|
Busting the Nerf Bar Myths |
| Myth #1: All nerf bars are made in the same three factories. |
| Wrong! This rumor has been spread by companies selling cheap, off-brand nerf bars that want to convince you that they are just as good as the name brand products. While there are three or four large Chinese factories that produce nerf bars that are sold under many different brand names, there are close to twenty more factories that build them. Several manufacturers still build nerf bars here in the U.S. In addition, factories in Mexico, Canada, Taiwan, and smaller factories in China all produce them. What's more, those large Chinese factories build to the specifications of the different companies that contract them. So any given factory can produce nerf bars of widely differing quality, all depending on the requirements of the company paying them to build. |
|
| As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. If there isn't even a brand name on the step pad, it is probably a cheap knock-off of someone else's product, built to much lower standards. If you buy it and have a problem, who are you going to contact? See the next Busted Myth for a more detailed explanation of how nerf bars are constructed and how different one can be from another. |
|
| Myth #2: Stainless steel, chrome plating- it's all the same. |
| In order to have your nerf bars look good for a long time in your climate, you need to know more about nerf bar construction. Chrome plating provides a very uniform mirror-like finish. Stainless steel can approach this look, as long as it is polished very evenly and thoroughly. This takes extra time and skill, and is another difference from one manufacturer to another. Most chrome plated nerf bars are mild steel underneath the plating. This means the tubes will eventually rust. In Northern climates where salt is used in Winter, this can happen sooner rather than later. In dryer climates, however, these bars can look great for many years. The exception here is Westin's Platinum series, which is chrome over stainless steel. Durability of the finish is another area where chrome and stainless differ. If chrome is scratched, the plating can flake or peel and can only be repaired by re-plating the entire surface. If polished stainless is scratched, those scratches can be polished out. |
|
| Stainless steel is an alloy- a mixture of several different metals that give it corrosion-resistant properties. All stainless is not created equal, however. There are many different grades, each with a different formulation. For several years, grade 304 was the standard in stainless nerf bars. In recent years, price competition stiffened and the cost of nickel, a key ingedient in 304, rose dramatically. This caused many manufacturers to move to other grades of stainless, such as 202, 201, and 409 (listed in descending order of corrosion resistance), which contain less nickel. Under certain conditions, stainless steel can rust- exposure to chlorides and other caustic chemicals, and contact with mild steel to name a few. Grades of stainless with less nickel are more susceptible to corrosion under these conditions. Another way many manufacturers having been reducing costs is by going to tubing with less wall thickness, reducing the amount of stainless used. |
|
| As was mentioned above, stainless steel can rust where it is in contact with mild steel. For the ultimate in corrosion resistance, consider stainless steel nerf bars with stainless steel brackets and hardware, like the Back Country SS series and Nasta step bars. |
|
| As long as we're talking about nerf bar construction, what about black nerf bars? Here again, there are variations in quality. Most black nerf bars are constructed of mild steel tubing with an electrostacally applied black powdercoat finish. Since mild steel is less expensive than stainless steel, the tubing is sometimes heavier gauge to make it last longer. Mild steel, however, will rust. Some manufacturers, like Back Country, add special epoxy coatings under the powdercoat to extend the life of the tube. The best choice in black nerf bars is black powdercoat over stainless steel, like the Westin Platinum series and the Back Country SS series. With stainless underneath, the tube won't rust away. |
|
| The powdercoat finish used by different manufacturers can also vary. Some manufactures produce a textured black finish, some high-gloss, and some semi-gloss. |
|
