Westin Nerf Bars Performance

• Performance
• Ease of Use / Installation
• Quality
• Price

• 5
• 4
• 4
• 5

Driving off road can be unforgiving for your vehicle. Whether you're steering an SUV or a pick-up truck, it helps to have nerf bars that would protect the sides of your automobiles from side collisions and road damage. With those things in mind, we tested the Westin nerf bars on our 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac to see if they can hold up to our rigorous road test.

Features

• Made from 304 stainless steel
• Polished finish
• Highly durable
• Easy to install
• With slip-free and UV-resistant step pads
• Sold in sets of two
• Covers cab side
• Measures three inches in diameter
• Made for extended cab pickups
• Comes with a lifetime Westin limited warranty

What we liked

• The Westin nerf bars dress up our 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac quite nicely. The polished finish complements well the white suede body color of our crew cab. It gives our truck character--our Sport Trac looks a little bare without the bars.
• Installing the bars was a no-brainer. The parts do not require drilling, which allowed us to mount in the bars rather easily. Mounting the nerf bars on both sides of the truck was done in less than 30 minutes.
• These nerf bars make getting in and out of the truck bed a lot easier. Moreover, the bars are very sturdy. We tested whether the bars can hold up to great weights (driver and passenger weight combined), and the bars didn't seem have budged even a bit.
• For their price, these Westin nerf bars give us value for every dollar that we spent. We compared the price of these nerf bars with those from the dealership and other auto parts floor, and we can honestly say that we have the best value for our money with this set.

What we didn't like

• Rear brackets weren't sturdy, but not the bars. The brackets broke right before we were able to attach them to the frame. We had to weld in the nuts to make the brackets secure. Though the task didn't take too long to accomplish, the additional step could have been eliminated if only the brackets were well built.
• The directions for installing weren't clear. Although the installation procedures weren't too complex, the lack of clear and detailed instructions could be a problem for a novice DIY-er.

Our final say

Although we encountered a hitch in the mounting of the brackets, the Westin nerf bars are a good, solid investment if you want a fiercer look on your ride. These bars also made accessing the bed of our crew cab a lot easier and faster.