Make your own nerf bars - any ideas?

[Blakers]

I'm thinking about making my own nerf bars for my new truck. Has anyone made their own? Any ideas? Pictures?



Thanks,

Blake

 

[Sticks]

Buy a set of nerf bars, duplicate the bends and brackets, return nerf bars to place of purchase.

 

[duaneparks]

On my previous truck this is what I did:



Got some 1. 5" OD Schedule 80 pipe, some 1. 25" OD Schedule 80 pipe, and welded it up the way I wanted it.



I got the idea from the "All Pro Offroad" stuff for Toyotas (gasp). The 1. 5" pipe was used for the main piece, and for the frame mounts. Shorter sections were cut to the appropriate length to weld to the frame and position the long horizontal pipe directly beneath the pinch seam.



Off that main section, the 1. 25" was bent to shape and welded up with a couple of "spanners" fishmouthed to clean up the look. The 1. 25" was angled up like the All Pro Offroad stuff and then some really good grip tape was added after they were painted with Krylon Satin Black.



They're mounted on the Dodge in these pics:



http://community.webshots.com/album/18001944GggJKocnov



This is the truck I used for my "inspiration" on them. I wanted the steps to be heavy duty, and they were:



http://www.frankentaco.com/



HTH.



Duane

 

[Blakers]

Originally posted by sticks

Buy a set of nerf bars, duplicate the bends and brackets, return nerf bars to place of purchase.

Thanks, but I want to make them better and different than store-bought ones. Otherwise I would just buy them.

 

[Blakers]

Thanks Duane. I just can't see the nerf bars on your truck though.



Blake

 

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Blakers

Thanks, but I want to make them better and different than store-bought ones. Otherwise I would just buy them.

Don't take this wrong, but nerf bars are nerf bars, and they all pretty much look and are built the same.



If you want to be different from the nerf bars, running boards (molded and diamond plate), and steps, use a different type of material. 3" anchor chain, 3" braided cable, roll some 1/2" diamond mesh.

 

[Blakers]

I was thinking about using square tubing instead of round. I've seen some made that way.



I should wait and go to one of the 4 Wheel Jamborees and see if I find something to get an idea from. There's always lots of custom stuff at those shows.



Blake

 

[GHill]

I've been working on a set for my truck. I used 4X2X. 188 square stock for the main tubing. In two places I welded 2X2 square tubing toward the frame which slides into receiver stock (2. 5X2. 5X. 237). The receiver stock is welded to 5X3 angle iron which is bolted to existing holes in the frame. The nerf bars are loosely modeled after the WAAG style kick-outs for dually trucks. The reason for the receiver stock is so the nerf bars could be easily removed and re-installed. I plan to use some sort of textured roll on bedliner to finish them.

 

[Blakers]

Thanks GHill,



It sounds like a nice job. Does the 2x4 tubing lie vertical or horizontal? How high are the stepping surfaces above the ground or below the rocker panel?



Is receiver stock readily available from steel suppliers?



Do you have any pics?



Take care and thanks,

'

Blake

 

[Clinton]

Funny you should mention it, I started working on some this weekend. I had a couple of projects to do and went to my buddy's shop to use his MIG machine. I didn't get around to much on these besides design as fabrication on a few other projects took so long. I'm going to try to finish later in mid-June.



Here's what I'm thinking: 2"x2" square tubes with 0. 25" wall thickness for the bars and mounts. The mounts will be welded to 0. 25" plates that bolt to the frame. The bolts will go through crush sleeves/bushings that will be welded to either the back side of the plates or into the frame. Yes, these will be very heavy and labor intensive. Besides cab protection, the main design goal is to be able to lift the front wheels with a Hi-lift. If off-roading is important to you, I think you should use heavy material as alot of the production stuff can easily bend and the nerf bar will be what pushes up and into your sheet metal. I've been told to hold the bars at least 2" from the cab as there is that much flex in the body mounts. Good luck.

 

[Blakers]

Thanks Clinton,



Those should work good. Have any idea how high the step will be off the ground? Anyone know what the store bought nerf bars are in height?



I don't want to lose too much clearance, but want my wife and mom to be able to get into the truck easily.



I'm thinking of mounting them the same way Westin does - to the cab bolts - but with heavier material. These trucks have tubular frames, so drilling the frame and using bushings between the frame halves may be more difficult.



Was thinking of running the nerf bars up by the rocker panels and then dropping down sections for the steps. But that may make the steps too low and prone to hitting stuff. Might be a good modification later if more lift is added.



What about tread material on the steps? The easiest would probably be the stick on step tape, but I was thinking of expanded metal, re-bar or diamond plate. Any thoughts?



I want to add some LED lights to the bars too.



Thanks.



Hey... 1000th Post!!!!

 

[GHill]

Blakers,



Sorry about the delay writing back, I only get on here every few days.

The place I buy steel had receiver stock on hand and was priced similar to regular tubing.

The steps sit horizontally.

The top of the steps are approx. 3 inches below the rockers. I look at every truck with nerf bars lately and some are tucked right up tight and some hang way down. I wanted mine to be up fairly close to the rockers but still functional. So far I think they've turned out decent but the fun of it for me is getting out in the shop and welding/grinding. I dont have a digital camera but if you're interested I would be glad to take a few pictures and send them to you along with the price of the steel I've purchased.

 

[Blakers]

I've been throwing the idea around in my head - yea, I can sometimes hear it bouncing around off the inside of my head in there - I'm considering maybe using some 2x6 or 3x6 tubing stock of about 3/16" wall. Maybe use some pieces of boiler tubes coming out from the frame to support them? I may run them back hehind the cab too so the step can be used to reach into the box easier.



Blake

 

[Blakers]

Here they are!

Ok, I got my nerf bars done. Check them out here...



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and



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Sorry about the muddy truck, but I just drove down an abandoned railroad grade the day before.



Blake

 

[duaneparks]

Those look nice! Have you applied grip tape to them to keep them from being slippery? NOTHING will wake you up like hitting your shin on a metal tube after sliding off of it.



I picked up a roll of tape that had a texture similar to bedliner and put it on my previous steps, and a friend of mine picked up the kind we used to put on skateboards... feels like fine sandpaper... to put on his custom rear bumper. Both held up well.



Duane

 

[Blakers]

Thanks!



Yes. I got the 3M stuff at the hardware store in 2" width. Works great!

 

[plntmgr]

I went to my independent muffler shop and had the 4" exhaust tubing bent, steps welded on, then welded to the frame with steel plates. They went to the rear wheels. After I had them powder coated, they looked real good.

 

[Blakers]

After being on my truck a little over a month, my nerf bars are starting to get stone chipped pretty badly. So I need to take them off, sand blast them and repaint.



What do you guys suggest for making them chip-proof? Someone mentioned some 3M clear chip-proof coating that you can put over paint? What about a bed coating? I know Line-X is highly spoken of on here. Would that hold up well?



Thank,



Blake

 

[duaneparks]

Yes, line-x or an equivalent will work. However, your steps will most likely end up black, unless you pay extra for a close approximation of the color of your truck.



I don't have line-x on my steps, but I have it on my front and rear bumpers as well as the bed. It has held up well and there have been no ill side effects from having it on there.



HTH.



Duane

 

[Blakers]

Thanks Duane,



I think they'd look fine black. And I wouldn't need the non-skid tape with the Line-X, would I? Does the stuff have good grip?



Blake