Im going nuts, please help me, I want a set of Nerf Bars that bolt to the frame, NOT the body, and i was shopping online to buy a set, and NOBODY can tell me if they bolt to the frame, or the body, I want black bars, for a reg cab 2003 F-150 that bolt to the frame. I don't care what brand it is, I don't care what they cost, all I need to know if they bolt to the frame. Im going crazy I called everybody and nobody knows.

 

Westin

http://www.westinautomotive.com/

 

I dont know of any nerf bars that bolt to the body...they would flex under your weight and bend the body.

Most if not all bolt directly to the frame....or via a supplied bracket...from the frame.

 

only the wheel to wheel westin's for the f150 bolt to the frame the rest bolt to the holes in the body that are there for the factory step options it does not appear as though they make a wheel to wheel for a regular cab though.

 

My brother has a 2003 F150 4x4 with the nerf bars...we just put them back on the other night...they bolt to the body, no problems here.

just out of curiousity...why the frame?

 

Dear huntt I want the ones that bolt to the frame cause I wanta use them to step on to get in my truck, I have seen the ones that bolt to the body and they don't look very secure to me bolted on with 5/16 bolts. I want bars to be used to step on, not just for looks. Im short and my truck is high, and what i have to do is jump to get in, and what happens is i always bang the top of my head on the door opening. What have me going crazy is everybody that sells them can't tell me how they bolt up. I was thinking about making a set, buying some steel tubes from a steel scrap yard, but im not sure when i heat up the tubes with a torch to bend them that they might kink, another way is maybe I can use 2" galvinized water pipe, and screw together elbows to make the bend, and have a welder to weld some type of mounting bracket to bolt them to the frame with some big 1/2" bolts.

 

mine bolt to the body I am 6'6" 250 pounds and mine dont have a problem I stand on them to wash the top of the truck. I added a few pictures of the mounting brackets to my gallery for you to look at. the two brackets each have three bolts. then the step itself bolts to the brackets. the one that goes into the bars is over a half inch in diameter. The regular cab application does not even use the smaller bolts it uses a plate with 2 studs that bolt through the body and the bracket with a strap on the inside you can view the complete instructions at westins website. www.westinautomotive.com

 

I agree with Dezel73. My nerf bars bolt to the body and have never bent, bowed, or felt soft in any why shape or form. I am also a large guy weighing in at right at 250lbs and use them all the time to step into and out of my truck.

 

I have the ones that bolt to the body, OE from Ford. I can tell you you will not have a problem with them. Weight wise, I am heavier than Dezel73 (I won't say by how much). I use them to get in and out all the time. Ha d them on my 98, 01, and now my 04. The 98 and 01 had 70k on when I traded them in. Nerf bars were still solid. 04 is at 30k, still fine.
The way the nerf bar mounts to the body is very strong.

 

Just how big a boy are you Rinkrat??

 

thanks for the help I ordered a set of Westin Signature Series, Black Nerf Bars from Pep Boys for $189. The Parts Pro Professional behind the counter assured me that the front bolts to the cab mount and the rear bolts to the frame, I think that will work, thanks again

 

Hope this works for him! I have a 2002 crewcab and the drivers side rocker has rusted so bad that my nerf bar on the drivers side is pointing diagonally to the ground. This led me hear looking for something that ONLY bolts to the frame and weston does not make it. Good luck to you and me. Any ideas guys?

 

It probably did work for him. However, that was 11 YEARS AGO. Please check the thread dates before digging up something.

 

well excuse me for needing help 11 years later. You were wrong then and still are today. You guys stated oh i am big and its strong enough to hold me. Well guess what the rockers do rust out. Please dont reply if you are not going to be helpful.

 

You're better off starting a new thread rather than bumping one that's over 10 years old. The members that posted then are likely not even part of the site anymore and won't be able to chime in. Plus, products that were used at the time may no longer be available.

I wouldn't say anyone was wrong when the thread started. The trucks weren't 12+ years old and no one was dealing with rocker rust at that time. So, there were no issues with the rocker supporting the running boards. I think your issue is completely different.

Was never trying to be rude, just honest.

Have you looked into getting your rockers repaired / replaced?