Nerf bar

Nerf bar
For other uses, see Nerf (disambiguation).
A 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac with black nerf bars.

A nerf bar is a tubular device fitted to the side of a racecar, typically single-seat race cars that compete on asphalt or dirt oval tracks. A "nerf" is a small, sometimes intentional, collision between two cars in which one driver bumps the other to facilitate a successful pass. The nerf bar protects the sides of the vehicles and also keeps their tires from becoming entangled. If fast-spinning tires come in contact with each other, one or both of the cars may lose control or even become airborne. Used on Asphalt Modifieds such as used in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series.

A more commercial application of the nerf bar is for convenience purposes on a pickup truck or sport utility vehicle. It may act as a step to ease entry and exit from the vehicle, or to help prevent damage to the vehicle when crossing rocks off-road. Nerf bars can also be used to double as side bull bars on off-road vehicles.

The term is sometimes applied to the foot-rests on a motorcycle. Nerf bars are typically made from either stainless steel, chrome or powder-coated steel, although there are considerable variations in style and design.

They are also variously known as step bars, boss bars, tube steps, step rails, truck steps, or step tubes.

Typically if they are being used to slide over rocks and past trees they are built with thicker tubing and attached directly to the trucks frame rails rather than the body. Being attached to the frame can allow them to support the entire weight of the vehicle and even be used as a jack point to change a tire. They are not called Nerf Bars any more and instead called Sliders, Rock Bars, or another variation of the two.



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Look at other dictionaries:

  • nerf bar — A type of front bumper guard, typically made of chrome plated steel tubing; extends horizontally from below front end and is curved upward; a pair of nerf bars is usually braced by a horizontal crossbar. In Australia it is called a roo bar. Also… …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • nerf bar — noun or nerfing bar Etymology: from nerf (herein) : a usually tubular steel bumper on some racing cars to keep wheels from touching when cars bump during a race …   Useful english dictionary

  • nerf bar — noun A tubular bumper running below the doors along the side of four wheeled vehicle, in place of a running board. Those nerf bars look really cool. See Also: nerf net …   Wiktionary

  • Nerf (disambiguation) — NERF is a brand of toy and can also refer to the foam that these toys use. Nerf may refer to: Nerf, an animal in the fictional Star Wars universe N.E.R.F., acronym which refers to the New England Rainbow Family Nerf (computer gaming), a change to …   Wikipedia

  • bar — [1] A unit of pressure. One bar equals 100 kilopascals or 14.5 psi. [2] A rod. Also see anti roll bar anti sway bar antiroll bar boring bar bull bar bumper bar busbar compensating bar compensator …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • nerf net — noun A net running between a nerf bar on a vehicle and the vehicle itself, in order to prevent the drivers leg getting caught between the two. Those nerf nets may look weird, but theyve saved me a lot of pain …   Wiktionary

  • bull bar — The upward extension of a bumper to protect lights and the grille. Also see nerf bar …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • nudge bar — See nerf bar …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • roo bar — An Australian term for nerf bar …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • nerfing bar — noun see nerf bar …   Useful english dictionary

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