Fixed Running Boards for Trucks: Flat Boards vs Tube Steps, and What Custom Really Means

"Fixed" is the word buyers use, and almost no seller puts it in a title. Listings say running boards, side steps, step bars or nerf bars, and one Tyger title uses three of those for a single part. So the name tells you little. The shape and the width in the title tell you what you are getting. Fixed simply means it does not move, which sets it apart from power running boards.

Fit sheetOur pick: Silverado and Sierra crewAd

Tyger Auto

Tyger Rider 3.5" (2019+ GM)

A 3.5-inch rail whose title names the Silverado and Sierra years, the HD split and the cab.

Why here: It is the fixed step on this page with a readable maker sheet that names brackets, mounting points and torque values.

Fits, according to the listing

2019-2026 Chevy Silverado GMC Sierra 1500; 2020-2027 2500 3500HD | Crew Cab (as of November 2, 2026)

Style

Rail / nerf bar (as titled)

Material

Not stated in the title

Weight rating

Not stated in the title

Install

Bolt-on with 8 brackets; no drilling step in the sheet; assistance recommended

Price class

Mid-range

Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

Why it makes the list

• The part number in the title (TG-SS2C35068) ties the listing to Tyger's own instruction sheet
• That sheet bolts 8 brackets to threaded holes behind plugs in the rocker area and has no drilling step
• Title separates the 1500 years from the 2500/3500HD years

Watch out for

• 3.5 inches wide per the title, narrower than the 6-inch boards
• No weight rating in the title, so none is printed here
• The title does not mention the 2019 LD/Limited; a sister Tyger listing groups that truck with the older body, so check before ordering

Best for: Crew cab owners on the 2019-up GM full-size who want a rail with a readable install sheet.

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Which fixed step for which truck?

Fit below is what each title states. We add nothing to it.

What do you want under your boot?

• If you drive a 2019-up Silverado or Sierra crew cab and want a rail with a maker sheet → Tyger Rider 3.5" (2019+ GM)

  Fits, according to the listing: 2019-2026 Chevy Silverado GMC Sierra 1500; 2020-2027 2500 3500HD | Crew Cab. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

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• If you drive a 2019-up Silverado crew cab and want a wide step at the budget end → COMNOVA 6" (2019+ Silverado) · Listing data only

  Fits, according to the listing: 2019-2026 Chevy Silverado 1500, 2020-2026 Silverado/Sierra 2500HD 3500HD Crew Cab. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

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• If you want aluminum and a title that rules out the 2019 LD → Aluminum nerf bars (2019+ Silverado and Sierra) · Listing data only

  Fits, according to the listing: Crew Cab ... 2019-2026 Chevy Silverado & GMC Sierra 1500 (Excl 2019 Ld/Lt), 2020-2026 2500 HD 3500 HD. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

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• If you drive a 2015-up F-150 SuperCrew and want a flat step with a maker sheet → Tyger Riser 6" (F-150 SuperCrew)

  Fits, according to the listing: 2015-2027 Ford F-150; 2022-2025 F-150 Lightning; 2017-2027 F-250 F-350 SD | Supercrew Cab. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

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• If you drive a new-body Ram 1500 crew cab and want a rail with a maker sheet → Tyger Rider 3.5" (2019+ Ram 1500)

  Fits, according to the listing: 2019-2027 Ram 1500 (Not fit 19-24 Classic) | Crew Cab. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

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• If you drive a new-body Ram 1500 crew cab and want a wider stainless step → COMNOVA 6" Stainless (2019+ Ram 1500) · Listing data only

  Fits, according to the listing: 2019-2026 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab New Body Style (Excl. Ram 2500/3500/Classic). Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

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• If you drive something else

  All trucks

Flat boards vs tube steps

Width does not set the price class. The 6-inch COMNOVA sits in budget, and the 3.5-inch Tyger Rider sits in mid-range. What the Tyger buys you is a part number that leads to a sheet. Nerf bars vs running boards goes deeper on how the names overlap.

There are other fixed shapes too. A drop step hangs a lower pad under its rail, and hoop steps are single steps at each door instead of a full-length board.

Compared: 2019-up GM crew cab

This is the truck family where we can line up both shapes side by side.

Comparison: Tyger Rider 3.5" (2019+ GM), COMNOVA 6" (2019+ Silverado), Aluminum nerf bars (2019+ Silverado and Sierra)

Spec sheet	Our pick: Silverado and Sierra crewTyger Rider 3.5" (2019+ GM)	Budget optionCOMNOVA 6" (2019+ Silverado)	Listing data onlyAluminum nerf bars (2019+ Silverado and Sierra)
Fits, according to the listing	2019-2026 Chevy Silverado GMC Sierra 1500; 2020-2027 2500 3500HD | Crew Cab	2019-2026 Chevy Silverado 1500, 2020-2026 Silverado/Sierra 2500HD 3500HD Crew Cab	Crew Cab ... 2019-2026 Chevy Silverado & GMC Sierra 1500 (Excl 2019 Ld/Lt), 2020-2026 2500 HD 3500 HD
Style	Rail / nerf bar (as titled)	Running board / step bar (as titled)	Running board / step bar (as titled)
Material	Not stated in the title	Not stated in the title	Aluminum (title)
Weight rating	Not stated in the title	Not stated in the title	Not stated in the title
Install	Bolt-on with 8 brackets; no drilling step in the sheet; assistance recommended	Not stated in the title	Not stated in the title
Price class	Mid-range	Budget	Budget
Best for	Crew cab owners on the 2019-up GM full-size who want a rail with a readable install sheet.	Silverado 1500 crew cab owners who want a wider step and a budget price class.	GM crew cab owners who want aluminum and an explicit LD exclusion on the listing.
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The fixed steps worth a closer look

Tyger Rider 3.5-inch (2019-up GM crew)

Our pick, and it is a tube. The title reads "2019-2026 Chevy Silverado GMC Sierra 1500; 2020-2027 2500 3500HD" and Crew Cab, with part number TG-SS2C35068. Tyger's sheet has you pull plastic plugs along the bottom edge of the body, bolt 8 brackets to the threaded holes behind them and set the rail on top. There is no drilling step. The weak points are the narrow step and no stated load rating. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

COMNOVA 6-inch (2019-up Silverado crew)

The COMNOVA^* is the wide, budget answer. Its title names the 2019-2026 Silverado 1500 and the 2020-2026 Silverado and Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD, Crew Cab. Read that closely: it names Sierra only on the HD trucks, not the Sierra 1500. We have no maker sheet for it, so ask about the mounting before you order. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

Aluminum step (2019-up GM crew)

This aluminum listing^* has no brand in the title, but it does the one thing many skip. It says "Excl 2019 Ld/Lt" for the 1500. It sits in the budget class, and it calls itself nerf bars while we file it with the boards. That is the naming problem in one listing. It is listing data only. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

Tyger Riser 6-inch (F-150 SuperCrew)

The flat step with a sheet behind it. The Riser^* title names the 2015-2027 F-150, the 2022-2025 Lightning and the 2017-2027 F-250 and F-350 SD, SuperCrew Cab. Tyger's sheet TG-RS6F60118 bolts to factory studs and uses plastic retainers, which it says prevent corrosion between the aluminum body panel and the steel brackets. The F-150 page has that truck's other choices. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

New-body Ram 1500 crew: rail or board

The Tyger Rider TG-SS2D35098^* bolts 6 brackets to factory studs with no drilling step in the sheet. The 6-inch COMNOVA stainless^* is the wider board, with listing data only. Both titles rule out the Classic. Year by year is on the 2019-2026 Ram 1500 page. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.

Fixed vs power: what you skip

RealTruck's guide for the AMP PowerStep 76255-01A shows what a powered step adds. It states 3-5 hours and skill level 4, with motors, a harness, an OBD II plug and drilling through the pinch weld. A fixed kit has none of the wiring. The Tyger sheets we read are brackets, bolts and a level, with a second person recommended. If you are weighing the two, are power running boards worth it lays out the trade.

Fixed does not always mean no drill, though. Tyger's sheet for the Riser TG-RS2D40078 on older Ram crew cabs says "DRILLING MAY BE REQUIRED". How to install running boards covers mounting points and torque by sheet.

Custom and DIY running boards

People search "custom running boards" and "DIY running boards" a lot, so here is the straight answer. We have no custom shop and no plans in our data, and we print no build numbers.

• Custom. We read no custom maker's terms. If you mean one-off fabrication, get the design, the mounting and the load from the shop in writing.
• DIY. A homemade step has no maker sheet, stated rating or warranty, and it is holding up your full weight at the door. Do not guess at the mounting points.
• The rule people quote. 49 CFR 399.207 sets step height and load for high-profile cab-over trucks and truck-tractors. It is not written for pickups, we found no pickup rule, and this is not a legal opinion. Do not treat its numbers as a design spec.

What to check before you order

• Year and cab, in the title. Listings split by both, and bed and cab fitment explains when bed length joins in.
• Width. Compare inches, not the name.
• A sheet. A part number in the title is your best route to one.
• Material wording. Many titles name aluminum or stainless with no grade. Treat either as corrosion-resistant at best, and see aluminum vs stainless running boards.
• Load. Most titles state none, and figures from dealers are not maker figures. We print none here.

Mistakes people make

• Shopping by the word. Nerf bars and running boards can be the same part.
• Assuming fixed means no drill. One sheet above says otherwise.
• Stretching a year range. A title that stops at 2026 says nothing about 2027.
• Assuming a wider step is stronger. We found no published data that says so.

Bottom line

On a 2019-up GM crew cab, take the Tyger Rider^* if you want a rail with a sheet, or the COMNOVA^* if width and budget matter more. On an F-150 SuperCrew, the Riser is your flat step with a sheet. For everything else, start at best running boards. The way we read all of this is on how we verify fitment. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.