I have owned a few Jeep vehicles over the years and J.C. Whitney is one of the vendors I purchase parts for my Jeeps and "Garage Pro" is J.C. Whitney's in-house brand.  These "step rails" are commonly called "nerf bars."  Not to be confused with the soft toys popular in the 1970s and 80s.

I purchased these nerf bars in a black powder coat finish in lieu of the chrome because, well, chrome was cool for a minute back in the 1980s.

While these nerf bars / side steps / side impact protectors are priced well (compared to others on the market) they are cheaply made.  The thin-walled metal tubing used in the making of these bars are thinner than I'd like.

Installation is simple enough - and will go much faster if you have a helper to help hold the bars in place for marking and mounting.  To install, you'll need a silver Sharpie or white crayon marker.  Hold the bar in the desired location and mark the eight mounting holes (per side).  Next, you'll need to drill the holes out to accommodate the supplied bolts.  If you've got an impact gun you'll be happier than using a battery-operated drill gun or ratchet.  Once the bolts are snug (DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN) then move on to the other side and repeat.  It's that simple.


What I like:

They added in integrated flat step for a non-slip entry and exit.  A nice addition over the bars that are just round slippery metal.


What I'm On the Fence About:

The nerf bar design has been around for many years - at least since the 1970s.  While it does add a convenient step to get into lifted vehicles and while it does provide a small amount of side impact protection, it does cut down on your clearance (between the tires) while off-roading.  A better solution would be to install "rock sliders" which look better, provide the benefits of the nerf bar but also provide much better ground clearance.

While the outside diameter of these bars might be 3", the walls of the metal are quite thin and give off a false sense of safety.


What I Don't Like: 

The worst part is the supplied bolts.  While installing the bars onto my Jeep's frame, five of the sixteen bolts snapped off.  They are really cheap pot metal.  Once this happens, you really only have two options:  forget them (which would lessen the amount of weight the bars can handle) or drill out the threaded mess and use stronger grade 5 or grade 8 bolts - the better option.  In fact, I would just trash the supplied bolts and buy sixteen grade 8 bolts at any home center or hardware store.  Best to use an impact wrench to get the bolts 90% of the way in and then use a manual wrench to tighten.  Nowhere in the instructions does it suggest a proper torque setting for these bolts.

I returned these bars and got a pair of substantial A to Z Fabrication's rock sliders instead.  I wish I had decided to go with the sliders to begin with because I now have eight holes in my frame on both sides of the Jeep.  Who knows how much that may or may not have weakened the structural integrity of the frame.  I may just weld plates over the four areas.

Another potentially dangerous aspect is the proximity to the vehicle's body.  Meaning a small child or smaller adult could get his or her shoe (or even worse - a bare foot) wedged between this bar and the body of the vehicle.  Any slight movement upward or downward could fracture the foot.  Another reason to go with the rock sliders instead.

There are better-made nerf bars on the market, but the design is yesterday's news.  Choose a rock slider instead and for the love of all things off-road - do NOT install anything chrome on your off-road vehicle.  Please.

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