IRON CROSS Nerf Bars with hoop steps....If rust was the only issue...

[Gator3643]

Below are the pictures of the Iron Cross nerf bars with barely usable narrow hoop steps with rusting "stainless steel" after 4 weeks...

 

[geotex1]

Man, no good! Unfortunately, so many of these accessory makers don't employ true engineers to develop products, or when they have the commercial folks look for making bigger profit by buying low quality raw materials.... There are only a handful of stainless grades that are truly corrosion resistant. Eyeballing those, they are likely 400-series, which will rust and blacken.

 

[Jordan2929]

Looks like they went with a martensitic stainless as apposed to an austenitic stainless the latter being a more corrosion resistant option. Cost cutting at its finest (in the wrong area), they likely used a 400 series like geotex1 said.

 

[Zinger]

I almost bought a different set of Iron Cross bars until I found reviews on Amazon showing paint falling off. They seem to be a low quality manufacturer and should be avoided.

 

[Gator3643]

Looks like they went with a martensitic stainless as apposed to an austenitic stainless the latter being a more corrosion resistant option. Cost cutting at its finest (in the wrong area), they likely used a 400 series like geotex1 said.[/ Hi, I know there are many types of stainless, however I was really surprised to see rust after only a month of use. I was complaining about poor customer service at Iron Cross, seems like I finally got a response from Austin who is now trying to help me. He said that the person I had originally contacted dropped the ball and was supposed to reply to me. At this point we are working on a suitable way to get a step that works fro me. About the rust, I asked him about that and I am awaiting a reply.

 

[MrHankbot]

Guys, don't forget that scratching stainless with mild steel will cause rust to develop on the stainless too. Stainless relies on a fast growing microscopic layer of chromium oxide to protect the underlying steel. It could be 304 but got contaminated during the manufacturing process, and without an acid wash to passivate, or remove all of the mild steel deposits on the surface of the stainless, started rusting.

That being said. Bummer. That's the last thing you want from your nice stainless steel steps.