A reference guide to side step shapes and styles
Virtually any kind of side step you can imagine is available for most trucks or SUVs. Under the broad category of side steps are 2 basic styles with numerous individual varieties of each: nerf bars and running boards. Let's take a quick look at each type:
Nerf bars feature an awesome industrial look in several shapes and lengths, including:
- Cab-length nerf bars
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The most commonly seen nerf bar style, cab-length bars provide 2 treaded step pads on each tube. Cab-length bars span both of your vehicle's seating rows.
- Wheel-to-wheel nerf bars
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Ideal for trucks, these nerf bars run from your front seating row to your rear wheel well. Wheel-to-wheel nerf bars feature the added benefit of a third step at the rear wheel for convenient truck bed access. This third step is also perfect for loading roof or utility racks.
- Oval nerf bars
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With their unique design shape, oval nerf bars offer you and your passengers a wider place to step than standard round bar models can. The extra step width equals more sure footing, plus a degree of comfort for people with bigger feet.
- Sport tubes
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For decoration only. Sport tubes employ a smaller tubing diameter that supports very little weight, thus they are not meant to be used as steps.
With a vastly different design than nerf bars, running boards offer a more conventional step size. They're wider and can typically hold more weight than nerf bars. Running boards offer plenty of design options, including:
- Standard running boards
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This running board design features a black or dark grey finish color that runs the length of your front two seating rows.
- Lighted running boards
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These clever running boards offer the added bonus of lights at one or both ends for brightening your stepping space. They're dark when the doors are closed, then light-up when doors open.
- Custom-molded running boards
Improving on the look and shape of standard running boards, custom-molded running boards showcase a specialized shape that blends seamlessly with the curves and lines of your vehicle. Plus, they offer the added benefit of optional color matching to your vehicle's paint.
- Individual side steps
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This side step design foregoes the board or bar design that runs the length of your cab, opting instead for a separated step design. A set of these requires four individual steps, typically with longer steps for the front row and shorter ones for the second row.
- Retractable side steps
Straight out of a sci-fi flick (or a modern RV), retractable side steps pop-out when your door opens, offering a personal step-up into your cab. Close the door, and retractable side steps tuck away in a hidden spot beneath the door well.
Did You Know
The Name Game:
Side Steps
Running boards are running boards. Nerf bars, however, can be called side tubes, tube steps and countless other names. Which name is most often used? Well, nerf bars is the name that has taken over, though the soft, squishy feeling evoked by that name makes no sense in reference to steel tube steps.
A Quick Note
Ground Clearance
Side step thickness varies greatly, especially among nerf bars. For standard tubes and steps, non-lowered trucks and SUVs will have no trouble. Lowered trucks and SUVs may have clearance issues
with any tubes or steps. And, only full-size trucks can tackle jumbo-sized 4" nerf bars.