It’s easy to get caught up in a project build and forget a vital component. Of course, once the error is recognized it’s only natural to play it off as an acceptable exclusion. Such was the case on this single-cab ‘06 Ford F-150 build. The little red rider started as a bone stock grocery getter but was transformed into an off-road runner in just a single weekend in our February 2012 issue. But after transforming the truck with a 6-inch lift and 35-inch tires, it was significantly higher. The easy solution was with a set of step bars, in this case the AdjustSTEP from N-Fab. While the bars are designed to protect the truck from road debris and other obstacles, we were really more concerned with their adjustable steps to make getting into the truck less of a task (and less of an amusing event for onlookers). The steps are impeccably welded and offer 5.5 inches of adjustability up and down. We found that somewhere in the middle of their adjustable range did the trick and made truck entry/exit easier than when it was stock yet didn’t compromise breakover angles by having a low slung step either. Installation was surprisingly simple, though when done alone it requires a little bit of balance until the bolts are attached. Because the bars are model specific, the mounting points lined up perfectly with the stock side bar mounting points. Each bar took less than five minutes to hang, with another handful of minutes added in to mount the step in the correct position. 01. Locate the stock mounting holes on the underside of the body. 02. Line up the mounting holes from the N-Fab bar with the stock mounting holes and slide the bolt through. Leave the four nuts loose until all are in. Tighten and enjoy the new protective bar. You can stop at this point of course if you’re just after protection, but we needed step assistance.02. Line up the mounting holes from the N-Fab bar with the stock mounting holes and slid 03. The meticulously bubble wrapped matte black tubes arrived without a scratch and looked pretty durable—for good reason; N-Fab offers a five-year warranty on the finish and a lifetime warranty on the product. Under normal usage conditions the bolt-on nerf bars will handle anything you throw at them within 465-pound load capacity. These bars offer mild protection but are not meant as full-on rock sliders.03. The meticulously bubble wrapped matte black tubes arrived without a scratch and looke 04. Slide the step over the mounting bracket on the backside of the bar and slide the supplied hardware through. Leave loose so you can adjust up or down as determined. With four fasteners the step is firmly attached.04. Slide the step over the mounting bracket on the backside of the bar and slide the su 05. Before: For about $350, the N-Fab Nerf-Step with the AdjustSTEP makes life a lot easier and looks great. The six-inch lift looked great but posed a problem for some of its passengers. Without a curb to springboard off, truck entry was nearly impossible for some folks.05. Before: For about $350, the N-Fab Nerf-Step with the AdjustSTEP makes life a lot eas 05.5 After Sources N-Fab 866-806-6322 http://www.n-fab.com By David Sonsky Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
