| If you've spent any amount of time researching | | | | and shaped in order to provide the desired form. |
| truck accessories like grille guards, nerf bars or | | | | Since they are hollow, they also provide a weight |
| headache racks, you've probably noticed by now | | | | reduction over a solid steel tube without sacrificing |
| that these products are made out of tubular steel | | | | much strength. The rounded edges of the tube |
| - almost without exception. Why do so many | | | | also make them much safer in terms of |
| aftermarket accessory companies choose to use | | | | scratching the skin or catching on clothing. This is |
| this material when manufacturing their products? | | | | especially helpful for nerf bars, which can use |
| The strength of steel | | | | tubular steel to avoid scratching or bruising feet, |
| Most people know that steel is one of the | | | | shins and ankles when stepping in and out of a |
| strongest metals known to man. It is also one of | | | | truck. |
| the most affordable. By using steel, auto parts | | | | Special applications |
| companies can offer durable products to | | | | The nature of tubular steel gives it the ability to |
| customers at competitive prices. There are many | | | | be applied to truck accessories in a way that |
| different types of steel available on the market, | | | | other types of steel can't. For example, wholesale |
| but the steel that is used in grille guards, for | | | | grille guards provide excellent frontal protection |
| example, is different than that used in the body | | | | while at the same time not obscuring headlights or |
| of a car. A car's body is designed to crush and | | | | impeding air flow to the radiator. If a more solid |
| become stronger as it collapses, while the steel in | | | | piece of steel were used for the same purpose, it |
| a guard is meant to maintain its shape and | | | | would not be able let nearly as much air or light |
| strength without deforming under impact. | | | | through. By the same token, an air flow tailgate |
| The shape of steel | | | | which uses tubular steel beams to keep large |
| Tube steel is created through a sequence that | | | | cargo in while allowing air to pass through |
| involves several different processes. Tubes of | | | | functions more efficiently than a mesh tailgate, |
| steel can be produced by using techniques such | | | | which can become clogged with dirt or other bits |
| as rolling, bending or hydroforming. These tubes | | | | of debris while driving. |
| typically begin their life as a sheet of steel, which | | | | Fastening |
| is then rolled and welded in order to maintain its | | | | Tubular steel also makes a great bed rail or |
| new shape. Laser welds can be used to create | | | | headache rack due to the fact that ropes or |
| the tiniest of seams, giving the finished product a | | | | chains can easily be secured around it without |
| smooth surface. During the process of forming | | | | having to worry about fraying. While a square |
| the tube, the steel is also hardened, which | | | | beam of steel may be strong, the sharp angles of |
| increases its overall strength. | | | | the edges mean that over time, a rope could |
| Advantages of tubular steel | | | | become too frayed to be safely used. These |
| Steel tubes are not difficult to work with, as with | | | | edges can also catch onto a chain's links, making it |
| the proper techniques they can be readily bent | | | | difficult to pull across the beam. |