I just bought a new '06 F250 XLT Supercab Shortbox about 3 weeks ago. The truck did not come with the ford side step bars and was wondering what is the opinion of you guys, which is the best aftermarket nerf bars for the money, and is it worth the cost to have them installed
Thanks in advance

 

I have a set of Westin painted ones on my truck, after Four years they still look good. I do touch up the rock chips on the fronts. My gripes on them is they are not coated on the inside, so they drip rusty water, and are rusting from the inside out. Can't get them off the truck to correct as the bolts are rusted, and there is no way to get PB to the bolts. Also they are as thin as school bus exhaust pipe. I had some made by a welder for my service truck several years ago out of pipe, even had rough flat spots on them. They weren't as pretty as the Westins, but when a woman hit/side-swiped me, and I had no damaged, that couldn't be fixed with a spray can, I was more than pleased. PS I know her car was totaled, as she tried to collect off of me, saying add on equipment caused "all that" damage to her car.

 

I put DeeZee bars on my truck, took about 30 minutes to install myself, no drilling required. The instructions made no sense unless you can tell a bolts size and thread pitch just by looking at it, but I had no problem figuring it out on my own. There were rubber caps between the ends of the tubes and the mounting brackets to stop crud from getting in and rusting them out. I need to get some small mud guards for my front, due to a gravel driveway, I am sure they will be getting pits soon, but no rust or anything yet.

 

I installed Smittybuilt nerf bars on my truck in '95. The chrome plating has held up well and they still look decent.

Whatever nerf bars you choose, make sure that they are installed *solidly*. The bar should support the weight of the truck on one side. Sooner or later you will need that capability.....

Lou Braun

 

We sell a few different brands of steps and running boards. We put a set of Westin bars on our 2000 Excursion. They are long as could be and still very sturdy. Instalation was a breeze. All bolt holes matched up great. We were very impressed.

 

I just got a used set of OEM, they fit perfectly - and look great because I had them sprayed with Line-X

 

I need a set for my 88 F-250 4x4. Does anyone know who makes the bars that attach to the frame and not the underside of the cab body, and doesnt cost an arm and a leg!!

 

I dont think any of them attach to the frame. From all I have seen they go to the pinch point of the body and floor where the factory running boards go. If you wanted frame mount, there may be a hard core rock slider with a mini nerf bar on it, but I have never seen or heard of a frame mount nerf bar. Most nerf bars are about a .010" wall thicness, not made to hold the weight of the truck, therefor frame mounting is normally considered not needed. If you think your going to land your truck on your bars, you really should be looking for rock sliders. I just googled for them and found nothing...I'll try frame mounted nerf bars now...one sec....

I found WAAG, but its hard to tell if they are frame mount or not for your application.
I copied this from there website, if you read the very last section it sounds like WAAG for pickups ARE frame mounted...

WAAG SIDE TUBES-JUST THE FACTS.

Fast and easy installation. Most applications take 30 minutes or less.
Always bolt-on, no-drill installations that require everyday tools.
Heavy-gauge 3-inch diameter tubing and heavy duty brackets.
Brackets mount to frame only or to vehicle body pan only. WAAG side tubes NEVER mount to both frame and body pan because it is prone to creaking and will weaken over time.
Frame mounts attach to existing frame holes or clamp on to frame.
Body mounts attach to existing holes on body pan.
Black non-skid steps for sure footing.
Our five-stage powder coat finish resists chipping and fading, even after years of use.
Adjustable settings on many models.

WAAG: Our bolt-on, no-drill installations save time and provide a better fit.
Brand X: Many competitive brands that require drilling, are more time consuming, require special tools and are more difficult to align.

WAAG: side tubes are always frame-only mounts or body-only mounts.
Brand X: Some competitive brands have frame-and-body mounts on a single application which can crack and creak.

WAAG VS BRAND X
WAAG: Our side tubes are always the correct length for each vehicle, with steps positioned where they are needed most.
Brand X: Competitive brands use standardized tube sizes and universal brackets that bolt on where it may be convenient for the manufacturer but perhaps not for the vehicle


WHEEL-TO-WHEEL FOR PICKUPS
Rear step on side tube allows easy access to bed.
Frame mounted only to provide maximum strength. No body pan mounts.
Available for all full-size pickups, long beds, short beds and duallys, 2, 3, and 4 door.
One-piece construction per side. No alignment hassles as with two-piece units.
"Kick Out" tubes for duallys flare out at rear with step to follow the lines of rear fender.


Now after researching all of the above, I did a bit of looking in my catalog and found these:

I find that a WAAG 34106 fits your Ext cab short bed in a wheel to wheel bar.

There is also a WAAG 24105 that fits your truck in a cab only bar. It will not extend to the front of the rear wheel well.

I think thats about all the homework I can stand for the evening...lol

If your interested in any of these give me a yell. I am a paying sponsor of this site and I have a good line on WAAG products. You can click on the link on the left of the forum for Discount Power Parts and call us or email us, or PM me here! Good night!

Larry Musgrave
724-462-3669

 

The reason that I am asking for frame mount is that the under body -pinch point are weakened from rust but has been repaired to what strengh i dont know. I dont want to mount it there and have someone stand on them and pull out the bottom of the truck.

I will look into the information you found, and hope to be speaking to you soon.
Thanks again.

 

Smittybuilt Stainless. I have them for 5 years and they still look AWESOME! Summit racing had the best prices at the time plus free shipping.

 

Good Homework. We have the Smittybuilt also. If there is a set you like let us know. I would imagine we can beat Summit Yet again, But you never know.

Pat Cercone
724-624-1976

 

oh ya...our trail Fx stuff is very nice and greatly priced as well. We have a bunch of manufacturers for this product.

 

My DeeZee bars, the back end is connected to the frame, the front part connects to a front cab mount, and the middle bracket attaches to the end of the seat belt bolt coming through the floor.

 

ive got westin tube steps (in black) and i poured a quart of rustoelum paint inside each one and rocked them back and forth to coat the inside of the tubes. my only complaint with them was they were too close to the body to be usable, so i made some brackets that dropped them 2" and kicked them out 1 1/2". and put diagonal braces to keep from flexing the mounting points too much (bottom studs of the cab mounts. dont have any before photos, but the pictures in my gallery show what they look like now, have had them on for 2 years now.

 

Cant go wrong with westin bars.