Comparison
Hoop Steps vs Nerf Bars: One Step Per Door or a Full Rail
Take a nerf bar if you want a step along the whole cab and would rather not drill. Take a hoop step if you want a small step at one door and you accept holes in the pinch weld. That is the split on the two maker sheets we compared, for a 2007-2018 GM truck both are listed for.
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Straight answer
A hoop step is one small step at a door, sold in pairs. A nerf bar is usually a tube rail along the cab, also sold in pairs. On a 2007-2018 GM crew cab, Carr's Hoop II sheet calls for drilling, while Tyger's Rider sheet has no drilling step but may need cutting on DEF trucks. Neither states a load. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.
Both of these are forms of running board, a step mounted below a truck's doors that makes it easier to climb in and out. The difference is how much of the cab they cover and what they ask of your truck. The names won't settle it, because titles mix them. So we took one truck both are listed for, and read both sheets.
The short version
| Hoop step: Carr Hoop II 103991 | Nerf bar: Tyger Rider TG-SS2C35018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Small step casting per door | 3.5-inch rail per the title |
| In the box | 2 steps, 4 steel brackets | 2 sidebars, 5 mounting brackets plus a front upper and lower bracket, 8mm hardware |
| Mount | Back side of the rocker panel, through the pinch weld | Pinch weld tabs and the body panel, with clip nuts |
| Drilling | 5/16-inch and 1/8-inch holes | No drilling step in the sheet |
| Other work | Silicone sealer advised | "MAY REQUIRE CUTTING" on DEF tank models |
| Fit, as stated | Carr sheet: 88-18 Sierra/Silverado 1500; 88-19 Sierra/Silverado 2500-3500; 88-18 F/S Crew Cab all doors | Title: 2007-2018 Silverado/Sierra 1500; 2007-2019 2500/3500HD; 2019 LD/Limited; Crew Cab |
| Load rating | None stated | None stated |
| Time | None stated | None stated |
Read November 2, 2026. Carr's list is older and wider, and the sheets stop in different places. For other trucks, see the hoop steps and nerf bars pages.
| Spec sheet | Our pick: 2007-2018 GM crewTyger Rider 3.5" (2007-2018 GM) | Our pick: hoop stepsCarr Hoop II 103991 (pair) |
|---|---|---|
| Fits, according to the listing | 2007-2018 Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500; 2007-2019 2500 / 3500HD; 2019 LD/Limited | Crew Cab | Listing title names no truck. Carr sheet 103991 lists, among others: 04-14 F150 New Body Style; 88-18 Sierra/Silverado 1500; 88-19 Sierra/Silverado 2500-3500; 02-09 Dodge F/S Pickup (will not fit 09 1500) |
| Style | Rail / nerf bar (as titled) | Hoop step pair (as titled) |
| Material | Not stated in the title | Not stated in the title |
| Weight rating | Not stated in the title | Not stated in the title |
| Install | Bolt-on with brackets; no drilling step in the sheet; on DEF-tank trucks it may require cutting, and dropping the tank may be easier | Carr sheet: drill 5/16-inch holes through the pinch weld and 1/8-inch holes into body metal; no time stated |
| Price class | Mid-range | Budget |
| Best for | Crew cab owners with a 2007-2018 GM 1500, or a 2019 LD/Limited. | Owners of a truck on Carr's application list who want a step at the door and are willing to drill. |
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Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.
The differences, point by point
Where your foot goes
A hoop step gives you one spot. Carr's sheet lines up the center of the step with the front edge of the seat in normal driving position. It lets you move the step forward or back to clear something behind the rocker panel. If your foot misses that spot, there is nothing else there.
A nerf bar gives you a long rail with step pads on it. Tyger's sheet notes that the rear step sits slightly closer to the end of the sidebar, so check which side is which before you lift it. Nerf bars vs running boards covers width against a flat board.
What each one does to your truck
This is the big one. Carr's job begins with a center punch and ends with sheet metal screws. You drill 1/8 inch and enlarge to 5/16 inch through the pinch weld, then drill 1/8-inch holes into the body metal at the top of each bracket. Carr warns you to leave at least 1/8 inch of metal between the hole and the edge. You can't undo that later.
Tyger's job uses what's there: clip nuts over the pinch weld tabs, or factory weld nuts on trucks that have them, plus threaded inserts in the body panel. There's no drilling step. But don't call it a free pass. The sheet warns that DEF tank models may require cutting, and it says dropping the tank may be easier. See can you install running boards without drilling? for how far that varies by kit.
Doors
One Carr box holds two steps. For four doors, that's two boxes and twice the holes. A Tyger pair is one rail per side, along the cab. If only the driver and front passenger need help, the hoop step asks for less. If rear-seat passengers climb in every day, the rail wins.
Paper
Carr's sheet states Limited Lifetime on finish and structure for the original purchaser, excluding labor and installation. The Tyger sheet we read prints no warranty terms. Tyger's sheet does print a torque table, with 15-16 ft-lbs for 8mm class 8.8, while Carr only warns against over-tightening and asks for a final tighten after a month of use.
Price and look
Our data puts the Carr in the budget price class and the Tyger in the mid-range. On looks, it's your call. A hoop step leaves the rocker area open. A rail adds a line along the truck. ARIES, a maker of side bars, says these mount away from the body and are narrower than running boards.
What about the other hoop steps?
The Bully and DNA pairs are titled by truck make and name no year or cab, and we read no maker sheet for them. So we can't set them against a truck here, and we don't recommend them on this page. If they tempt you, read hoop steps first, then have your exact truck confirmed by the seller.
Newer trucks change the comparison too. Carr's sheet shows no Silverado 1500 after 2018. A 2019-up GM crew cab has a different Tyger Rider, covered on the Silverado page. There, we have no Carr line to compare it with.
Pick one
Take the nerf bar if you want a step along the cab, you don't want to drill, and you can live with a 3.5-inch rail. Trucks with a DEF tank should read the cutting note first.
Take the hoop step if you need a single solid spot at the door, your truck is on Carr's list, and a drill doesn't bother you.
Take neither if you need more foot area. Look at a wider board on side steps or a drop step.
None of this comes from an install of our own. How we verify fitment shows what we read. Check your exact year and cab on the listing before you buy.
Tailgate questions
Are hoop steps or nerf bars easier to install?
On the two sheets we compared, the nerf bar has fewer holes to make. Tyger's TG-SS2C35018 has no drilling step, though DEF-tank trucks may need cutting. Carr's Hoop II sheet has you drill through the pinch weld and into body metal. Neither sheet gives a time, so we print none. Your own sheet decides it.
Do hoop steps or nerf bars hold more weight?
We can't say. Neither the Carr sheet nor the Tyger sheet we read states a load rating, and dealer figures are not maker figures. A load rating has to come from a maker's document for that exact part. Not stated means just that, so ask the maker for the rating on your part number.
How many hoop steps does a crew cab need compared with nerf bars?
Carr's box holds two step castings and four brackets, so it covers one door each side. If you want a step at all four doors, that means two boxes, and Carr's sheet does list 88-18 full-size GM crew cabs for all doors. A nerf bar set is one rail per side, running along the cab.
Where this comes from
Keep reading
- Buying guideHoop stepsHoop steps give you one step per door. Carr's sheet lists trucks by year and calls for drilling; Bully and DNA titles name makes only. Here is what each one states.
- Buying guideNerf barsNerf bars for trucks by cab and year. What the name really covers, how wide the rails are, what the install sheets say, and our picks where we read a maker sheet.
- ComparisonNerf bars vs running boardsNerf bars vs running boards: usually a 3-inch tube against a 6-inch board, but titles mix the words. What differs, what no maker publishes, and which suits you.
- Question & answerCan You Install Running Boards Without Drilling? The Parts and Years That Still Need HolesMany running boards bolt on with no drilling, but not all. Which maker sheets have no drilling step, and which Tyger, AMP and Carr parts call for holes.
- Buying guideSide stepsTruck side steps come as rails, 6-inch boards, drop steps and power steps. Compare styles by year and cab, with fit marked as the listing or maker states it.
- About usHow we verify fitFit here is what a listing title or maker sheet states, marked as such. What we read, what blocked us and why you still confirm year and cab before you buy.
Who writes this
runningboardsfortrucks.com Editorial Team
Fitment, buying advice and explainers
We are the editorial team at runningboardsfortrucks.com. We read listing titles, maker pages and instruction sheets, then write down which truck, year and cab each one states and where we read it. We do not run lab tests and we do not own a test fleet, and we say so openly.
- Fit quoted from the listing or maker
- Sources and dates on every page
- No lab tests, stated openly
- Publisher details in the imprint