Running Boards and Side Steps: How to Pick the Right Ones for Your Truck or SUV

Side steps are one of those parts nobody thinks about until they own a lifted truck and a family. Then they become the most-used part on the vehicle — stepped on thousands of times a year, baked by the sun, washed weekly. Here is what separates a set that feels factory from a set that rattles loose by winter.

Start with the cab, not the truck

The single most common ordering mistake: buying steps for the wrong cab. A crew cab, an extended cab and a standard cab of the same truck need different-length boards with different bracket positions. That is why our listings name the cab explicitly — F-150 / Super Duty crew cab 2015–2020 and Silverado / Sierra standard cab 2007–2019 are different products, not variations of one. Count your doors, check your years, and if anything is unclear send us the VIN.

Width: 6″ vs 6.75″ is a real difference

Board width is measured across the stepping surface. Six inches is the classic nerf-bar profile — a confident foothold that tucks close to the body line. The 6.75″ boards give a wider, flatter platform that children and older passengers find easier, at the cost of standing slightly prouder of the truck. Neither is “better”; pick by who climbs into the truck most often.

Material and the UAE climate

• Aluminium boards do not rust — full stop. In coastal humidity and weekly carwashes, that is worth a lot. They are also lighter, which your brackets appreciate.
• Steel is stronger per dirham and takes off-road abuse better, but lives or dies by its coating. A powder-coated steel step that gets chipped by gravel and then washed twice a week will show it.
• Either way, look for a textured or treaded step surface. A smooth wet board with dusty sandals is how ankles get hurt.

Weight rating and brackets

A good set of boards is rated around 150 kg or more per step position — enough for an adult stepping hard with a load in hand. The rating lives or dies by the brackets: you want steel brackets bolting to factory mounting points on the body or frame, marked no-drill for your model. If a universal set asks you to drill the rocker panel of a truck that had factory holes all along, the set was designed for a catalogue, not for your truck.

Fitting: an hour or two, not a project

Vehicle-specific boards are one of the friendliest installs in the catalogue: offer the bracket to the factory holes, hand-tighten, level the board, torque everything. Two people make it easier (boards are long and awkward alone). No cutting, no drilling, no wiring on a fixed board — and any garage will do it inside an hour if you would rather not.

Fixed boards or electric drop steps?

Electric side steps that fold down when the door opens look fantastic and clear more ground when tucked. They also add motors, harnesses and moving joints to a part that lives in dust and carwash water. Our honest advice for most owners: a well-made fixed board does the job for years with nothing to service. Go electric because you want it, not because you were told you need it.

Frequently asked questions

Will side steps reduce my ground clearance?

A close-fitting board sits at or above the rocker panel's lowest hard point, so for road and light desert use you lose little that matters. For serious off-roading, rock sliders — a different, structural product — are the right answer.

Do aluminium boards fade in the sun?

The metal does not corrode; a quality powder coat keeps its colour for years. Cheap coatings chalk — another reason to buy a set whose brand and coating are named on the listing.

Can I fit boards if I already have mud flaps or fender flares?

Almost always yes — they use different mounting points. If you are stacking accessories, mention it in your part request and we will confirm they coexist on your model.

Do you deliver and can I pay on delivery?

Cash on delivery is available across the UAE, and card or Tabby instalments across the GCC. Boards are bulky, so any per-unit delivery surcharge is shown on the product page and at checkout before you pay.