Running boards... worth it?

I put N-Fab nerf bars / steps on my truck. Mainly because my kids are little and had to climb in and out on their bellies. Plus I kinda like how they look.

Unless my vehicle is parked on an uneven surface the steps themselves are useless. I'm only 5'6" and I find stepping on the steps to be entirely unneeded. That being said I'll be putting a 3" lift on my truck in a couple weeks. So, those steps might be used in the future.

 

I prefer the look of sliders over running boards myself. I really want a set of those Pelfreybilt but seeing as how I got laid off 4 days ago ... they'll have to wait.

 

Any steps that fit on a 2005 - 2014 will fit on a 2015. They have the same body style.

 

Cool. Same mounting holes? Also, since you bought the Go Rhinos, any opinion on the ones I linked to?

 

How they look when they arrive




Sprayed






Installed





And in case you decide to buy the sliders I HIGHLY recommend Pelfreybilt.

I bought the aluminum bumper from them when I ordered the sliders

 

Thanks much for all that, rearview. Still undecided between those and the nerf bars from Lund... Yours seem more bulletproof but I won't be doing any serious off-road stuff. Quality is quality, though.

 

Pretty bumper.....!

 

Personally I have oval running boards on my truck and I'm quite happy with them. Will they provide off road protection? Nope... but I don't typically do more than dirt roads so it really doesn't matter to me. Can they be used as steps? Absolutely... my GF and I use mine most every day to get into the truck. I'm 5'9" and my better half is 5'2".

 

Thanks

Kind of off the subject but I was completely surprised how little there is behind the plastic bumper that comes on our trucks. It is literally a plastic bumper and nothing else. Took me less than 10 mins to remove the factory bumper and there is only a 2.5' aluminum "crash bar" attached to the frame and that's it. There is only light metal holding the factory bumper in place.

 

No problem. I use my truck for off road in Colorado so I need the extra protection and approach angle for some of the trails we go on. The sliders work perfectly for step bars also. That said... if that is all you plan on using these for it would be a bit overkill for the ones I have. Just throwing you some options out there. I went from just buying a nice truck that did what I wanted then joined TW and went into full on "build mode"

 

I just bought my 2015 Tacoma with running boards, in Black, that I don't want. I plan on removing them in a couple of weeks. Would you want to buy them? I can send pics later. -David-

 

Access cab? I may be interested. I'll PM you.

 

I have some, don't really use them to get in and out.
What I really use them for is washing the top of the cab.
They just don't seem to be very functional.

If I bought a new truck today I would still get some, the really look good.

 

Those are what I want, same flat black finish, but I can't for the life of me find any that have the same finish AND fit an Access cab.

 

TRD parts 4U dot com

 

The placement is not good for stepping in/out for me. But they do help with doors. I parked at Wal-Mart last week and a woman pulled up beside me (passenger side) in a Cadillac CTS. Heard a "bang" and felt truck move. Got out to look and she was bitching at me "Look what your truck did to my door..." She had a nice dent that exactly matched the running board. I told her I was planning on welding railroad spikes to the sides, I'd be looking forward to her banging my truck again one day.

Edit: BTW my favorites would be the electric ones. They retract while moving, then lower down and out when parked. Even more door protection and you can actually step up/down onto them. The factory ones are too close. Of course, any lower and you'd sacrifice ground clearance...

 

They look pretty good especially in the photo with the Tacoma.... While you're at it, get the same rims and tires too!!!

 

I bought the black flat OEM boards off someone in my town for $100. Look around - they're everywhere. Put up a CL ad or something. They bolt on in 30 minutes and are great for what others have said - washing the top of the cab, protection from car-sourced door dings and helping my 5'4" wife get into the truck. They don't hurt ground clearance at all - they sit above the frame. They help deflect mud and rocks some since I have my front mud flaps removed. Totally worth the $100 I paid. I think it's funny seeing people get weld-on sliders for their mall crawlers that never see dirt and don't have a pinstripe on them.

 

Just finished painting my AllPro sliders, only picture I have...

 

Most interested in how the flat OEM boards deflect rock, gravel and there debris. We have just purchased a 2015 TRD Off Road and plan to leave the mud flaps on. Previously we had the step tubes on our 2011 Tacoma. The were very effective at preventing "road rash". Will the black OEM boards do just as well. Black OEM step tubes are no longer available. We are both tall enough that we don't need the boards to get in and out of the truck.