Nissan Nerf Bars

FAQs—Nissan Nerf Bars

1. I’m thinking of installing nerf bars for my Nissan truck, but I’m not sure if this will have an effect on the vehicle’s warranty. Will it void my ride’s warranty?

No, it won’t, as long as you install the nerf bars on the manufacturer’s designated mounting areas and you won’t do modifications on the important vehicle systems and components. When large vehicles like SUVs and trucks are made, their manufacturers make it a point to include bracket mounting areas through which nerf bars can be installed to the vehicle's frame. So since you are not modifying or altering anything, this won’t affect your vehicle's warranty.

2. After installing the brackets, I noticed that the holes on the nerf bars are not aligned with the holes in the brackets. Why is that?

It could be because you’ve installed the brackets on the wrong side of your Nissan. Perhaps you’ve mounted the passenger-side brackets on the driver side. Try to interchange the brackets and see if the holes are now lined up. It’s also possible that you are aligning the driver-side nerf bar on the passenger-side brackets. Try the alignment and fitting of the other bar first before you decide to interchange the brackets.

3. I haven’t lifted my Nissan truck. If I install a set of nerf bars, won’t they scrape the ground as I drive, particularly on bumpy terrains?

The distance of your Nissan nerf bars to the ground will depend on the vehicle's ground clearance. If your truck still has its normal height, the nerf bars will work just fine without scraping the ground while you drive. But, if the vehicle has been lowered, you may face some difficulty when negotiating with some road conditions as the nerf bars may hit the ground. You should also double-check the type of nerf bars to install as there are jumbo nerf bars that are only designed for raised trucks, and fitting them on trucks with average height isn’t a good idea.

4. I noticed Nissan nerf bars that feature saddle-type stepping pads. What are the benefits of such stepping surface?

The advantage of a “saddle” style stepping pad is that it follows the contour of the bar, causing the water to slip away instead of getting collected somewhere on the bar and causing slippery stepping surface or rust formation when not removed right away. The saddle type of stepping pad also ensures a firm grip on the nerf bar, so it won’t easily get detached from the bar no matter how much abuse it gets from regular foot traffic.

5. If the Nissan nerf bars I’m going purchase are backed by a warranty, are the step pads covered?

Yes, most brands have the step pads covered by the nerf bar’s warranty provided that they got damaged within the covered period. But, before you purchase, it won’t hurt if you ask the store representative first about the warranty coverage so you can make a more informed decision and you won’t be wasting your money on nerf bars that aren’t covered by a good warranty.

6. Do stainless steel Nissan nerf bars necessitate special care to keep their good-looking finish?

Except for cleaning them along with your regular car wash or cleaning the nerf bars after they got filthy from an off-road adventure, these add-ons don’t require special care and maintenance. They can easily be cleaned using mild soap and water, and you can run them through automatic car washes without much worry. There are units, however, that can be coated with wax for extra shine and added protection against the elements. But before applying anything, find out first if the products are safe for the materials your nerf bars are made of.

7. After nerf bars installation, I took my Nissan out for a test run, but I noticed some sort of squeaking noise coming from one of the bars as I go over a bump. What could be the cause of that?

It’s possible that the brackets of the nerf bars are rubbing against the vehicle’s frame because they are not properly centered on the body mounts. To fix such issue, you have to center the brackets on their respective mounting points or simply insert two washers in between the mounting point and the body mount bracket. By doing this, the bracket will drop down far enough to prevent contact with the frame and eliminate the squeaking sound.