Dee Zee Rough Step Boards: Steel vs Aluminum & Bracket Guide

Dee Zee Rough Step running boards offer a wide, textured stepping surface for work trucks and vans. The board is selected by material and cab length, then mounted using a separate vehicle-specific bracket kit. This guide helps compare those choices without assuming that one bracket set fits all Rough Step boards or trucks.

Three things to select before ordering

Steel or aluminum

Rough Step boards are offered with black powder-coated steel or aluminum construction. Material is identified by the exact MPN suffix.

Cab length

Regular, extended and crew-cab/van lengths are different board groups. Do not infer the correct length from truck brand alone.

Vehicle bracket kit

Cradle and rocker-panel brackets are specific to the supported vehicle configuration and may require drilling.

These stationary boards have a rated capacity of up to 350 lb in the catalog. Actual safe installation depends on the vehicle-specific brackets and the manufacturer's instructions.

Dee Zee Rough Step running board models

MPN Board length group Material Installation
DZ15301A Regular cab Aluminum Depends on bracket application
DZ15301S Regular cab Steel Depends on bracket application
DZ15311A Extended cab Aluminum Depends on bracket application
DZ15311S Extended cab Steel Depends on bracket application
DZ15321A Crew cab / van Aluminum Depends on bracket application
DZ15321S Crew cab / van Steel Depends on bracket application

The boards above are black powder-coated, stationary and non-lighted. Mounting brackets are sold separately and must match the actual truck or van.

Separate cradle mounting bracket kits

These bracket sets serve selected Silverado/Sierra, Express/Savana, E-Series/Econoline, Ford F-150 and Ram applications. Manufacturer year, cab and option restrictions should be checked before pairing one with a board.

Bracket MPN Vehicle group Mount Drilling
DZ15315 Selected Silverado / Sierra Cradle brackets No drilling listed
DZ15316 Selected Express / Savana Cradle brackets No drilling listed
DZ15324 Selected E-Series / Econoline Cradle brackets Drilling required
DZ15327 Selected Ford F-150 Cradle brackets No drilling listed
DZ15336 Selected Ram Cradle brackets No drilling listed

Installation and fitment checks

Before installation, identify the exact vehicle year, body and cab, factory step options and model-specific bracket hardware. Do not drill until the manufacturer installation sheet for the exact bracket set confirms the correct locations.

Do not assume a vehicle bracket fits every Rough Step board

The board and mounting kit are separate products. Confirm their approved pairing from Dee Zee's current application guide or kit instructions. This comparison does not establish that every board works with every bracket number.

Rough Step boards and mounting hardware

Choose the exact board or bracket model to review its details and availability.

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Dee Zee HEX truck bed rails

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