My Mopar Nerf Bars Suck!!

[rocket800]

I have a 2012 ram Laramie with factory Nerf bars that mount to the body/rocker panels & they absolutely suck! They come loose, rattle and hold snow/ice like crazy! For the last year, I have had to tighten them every few months and nobody over 180lbs uses them to climb in the truck. Also I pulled the bolts & added blue loctite hoping the would help. Recently my passenger Nerf bar won't tighten anymore at the rear door & is rattling like crazy! I'm am pulling them off the truck it's so bad, has anyone had these problems?? How do you fix it? Who doesn't mount Nerf bars to the frame???

 

[wsutard1]

Sorry to hear. Hear is how you fix. Get new steps.

 

[rocket800]

Sorry to hear. Hear is how you fix. Get new steps.

No problem, any suggestions on Nerf bars that attach to the frame on our trucks?

 

[AustinB]

I just bought new Magnum bars, they do not mount to the frame.

The frame is pretty far away, and doesn't have any mounting holes.


IMO

 

[sbarron]

AMP powersteps FTW!!!

 

[AustinB]

AMP powersteps FTW!!!

I will be doing that sometime this year.


IMO

 

[sbarron]

I know the price is something that is hard to get your mind around, but after the install it's one of those things you ask why you didn't do sooner.

 

[cptwing]

I also have the OEM nerf bars, regular cab. I find mine are rock solid. I am 225 and do not notice and flex or movement at all, 20 months and 16k. Mine were DIO prior to delivery. I only have 2 complaints, first as you stated they hold ice and snow like crazy, second the plastic treads seem to have a small gap and move slightly in the vertical direction when stepped on. I have the stainless ones not sure if that makes any difference.

I would love to have the retractable steps, but like the nerf bars to prevent jerks from dinging the truck.

 

[derag2]

Any step other than the amp is gonna hold mud snow and ice..... Just the way it is.

 

[JaredRAM2015]

I thought about buying amp steps since I have owned a set on a previous truck... but man... stomaching 1200 bucks when I got my 5 inch black set from Dee Zee for 144 bucks is not easy!

 

[69GWC]

Shoot mines a 07 and mine work great , wonder if they changed suppliers on them

 

[AustinB]

Any step other than the amp is gonna hold mud snow and ice..... Just the way it is.

Not true at all, well kinda. Just holds it out of site, under the truck.

(This is obviously only if you drive in it.. The mud and snow collect like a mound on top of the steps..)


IMO

 

[SportyJames]

I had the same problem with my previous RAM and the OEM bars. They worked themselves loose every few months and I would have to tighten them back. Put AMPs on my new truck and will never go back.

 

[king99]

Kinda sounds like a possible factory nutsert issue. I'm not 100% sure exactly what holes all get used for the mounting points for the factory steps. I put on Magnum R/Ts. I had to remove 1 factory nutsert from each mounting point. There are 3 holes in a triangle on the rocker. 1 of the 3 had a nutsert and it looked like the guy who owned the truck before me had some sort of steps on it. My nutserts were solid and needed to be cut out to use the supplied bracket. Maybe a new set of nutserts or possibly, with the right tool, you could get a locking nut on the back side of the bolt after it has been tightend down. Probably pretty tough to do though. I was able to grab the back of the nutsert, so it didn't fall into the rocker, with a set of long needle nose with a 90 degree bend at the end.

I had a set on a 2011 1500 that utilized the body mount bolts and the rocker. Just don't remember the brand. Might have been a set of Spyder tubular steps.

 

[AustinB]

Give magnum bumpers a call if you need new nutserts.


IMO

 

[Rzrman328]

AMP powersteps FTW!!!

I concur with this assessment.

 

[sbarron]

Not true at all, well kinda. Just holds it out of site, under the truck.

(This is obviously only if you drive in it.. The mud and snow collect like a mound on top of the steps..)


IMO

The real difference is the amp steps don't hold the mud, snow, slush, salt against the truck body.

 

[rocket800]

Thanks for the responses! My bars are constantly working themselves loose, especially passenger side. As king99 suggested I'm going to check the nutsert. I pulled bolts out today and the last bolt on passenger side was wasted. Maybe just replacing that will help? It's snowing & 9 degrees in MI., climbing around under the truck isn't a lot of fun right now haha.

 

[HemiPower36]

AMP powersteps FTW!!!

That's what I have. I always recommend. Almost 2 years with them and they work brand new.

 

[HemiPower36]

Any step other than the amp is gonna hold mud snow and ice..... Just the way it is.

Sorry brother, that mud gets everywhere. Of course, this happened to me while I was "playing" after it rained. Nothing a garden hose can't wash off. Plus, the truck is filthy anyways.