Steps & Bars

Get in and out without hauling yourself up by the door frame, and give the rocker panels something to take the hit. Running boards, nerf and step bars, bull bars and grille guards, bumpers and the brackets that mount them — brands including Ironman 4x4, Raptor, ARB.

Height is the whole problem. A lifted truck with factory-height steps is harder to get into than one with none at all, because the step lands where your shin does. Measure from the ground to the rocker before choosing, and take the lift into account. Running boards give a long flat surface and suit a crew cab and passengers; nerf and step bars give a smaller target but sit tighter to the body and clear obstacles better off pavement.

Front protection is a separate decision from stepping. Bull bars and grille guards shield the grille and lamps; a full replacement bumper changes approach angle and gives you a recovery point rated to be pulled on, which a factory bumper is not.

Many listings in this department carry verified vehicle fitment, so you can filter to your own year, make and model rather than guessing from a part number.

A step is sized by how people actually get in. Full-length running boards suit a family; shorter nerf and step bars keep approach angle for a truck that leaves pavement. Front protection is bull bars and grille guards and full bumpers, and steps and hand rails cover bed access and the grab points around it.

Fitting a particular vehicle? We list what we carry for Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Toyota Tacoma on their own pages, each filtered by manufacturer fitment data.

Related departments: Exterior & Body, Suspension & Lift and Off-Road & Recovery.

Full-length or short step? Our running board guide weighs access against ground clearance, and what winter does to each.

Building a Wrangler? Our Jeep Wrangler: where to start guide sets out what order to do things in and what each change pulls in behind it.

What does this cost on the Canadian market? Our price reference for truck and 4x4 parts gives the median and the middle-half range by department and by brand.