Morning, I'm thinking about ditching these body mounted running boards i have on my truck currently and going with a frame mounted set-up.. What i have is good for a dry warm climate but their just rust breeding magnets here in the Northeast and not to mention their not really my style.. Id like to go with a NFab type wheel to wheel or a solid step. Couple questions, does anyone have ether of these and if so has anyone fabbed up a frame mount for the Nfab type steps or made their own. Im trying to get an idea for where and how anybody attached the steps to the frame.. Id def make my own, id just like to see what people have done...
These aren't too bad, they list them for our trucks, a little pricey, they don't show any mounted to our body styles or mounting location...Deluxe Frame Mount Running Boards [Available Upon Order] - $875.00 : Heavy Duty Truckware | Bumpers and Accessories for Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, and Toyota Trucks
Like i said i like these wheel to wheel Nfab bars too but the mounting design is
terrible.
Manufacturers of high quality Nerf Steps, Prerunners, Harley Bars, Light Bars, Replacement Front Bumpers, Rock Rails, Rear Runners, Tire Carriers & Truck Accessories
Suggestions, advise, experience?

 

I have a set similar to the first one you posted. I'll take some pics here in a little bit. I actually had to cut them down to fit the larger tires on my truck. So they aren't mounted how they were originally but they are close.

I have mine tucked up close to the body, and like the ideal of the drop steps.

 

Right on, so yours are mounted to the frame?

 

I'd bolt to frame before I'd weld them.

 

Ether-Or... Just not body mount...

 

I second the bolt

 

So I'll rephrase, does anyone have bolt to the frame OR welded on steps/nerf bars they want to share?

 

Ive got bolted to the body that have frame "braces" basically a piece of square tubing with a flat plate that meets the frame for extra strength. Essentially the body mounts hold it up and the braces take the weight when I step on them.

I originally had just frame mounted, bolt on and I had way too much deflection. I used factory holes in the frame.

 

I'm subscribing as that is exactly what I intend to do on my truck. I want to ditch these aluminum steps on the front doors and either buy or build a set of steps like the N-Fab steps and attach them directly to the frame. I've never been a fan of how they just bolt to the rocker panels. One thing I have heard about the N-Fab steps is that they tend to contact the bed when the frame flexes, so if you attach them to the frame, I would think you would want to leave a little additional room. I guess that begs another question... If the frame flexes enough to allow the rocker-mounted bars to contact the frame, does the frame flex enough to gnarfle the bars if they're bolted to the frame?

Here are some N-Fab step truck **** pics just for good measure:

 

Hey sorry I never got around to taking any pics this weekend. I'll be honest I forgot about it. I'll take some this evening when I get home. But yes they are welded to the frame.

 

Still love to see those if you've got a chance..

 

I saw a fella this week on my way to work who had a cclb lifted in pretty nice shape; rare here in Maine so I stopped to talk to him. He had the full length N-Fabs and they had been contacting the bed bad enough to push the quarter @ the leading edge of the bed up a little at the bottom. I figure do a two piece like I have now so they move independent of each other. Know what I'm sayin?

 

I made my steps mounted to the frame. The plan was originally to make them power extending steps, but when i looked at the cost i decided it wasnt worth it and just made them solid steps. The angle i made them was supposed to make them hidden when the doors closed but come out and down when they open. I welded them in about the middle of what the travel would have been. I used two pieces of 1/4 in plate and sandwiched the frame and bolted above and below the frame. Way more solid than the tube steps that were on it before.

 

Brian on here has a set of N-Fab bars on his CCLB that don't extend past the back of the cab. They look reeeaal nice! Here's a pic from RRE this past weekend.

 

I like the N-Fab stuff; wouldn't be too hard to mod those to mount to the frame..