Nerf Bars

All about Nerf Bars

What are Nerf bars?

Nerf bars are a pair of metal bars that mount to the frame of the truck and stick out just past the body. They are mainly meant to help people get in and out of their pick up trucks or SUV's. If your short, like me, a stock truck is hard to get into and out of, but with the addition of nerf bars your problem is solved.

Nerf bars are also a great accent part. These bars add to the overall look of your truck. The aftermarket is ever growing so your choice of nerf bars is almost endless. Most companies that make nerf bars make them to fit just about every truck and SUV on the market. A search for "nerf bars" will bring up many companies selling them.

Chose wisely, they are not cheap. When investing several hundred dollars on a truck accessory you need to make sure your getting a product that will last a long time. Read the warranty information, that gives you a realistic view on how long the companies expect them to hold up to the conditions.

The 3 most common types of nerf bars are:

-Black Powder Coat Finish Nerf Bars

-Standard Chrome Finish Nerf Bars

-Chrome Stainless Steel Nerf Bars (most come with a lifetime warranty.)

Black powder coated are typically the less expensive of the three. The black finish works great for all applications. If you not looking to draw to much attention to the bars the the black finish is what you need. Being powder coated it is tough. Powder coating is an extremely hard finish that will last a long time no matter what the use.

If your looking to have the nerf bars as a eye catching accent to your truck then Chrome is the type you need. They accent the bottom of your truck between the ground and the body. If you have chrome or some type of shiny wheels the bars will match the wheels. They have their practical side also. As with all nerf bars they are meant to be used daily. They can take the abuse of getting in and out of your truck or SUV. If you have a large 4x4 then nerf bars are almost mandatory. Not only for you but your passengers.

The best of all worlds is the stainless steel nerf bars. They have a brilliant finish, can take the daily abuse and will last much longer than the other types. Stainless steel will resist rusting. Most companies sell this type with a limited lifetime warranty. Each company is different so read the fine print to see exactly what is covered and for how long. These are also the most expensive of the three but well worth the added expense.

Recently, a new aftermarket trend is accent nerf bars and electric nerf bars. The Ford Harley-Davidson edition F150's made the accent nerf bar a hot product. It is strictly for appearance. It is mounted just below the body line so it can be seen but not used. It's an effective way to make a vehicle look lowered without doing so. The electric nerf bars have been coming out on the high-end trucks and SUV's for about a year. The way they work is when you open the doors the bars swing out to allow you to use them to get into your truck. Once the door is closed they tuck away under the vehicle. The aftermarket manufacturers for these truck steps is/are working on this style currently but they are still somewhat hard to find.

Article written by:
Jon Tuckwood