Nerf Bar Suggestions

[Hemiless]

I'm looking to put on some nerf bars on my QC 02 dodge. The last set of nerf bars I put on my 94 ram were brushed Aluminum and they stained and got really slick in the winter and rain. For that reason I'm looking for SS nerf bars that have the recessed rubber steps. I would like the steps to be powder coated black as I'm not fond of all the shiny stuff.



Any Idea's on what brand to purchase? And from Where? The Shipping cost to Alaska always kills me.



Also has anyone mounted 4 of the ultra or elite style steps on their quad cab? If so do you have any pictures of what that looks like as I'm also pondering that option.

 

[RO'neal]

I'm running the black Westins and I like them. However... as soon as I pay off a few other goodies I plan on getting 4 Kodiak Sidewinders.

 

[Sparky10]

Go with Westin Platinum Series Step Bars. Stainless Steel, no cut out for the step, it is recessed. I have them on my truck and love them.



They also have a life time warrenty. One of my plastic step pads was starting to come off and I called Westing and they sent a new one free right away. Great company to do busniess with.



Got them from Summit Racing. They had the best prices I could find. And shipped right away!



IMO



Scott

 

[Steve G]

Westins!

 

[boonsur]

One thing (I've been told) to avoid are the styles, where the tube "wraps" under the truck. This can be a collection area for snow (salt). Many trucks around here have rust on the rockers at these points.



I'm going to try Westin Ovals. They are aluminum (lightweight) with chrome plating (longevity). Someone suggested AZTrucks was a good place to buy. Their prices seem in-line with others I've seen.

 

[Hemiless]

Ordered the Westins

Thanks for the Suggestions I ended up ordering the Westin Platinum’s in Black Part# 26-1245.

I found the best price and service from http://www.linextruckaccessorycenter.com I Talked to David the owner and the final price was $239 plus $32 to have them delivered to Kenai Alaska. That beat everyone else's delivered price by $70-$100.





I would highly recommend dealing with David at line-X Truck Accessory Center in Atlanta Georgia.

 

[Blakers]

Do these actually bolt to or weld to the frame so they really protect the truck from impact? Or are they just cosmetic and for steps?

 

[Loren]

Blakers,



The Westins bolt to brackets attached to the frame. You remove the bolts holding the cab on and install the brackets with the longer bolts provided.



There is a strap to provide stability that runs from the nerf bar up to the sheet metal on the cab. It screws into the sheet metal via a self-drilling, self-tapping screw. You could probably leave this strap off if you were willing to put up with some give as you stand on the step.



A neighbor of mine has these on his Ford and ran into a ditch. The truck was resting on the nerf bar on one side. It held the truck up and suffered no damage.



I have them on my truck and like them. It's a very easy installation.



Loren

 

[klenger]

Here are the installation instructions for the Westins.



http://www.klenger.net/dodge/westin-bar-installation.pdf

 

[markdixon]

Has anyone used the Putco Boss nerf bars ? I was going to give them a try. Wanted something a little diff.

 

[mediccummin]

These look nice

These look pretty sweet, if your not into that big bulky looking stuff and interested in a pre-runner style instead http://n-fab.com/

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Beware the undocumented feature!!

Originally posted by Hemiless

The Shipping cost to Alaska always kills me.

I know what you mean, Europe ain't much better, probably worse. I've had my WAAGs on for almost three years now. They came powder coated black, a durable finish based upon a powder coating depth I would say between 75 and 100 microns and have stood up very well to all year round weather conditions on a daily driver that has now almost 40k miles on the odometer. I would recommend them without hesitation... . BUT if you're ever going to consider a slide-in camper, then you should also be aware that certain camper tie-down configurations are not fully compatible with certain Nerf bar types.



As this subject is a little "off-topic," I won't elaborate further here so that the responses from other TDR members focuses on the feedback you need. For now, it's sufficient to be aware of this undocumented feature :{

 

[Mundgyver]

When I had the bed of my truck Line-X'd the dealer has a set of Westin Step bars that were black and were scratched up in shipping. Normal price was around $150. I got them for $60 and then asked him if he would Line-X them when he shot the bed and I would install them.



They match the truck real nice. And were cheap as he did not charge me for the additional Line-X

 

[ecpeters]

I have westins I would not bye them again. When I installed them I found that they do not have mirror image parts for the left and right sides but use the same brackets on both sides. When I called them up to talk about the fact that one side could catch snow and such their engineer told me I did not understand anything about design. I told him 6 years of drafting & machine shop work left me more than qualified for such a simple fix. It's purely a cost saving for the manufacturer to make one part and turn it around for the other side. They come from the west coast so snow not such a problem to them. Thats my 2 cents worth.

 

[aram2nv]

Check out the steel horse stainless bars they are great and only cost like $250 from www.Summitracing.com. They were not in stock when I ordered mine but they did get them in very shortly, after ordering.

Good Luck!

Jason

 

[Mtngoat]

Westins look great and are easy to install, can't go wrong with them!



Robin

 

[desert_thunder]

I give Smittybilt 4 STARS. Very easy to install.





97, 2500, 4x4, SLT, 3. 54, 12v, X Cab, TST # 5 plate, PDR 3k Gov. Sp, AFe Magnum Force, BD torque converter. BD valve body, BD ex brake, Mag-pan, KDP Replaced, Banks Stinger Plus System, Gauges (EGT, Boost, & Trans Temp), 3. 5” exhaust.