How-to
Replacement Step Pads and Rubber for Running Boards and Nerf Bars: How to Match and Swap Them
To replace a step pad, match the old pad's length, width, stud count and stud spacing, or better, its part number. Pry the old pad off with a rag under the tool, press new barrel clips into the bar, then tap the new pad on with a mallet. Westin is the one maker we found with a published list and sheet. For other brands, ask the maker before you buy.
Straight answer
Match the pad by part number if the maker has one, otherwise by length, width, stud count and stud spacing. Westin's sheet covers a long list of part numbers: pry off the old pad, fit new barrel clips, then seat the pad with a mallet, working from the center out. We found no published pad list for most other brands, so ask the maker first.
A running board is a step mounted below a truck's doors that makes it easier to climb in and out. The pad is the textured piece your boot lands on when you step on a nerf bar. A torn pad does not always mean a new set of bars. Whether you can buy just the pad comes down to who made your bar.
The swap itself is small: a mallet, a pry tool, a screwdriver, per Westin's sheet. No sheet we read gives a time for it, so we print none. Nobody on this site has done this swap on a truck, and what follows is what the documents say.
Find out how your pad attaches
Different parts hold their pads on in different ways, and that decides what you buy.
| Part | How the pad attaches | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Westin E-Series, Platinum 4-inch, R5, R7, Pro Traxx and 6-inch Premier Oval | Plastic studs into barrel clips in the bar | Westin's sheet |
| Westin rock slider pads 42-7005, 42-7015 | M6 flat socket head bolts and nylock nuts, 7-9 ft-lbs, and the slider has to come off the truck | Westin's sheet |
| AMP BedStep2 75413-01A | PT screws, 5 ft-lbs with a T25 Torx | RealTruck's sheet |
| LUVERNE O-Mega II | Self-tapping screws | Our LUVERNE page |
| Tyger Rider | The sheet shows pads on the bar and gives no way to replace them | Tyger's sheet |
If your bar is not listed, look underneath for clips or screws, and then ask the maker. We read nothing that covers replacing a pad that is molded or bonded in place, so ask before you start prying.
Matching the pad
Start with the part number. Westin's sheet lists 21-0001, 21-20001, 21-50001, 21-50002, 22-5001, 22-5002, 22-6003, 23-0001, 24-50014, 24-50020, 24-50024, 25-0001, 26-0001, 28-50001, 28-50002, 28-70001, 28-70002, 42-7005 and 42-7015. Different pads for different bars. If you know your bar's series, ask Westin which number it takes. Our Westin page has the brand side of it.
No part number? Measure the old pad. Write these down before you order:
- Length and width
- How many studs, and the spacing between them
- Whether one stud is shorter than the rest
Dealer pages show why each number matters. These are eTrailer's figures for Westin pads, and they are not Westin's:
| Pad | Size, per the dealer | Clips, per the dealer | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-0001 | 19-3/4 inches long, 3-1/8 inches wide | 4 included | Listed for a Signature Series 3-inch bar, front or rear pad area |
| 23-0001 | 21 inches long, 3 inches wide | 5 included | Listed for an E-Series 3-inch bar, front or rear pad area |
| 21-0001 | 24 inches long, 4 inches wide | Not stated on that page | The expert offered it for a Luverne bar with 6 posts, and said to compare the post spacing first |
That last row is the closest thing we found to a universal pad, and it is one dealer's suggestion and not a maker's listing. Check a bar with the pad off before you order for a set.
Mind the side. On some bars, position matters. Tyger's sheet for TG-SS2C35068 notes that the rear step pad is closer to the end of the sidebar. Westin says its pads should go on with the label readable as you get into the vehicle.
Swapping a clip-on pad
These steps follow Westin's sheet, and they are for Westin's pads. For a different brand, use them as a picture of how the job goes, not as instructions.
Check the kit
Take everything out of the box and confirm that all parts are there and undamaged. Westin warns that missing damage before installation could lead to a rejected claim.Pry off the old pad
Go carefully and slowly with a suitable pry tool, so the old barrel clips come out with the pad. Westin recommends a rag between the tool and the bar to prevent scratches.Clear the old clips
If any clips stay behind, take them out with a flathead screwdriver.Set the new clips
Put the new barrel clips in the holes in the bar, and line up the pad's plastic studs with them. On 21-0001 and 24-50024, the shortest stud is a locating stud and takes no clip.Tap it into place from the center
Hit the pad softly with the mallet at the stud locations, starting at the center and working out. Keep the other clips and studs lined up, and correct any misalignment as you go.Seat it firmly
Go around again and hit it firmly at each stud and clip location. Do the same at any other step pad location, and reinstall the bar if you took it off.
Keeping the new pad grippy
Do not dress up the pad. RealTruck's BedStep sheet says to avoid waxes, lubricants or protectants on the step surface, to prevent slipping, and to wash with mild soap and water. Westin's care notes recommend regular waxing with non-abrasive products, and they are general care for the product, so keep any wax on the bar and off the surface you stand on.
When a pad is not the answer
If you cannot get a pad from the maker, the bar has no replacement parts or the bar itself is the problem, you are shopping for new bars. Nerf bars compares them by truck, and the truck picker gets you to your year and cab. If the brackets are what is loose, see running board brackets. Our sourcing rules are on how we verify fitment.
Want light on the step rather than grip? See running boards with lights.
Tailgate questions
Can you replace the rubber on running boards?
On bars with clip-on or screw-on pads, yes. Westin sells replacement pads for its bars and publishes the steps. We read no document that calls these pads rubber: one dealer page describes a Westin pad as polymer plastic. A pad molded into or bonded to a board is another matter, so ask the maker of your part.
Are replacement step pads universal?
We found no pad sold by a maker as universal. Westin lists pads by series. Studs and spacing vary, and Westin's own kits run from 4 to 10 barrel clips. A dealer's expert did suggest one Westin pad for a Luverne bar after comparing size and posts, and told the customer to check post spacing first. Treat any cross-brand match as your own call.
How do you get old step pads off nerf bars?
Westin's sheet says to pry them off carefully and slowly with a suitable pry tool, with a rag between the tool and the bar to prevent scratching. The old barrel clips should come off with the pad. If they stay in the bar, take them out with a flathead screwdriver. Other brands may mount differently.
Do I need new clips with a replacement pad?
On Westin bars, the sheet puts new barrel clips into the holes, so plan on it. Check whether your kit includes them: the sheet lists clips in the kit, and a dealer page for one pad says they are included. One locating stud on the 21-0001 and 24-50024 pads takes no clip at all.
Where this comes from
- Westin Automotive: Step Pad Replacement Kit installation instructions (PDF hosted by CARiD)
- eTrailer (dealer): Westin 25-0001 replacement step pad
- eTrailer (dealer): Westin 23-0001 replacement step pad
- eTrailer (dealer): expert reply on a replacement pad for a Luverne bar
- RealTruck AMP Research installation sheet IM75413, BedStep2 75413-01A (PDF)
- Tyger Auto instruction sheet TG-SS2C35068 (PDF hosted by CARiD)
Keep reading
- 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.
- BrandWestinWestin's Pro-e, HDX, R5, PRO TRAXX and XTS lines, from Westin's own pages: materials, install wording, warranty, and the one load rating Westin states per side.
- ExplainerWhat are nerf barsNerf bars are tube steps bolted below a truck's doors, named after a racing part. See how they mount, per Tyger's install sheets, and what the name does not promise.
- How-toBrackets and boltsRunning board brackets and bolts: why brackets are truck-specific, maker bracket numbers by truck, bolts on the sheets, and how to replace a bracket.
- BrandLUVERNELUVERNE running boards explained: Grip Step, MegaStep and O-Mega II, how kit numbers split into boards and brackets, bed-length kits and warranty terms.
- 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