Need Nerf Bars, don't know where to start

[zubblwump]

Anyone care to share what I should be looking for in a set of step bars? I know of the Westin's, Bully's, etc, but is there really that much difference in brands? Do some look more "factory" than others? sit higher? last longer?

What about prices? How much should I expect to pay? Where is a good place to look for them?

I know, that's a lot of questions But I've only had my Avalanche since last Thursday, and don't have a clue where to start. I'd appreciate any help anyone is willing to offer.

 

[danlwil]

welcome to the club..... lots of info here on nerfs... I have the Westin 6" ovals on my 04... wide foot space, stylish but pricy.... about 500.00 with the mounting kit

You might price the GM bars... they are great looking too... are holding up very well on the Mrs' truck. I think they're in the 385 range.... GMdirect would be a good pricing source... GL

 

[m02redl]

i've seen these on a couple memebers trucks at gtg's and they're very nice

nfab

 

[kajun66]

I have the Manik stainless steel bars on mine and love them. They are very functional and I llike the styling. They also have a generous horizontal adjustment which allows you to move them in or out a considerable amount, depending on your personal taste. I find that the GM factory bars while they look nice are too close to the truck for me. I have also seen some slight rust on the factory bars from chips in the chrome, they are chromed steel. If I was to go with chrome finished bars I would use the Westin Ovals because they are chrome over aluminum and you won't have to worry about rust. I'm not sure but I think during my searching of nerf bars I saw some that were chromed over stainless steel. Maybe someone can clarify this. The Maniks cost me $485 and were bought locally. I could have gotten them a little cheaper online except for the shipping. There is a whole section here on exterior mods and tons of info on nerf bars. By the way, welcome to the club.

Kajun

 

[SWFLA1]

Welcome aboard

I have the Nasta Stainless Steel and am extremely happy with them. www.truckimage.com is where I got them.

Good Luck!

 

[benicio]

I have had my Z66 for about a week and really need some step bars so the wife can ride along. It is not always easy to find a curb to park near. I have been shopping the Phoenix market but have not found anything below $340 for the stainless/chromed bars. Anyone in the Phoenix east valley have any recommendations on where to buy? I have had Westins in the past on my Silverados but would be open to other brands if I can get a better deal.

 

[CalvaryMike]

If I was to go with chrome finished bars I would use the Westin Ovals because they are chrome over aluminum and you won't have to worry about rust.

Actually, the Westins are chrome over Stainless Steel. So, you get the best of both worlds.
I have the Westin Ovals and my wife loves the wide steps that it gives. I also agree that the stock GM nerf bars are located too close to the body.

 

[benicio]

Anyone have experience with NerfBarsDirect.com? They have a good price listed on the website ($199), and an even better price on ebay ($149), but they are out of stock on the polished stainless for the Avy wbh.

 

[zubblwump]

Keep in mind NerfBarsDirect adds $50 shipping on the ebay auctions, and has free shipping from their website, so the deal's the same.

I finally decided to save some coin and ordered mine from truckparts411 off ebay. $129, but with 50 shipping brings it to $179 which was still better than the next best deal: $199 with free shipping from dealsofsteel.

I have some concerns about no-names, but liked the price and they did have over 99% positive feedback, so I took the plunge. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.

 

[Vaeagleav]

I have the factory bars and I am impressed with their strength. I am a large person with a 12EE foot and can use the step pad with no problem but I do pay attention when I place my foot on it. These bars can support me and my wife's weight without sagging. They are close to the truck which some people like so they won't catch on things when 4 wheeling. Some people don't use the bars getting in or out and they don't catch a pants leg. But of course others have trouble using step pad and prefer another brand or go with running boards to get more stepping area.
Before my Avalanche I owned a Suburban for nine years that had powdercoated bars with built in steps. I had rust problems so after about 6 months I took the bars and steps to a LIne-X dealer and had them sprayed for about $75. I never had a rust or traction problem for 8 years.
Check the site for members selling their bars and you may find a good deal on factory bars?

 

[zubblwump]

Got my bars yesterday, and got around to opening the box this evening. I'm really impressed with the finish on these bars! Turns out they are "Raptor" series bars from http://www.ptimporting.com/. Anyone heard of these?

Unfortunately, the instructions are pretty minimal, and obviously written by someone with less than an full grasp of the english language While the installion looks pretty simple, one line in the instructions makes no sense to me:

STEP 3. Remove driver side front original body mount bolt. Install front mount bracket using M12-1.75x130mm hex bolt, M12 lock washer, M12 flat washer and two 1.88? spacer washer. (Note: Make existing washer and rubber bushing in place).

The acompianing picture shows this:

So maybe those who have installed these before can answer my question. Is this saying to reuse the factory washer and rubber bushing?

 

[zubblwump]

Well, once I took a look under there I saw what the rubber bushing and washer was, and know it definitely has to be reused. So that problem is solved. Actually got the drivers side done and they look great. Installation was simple and I think the quality is pretty good. However...

The passenger side was a totally different matter. I took out the front factory bolt, then tried one of the new bolts that came with the kit, along with the washers and bracket. Could not get the thread to start. Tried for quite some time, and even started to worry that I'd somehow messed up and wasn't going to be able to get the factory bolt back in if it came to that.

Then I took a look at the supplied bolt, and realized it was shorter than the others. Sure enough, this was a 120mm bolt, while the other 5 were 130mm bolts! That's right, for some reason one of the 6 bracket mounting bolts was 10mm shorter.

What's really odd, though, is the installation diagram shows 6 130mm bolts (the right size), but the parts list shows 6 120mm bolts. Maybe they were confused too, so they gave me some of each

What a pain. Didn't realize how difficult it was to find a M12x1.75x130 bolt at the local places either. Any idea where to look locally to find one? The local auto parts stores and the TSC don't carry them...

 

[Durwin]

Does anyone out there have suggestions for nerf bars that are actually used for protecting the vehicle from rocks while off-roading? Something powdercoated black and made to take hits from rocks.
Durwin

 

[I CHNGE]

Does anyone out there have suggestions for nerf bars that are actually used for protecting the vehicle from rocks while off-roading? Something powdercoated black and made to take hits from rocks.
Durwin

http://www.n-fab.com/products/bars.asp

 

[Durwin]

Wow! Thanks. These are the best ones I've seen.
Durwin

 

[Jimmi Z]

Keep in mind NerfBarsDirect adds $50 shipping on the ebay auctions, and has free shipping from their website, so the deal's the same.

I finally decided to save some coin and ordered mine from truckparts411 off ebay. $129, but with 50 shipping brings it to $179 which was still better than the next best deal: $199 with free shipping from dealsofsteel.

I have some concerns about no-names, but liked the price and they did have over 99% positive feedback, so I took the plunge. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.

I did the same thing got some off ebay SS bars for $144.50 + 38 for shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7911092713&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT

Based on his reviews everyone was happy with the product, Looks great quality is excellent, I'm happy leaves more money for other mods.

 

[AvalanchEd]

I have a set of ICI stainless steel nerf bars and I think they're great. The finish is excellent, they don't squeak, and even though they only mount at two points on the truck instead of three, they are extremely sturdy. At $340 the price isn't bad, either.

 

[cadboy1]

My new bully steps