Nerf Bars

Why Nerf Bars?

The question "Why nerf bars?" is really a two-sided one. Are we asking why are they called nerf bars, or are we asking why you should have them on your truck or SUV?

We hear it all the time. Why are they called nerf bars? To be honest, we've never been told a good reason by anyone in the know. They've been called nerf bars for years, so that's what we run with. We recently found a very good explanation for the term "nerf bar" at wikipedia.org. In short, the explanation says that nerf bars are used on open wheel race cars to help keep the tires of two cars racing side by side from becoming entangled causing one or both cars to crash.

So, what good reason could a person have for installing nerf bars, a part off of a race car, on their truck or SUV? The earliest installations were probably used to protect rocker panels and doors from damage while offroading. From there, they became the popular truck accessories we see today complete with step pads to give you a sure step in and out of your truck. You don't have to take your truck off road to benefit from installing nerf bars. They act as a bumper for your doors, a step for taller trucks, and most trucks just plain look better with nerf bars installed.