Tube Steps and Bull Bar Advice Needed

Cool. I hope my earlier post helped a little then.
I have the same color, btw.

 

yes it did thank you

 

It all depends on why or what you want:

I have the OEM running boards. I installed double cab boards on my access cab. Why?
1) They stick out far enough to prevent door dings
2) I can step on them to wash the roof of the truck
3) They keep snow & winter crap off my rocker panels.
4) I wanted them to go wheel-to-wheel and why I installed DC on my AC.

I had an Aries bullbar and only to mount lights. I don't off-road so I'm not concerned about protection. Although... I've had my fair share of tube steps & brushguards over the years. They're not the best for protection, but better than nothing at all. I'd rather toss out a set of bent tube steps than have to do body & paint work on the rocker panels. Ask me how I know... LOL

I bought the running boards used for $100. They've been on my truck for years!

 

You do you baby boo. I've got a big dick and I like my bull bar. $40 from a guy on here for the bull bar.

I bought tube steps and sold them like 4 weeks later. Kinda defeated the purpose of the lift and lowered my clearance level.

Haters gonna hate. Typically it's the guys who bought an expensive off-road bumper and don't ever take their trucks off-road.

 

Nice looking truck.

 

Thanks! Here's her good side

 

Hippie.

 

ok so I am looking at your bull bar and I dont understand how some people say it will cause even more damage if you are in an accident. It is not high enough to damage your grill. It is really just in front of the bumper. If you tap someone, you are hitting your bumper anyway.

 

Ehhh everything is situational. It's gonna swing up and could crush the grill. It's pretty cool that you should probably have insurance. Use the insurance check to get one them fancy plated bumpers

 

never thought about that.

i think running boards are nice, adds to the look as well as gives you something to step on if you choose to use it. i prefer running boards over tube steps, i was thinking the toyota one was gonna be like $500, but they told me $750 and my jaw dropped a bit. this is my first truck(bought it for bed space) so i just i have no base for comparison, but people told me the toyota one i got is more heavy duty then most they see.

as for the bars, not my preference on the tacoma. if i had a jeep wrangler, i would def have the bars, doors off, small rims and some fat tires.

 

I too would like to know which Bull bars are good, better, best. Will want to add either two round or one light bar on it. Looking for one for my new Access Cab coming soon.

 

Had to replace bumper grill and lights because of the bar. But I put one back on anyway lol because I like the look. Some of my friends use to fill the bar with concrete so it would actually work. I don't like that idea to much.

 

I went with bully, to replace it. And I like my set up better now. And if it's just for cosmetics get the one that you think looks the best. That's what I did.

 

If you want a bull bar, go with well-established "offroad companies" like ARB and warn. Best to get them with a full bumper. Many brands like Westin, Aries, and Spyder are cheap hollow tubes with thin plating and shit welds. If you just want looks, then go for it. If you want functionality, do with a bumper/bar combo from a reputable source.

Same goes for nerf bars. If you get cheap ones (like I did for my wife's 4runner) they will go to crap fast. Our tube steps lasted 2 years. The plastic step cover cracked and rotted out and the chrome plating started peeling off. If you plan on doing any offroading, then do not get nerf bars or tube steps at all.They will pinch up to your rocker panels if you get high-centered. Get nice solid rock sliders instead. They make them with integrated steps.

 

My first mod's to my Prerunner were a Westin Bull bar and tube steps. Never hit anything with the bull bar, but I definitely beat to shit those Tube steps, had them for a good 3 years, hit them on shit in the desert, high centered a couple times on them on a trail, they were lightly a bit bent up, the mounts were twisted and the screws holding the bars to the mounts were mostly twisted and halfway cross threaded. Wife got them for me, so I couldn't buy sliders until I broke them..damnit if I did everything I could but couldn't get one to snap. Oh and before the trolls come out, when I finally trashed/uninstalled them, the body mount screw holes were in great shape, no thread burrs, no body pieces misshapen or pulled out. I'd definitely say I got my $150 dollars worth.

 

It's not always just for short people. I have a bad back, so some sort of steps are going to be necessary for me to not strain myself getting in and out daily.

 

I had a heavy wall square tube bumper on my 1978 Jeep CJ-7. It drove the quarter panels up on a Camaro so much the doors wouldn't come open. It slightly scratched the Jeep tube . Sounds like I need to get a Warn or other top brand if I want the same type strength if that is even possible these days.

 

I installed ProZ 6" Ovals...Solely to protect the truck from dings. My wife's CRV door hits the Nerf bar before any part of the truck's paint. Worth $250

They also provide away to get to the roof to clean and wax it and with the Mud Flaps keep debris from the rocker panels. They are not only for aesthetics. I would not go rock climbing with my set up though. Strictly street. Off road requires Welded sliders

 

What do the two side pods do?

 

Look around for a used set of OEM running boards....

That's what I did. Because...I'd never spend that much on a set of new ones.