New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions?

   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions? #1  
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paulfun9

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Kioti DK40
We recently purchased a used 2012 Ram2500 6.7 Standard cab for some of our light duty towing work. Problem is the wife likes the truck a lot and wants to drive it more but has a problem getting in and out. So I was thinking about installing a set of nerf bars or side steps on it to make things a little better for her. Now finding a reputable place to buy with good pics so we make the right choice or even seeing some pics of installed bars on members trucks would help a lot.
Anyone out there run a standard cab with a good side step or bar and have pics? or able to recommend a decent bar that has a good solid bracket and wont rust out in a couple years?
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions? #2  
I The only important advice i can give is don't waste money on the mild steel ones, If you live where the roads have corosive de-icer.

My Ram has Stainless steel ones and at year 13 they are still as strong as when new except for a few scratches,
Just replaced a friends Rams nerf bars it was equipped with mild steel and the bottom on both sides was pretty much rusted through.
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions? #3  
I have a set of aries on my 2011 ram 1500 regular cab tradesman. they connect between the underside of the rocker panel, but also have mounts that utilize the cab mounting bolts. My original ram OEM steps actually mounted to the rocker panel only and with my rough country roads actually cracked the cracker panels, and would squeak going down the road. I was looking for a set of frame mount only type but they didn't offer them for my truck.
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions? #4  
My only advice is whatever you get, get one with a step pad; you don't want mom skinning her shins on a slippery nerf. The original stainless boards on my '07 Tundra were still in great shape when I traded this past December after 9+ years of running in the salt/brine they use here in Maine
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions? #6  
My experience is that stainless steel or not, the mounts rust out first, which usually aren't stainless steel. I've mounted a couple of sets and they are fairly easy to install. I like the nerf bar style myself.
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Well she ordered a set of stainless bars from Amazon with brackets that appear to not just mount inside the rocker but also a support that goes back to the cab mount as well. Just a 3 inch bar with a flat pad I think she would have done better getting a little wider bar but I guess for 133 bucks they are worth a try.

My hope is to keep this truck out of the salt covered roads as the truck is rust free and not intended as a daily driver but she has been running it a lot so one never knows.

Thanks for the feed back everyone and still if someone has good picks they might still be helpful if she doesn't like how these work.
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions? #8  
dodge man said:
My experience is that stainless steel or not, the mounts rust out first, which usually aren't stainless steel. I've mounted a couple of sets and they are fairly easy to install. I like the nerf bar style myself.
Click to expand...



Mmm-

Maybe it is brand specific - because the set i replaced the mounts were at least 1/4"? mild steel and had surface corrosion , but were still sound .
The nerf bars themselves had holes all over the bottoms and had a 250# person jumped up on them i would not have been surprised to see the nerf bar collapse.
In fact I saved the main mounts thinking the steel brackets might be handy for another project.

Paulfun9- Yes that is the style my truck and my friends were both set up with , the (main) mounts utilize the large vertical cab bolts and also have diagonal braces that just mount to the sheetmetal.
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions? #9  
I bought a used 2004 Ram, the truck itself had some rust but where the nerf bar mounts were shot.
 
   / New light duty truk needs running boards or nerf bar. Suggestions?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I got a chance to watch the You-Tube video that she used to look at the Bars she ordered. Much better than the ad and pics on the amazon site for decision making. The mounts look to be good thick and hopefully will hold up well.

I am thinking about doing some kind of treatment to the frame and everything under the truck as a preventative measure in hopes of buying some time before rust even becomes an issue. ANy suggestions on this thought?
 
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