpainted metal-to-metal contacts (bolt threads, bracket faces, chassis contact surfaces) will corrode if not treated before final assembly. Wax injection into blind cavities (particularly the OEM center chassis bracket gap) is not optional in any climate with road salt or regular water crossing.
Mistake 2: Over-torquing into captive nuts
The front and center captive chassis nuts are welded fixtures — they don't rotate when the bolt is driven. If you over-torque and strip the thread engagement, there's no easy field fix. Torque to spec, not to feel. Use a calibrated torque wrench, not a ratchet-and-grunt approach.
Mistake 3: Installing before checking spring spec
If you're adding heavy rock sliders (over 18 kg per side) to a Grenadier that was ordered without any step or slider option, check your current spring rate before installing. The factory suspension specification differs between "no steps" and "with steps/sliders" builds. This is a detail most owners discover after the fact.
Mistake 4: Wrong step type for the primary use case
OEM running boards are entry steps, not roof access steps. If your primary use case is loading roof cargo or deploying a rooftop tent, a low-profile folding step at hinge height is a better tool than a full-length running board. The DVA SideStep was designed for exactly this use case — it positions the step platform at the correct height for accessing the DVA DualTrack™ roof rail system without the weight, complexity, or permanent modification of a full running board install.
DVA Products for the Grenadier Step & Roof Access System
If your goal is repeatable roof access — loading crossbars, securing cargo, deploying a tent — the DVA SideStep is the most direct solution. It mounts to what's already on the Grenadier (door hinge hardware), adds zero modification, and folds out of the way when you don't need it. For owners who also want to install a DVA DualTrack™ roof rail system, the SideStep is the standard access solution for that platform — same no-drill philosophy, same powder coat finishes.
The Grenadier roof rail platform for crossbars, solar, lighting, and cargo. L-Track + T-Slot dual-channel design. Bolt-to-grab-handle mount, no drilling. View DVA DualTrack™ →
Both the SideStep and the DualTrack system are part of the DVA Vehicle Utility Systems approach to the Grenadier: build around the existing attachment points the vehicle already has, avoid permanent modification, and make each component independently removable. Browse the full Grenadier accessories collection for hardware that follows the same philosophy.
