Best Winter Side Steps for 2009-2018 Ram 1500 Crew Cab

The best winter side steps for the 2009-2018 Ram 1500 Crew Cab are wide, grippy, corrosion-resistant step bars that give you a safe foothold when the cab sits high off the ground and the rocker is caked in ice, slush, and road salt. The fourth-generation (DS) Ram 1500 is a tall full-size truck, and climbing into a crew cab in winter boots is a real foot-placement problem, not a cosmetic one. A slip against a frozen door sill is how people crack a shin or a tailbone. At NLP Performance in Tampa, FL, these four Ram 1500 step bars are the ones we fit most, and in this buyer's guide we break down which keeps you planted through a salt-belt winter.

Why Winter Side Steps Matter on a Ram 1500

Side steps on a Ram 1500 are a winter safety upgrade first and a style part second. The DS-generation crew cab rides high, so a quick, confident step is hard when the running surface is glazed with ice, and a missed step against the door sill or frame is how people get hurt. The two things that matter most in the cold are the step surface (a wide, textured or recessed step pad sheds snow and grips a wet boot far better than a bare round tube) and the finish (polished 304 stainless steel or a thick powder coat resists the salt-brine corrosion that eats cheap steps in Michigan, Colorado, or Ohio winters).

Secondary considerations: coverage length (cab-length bars reach both crew-cab door openings, while a wheel-to-wheel bar adds a step at the bed), tube diameter and pad width (a 5-inch or 6-inch oval gives a bigger boot target than a 3-inch round), and how the step mounts. Every bar in this guide bolts to the factory rocker-panel locations with no drilling, so a shop install is roughly 45 to 90 minutes. The 2009-2018 Ram 1500 spans the DS generation, including the 2013 mid-cycle refresh and the mid-2015 cab change, so the one spec that trips people up is cab style: a crew-cab bar will not line up on a quad cab or a regular cab. Confirm your exact cab and bed length against the fitment before you order, and a Ram-specific, no-drill bar will mount to the factory points in an afternoon.

The Best Side Steps for the 2009-2018 Ram 1500

We ranked four proven Ram 1500 Crew Cab step bars by winter footing, build quality, coverage, and price. Prices run from under $280 for the Westin E-Series budget bar to around $600 for the extra-wide PRO TRAXX 6.

1. Westin PRO TRAXX 6 Oval — Best Overall for Winter

The PRO TRAXX 6 is our winter pick because its 6-inch oval tube wears the widest, boldest step pad of anything here — the biggest target you can give a winter boot. More pad area means more grip and more margin for a missed step on ice. It is a cab-length, straight-tube design that mounts to the factory rocker-panel points, so both crew-cab door openings are covered. The powder-coated black finish shrugs off road salt, and at around $600 after the discount (down from an $880 list) it is a lot of step bar for the money. If your priority is sure winter footing on a tall Ram, the extra pad width is worth it.

2. N-Fab Podium LG — Premium Stainless Hoop Step

The N-Fab Podium LG is the pick for salt-state winters because it is built from one-piece welded stainless steel that will not rot from the inside out like painted mild steel. Its patented hoop step uses an expanded, fully enclosed sure-grip step plate that sheds snow instead of packing it, and the drop-down step sits low and forward so it is easy to reach with a boot. The 3-inch main tube tucks high and tight to the body for a clean look. Note that N-Fab lists this application for 2009-2017 Ram 1500 Crew Cab; it is the step we recommend if corrosion resistance matters most to you.

3. Westin E-Series 3 (Stainless) — Budget Pick

At under $280 after the discount, the Westin E-Series 3 is the cheapest quality step here and a smart winter buy for a second reason: it is polished 304 stainless steel, which is the most corrosion-resistant finish in this group for salt-covered roads. The 3-inch round tube carries recessed step pads mounted in each step area, the mounting kit is included, and the design is Ram-specific so it bolts up cleanly. You give up the wide pad of the PRO TRAXX 6 and the enclosed plate of the N-Fab, but for the money it is hard to beat on a daily-driven, salt-belt Ram 1500.

4. Lund 5 in. Oval Wheel-to-Wheel — Max Coverage

The Lund 5-inch Oval is a wheel-to-wheel bar, so it runs past the cab all the way to the rear wheel — that gives you a step at both doors plus a foothold to reach into the 5-foot-7 bed, which is handy when you are loading gear or scraping snow off the bed cover. The 5-inch oval steel tube wears wide step pads for solid winter grip, and the black powder coat holds up well if you rinse the salt off. It fits 2009-2017 Ram 1500 Crew Cab short-bed trucks and is the pick if you want the most step and bed access for the money.

2009-2018 Ram 1500 Side Step Comparison

Here is how the four stack up on the factors that decide winter footing and value. All four bolt to the factory rocker-panel locations with no drilling.

How to Choose Winter Side Steps for Your Ram 1500

Match the step to how you use the truck. If your priority is safe winter entry, the step surface is the deciding spec — a wide 5-inch or 6-inch pad (Westin PRO TRAXX 6, Lund) or an enclosed anti-slip plate (N-Fab) beats a slim bare tube when it is glazed with ice. If you live where the roads are brined all winter, favor stainless steel construction so the step does not rust from the inside; the N-Fab stainless body and the polished 304 stainless Westin E-Series 3 are the standouts there. If you want the most step for the least money, the Westin E-Series 3 at under $280 is the value play, and if you want a step at the bed too, the Lund wheel-to-wheel bar covers the most ground.

Also confirm cab and bed before you buy: every option here is sized for the Ram 1500 Crew Cab, and the Lund wheel-to-wheel bar is cut for the 5-foot-7 short bed, so quad-cab and regular-cab owners need a different length. Rinse road salt off any step through the winter, and re-torque the mounting bolts after the first few hundred miles. You can browse our full lineup of Ram steps and boards in the running boards and side steps collection.