Buying guide
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10 min read
Buying guide
For you if: you want on-demand bed, roof-rack, or under-hood access from a 2″ receiver without bolting a permanent bumper step. You will pin the step in when you need it and remove it when you hitch a trailer.
Skip this page if: you want a permanent under-bumper retractable step — use our AMP BedStep guide. Skip if you tow full-time with the receiver always occupied (the step must come out to tow). Skip side-entry needs — that is nerf bars or power running boards. Skip CURT 32002 as a substitute for 32001 unless you specifically need the 6″ drop shank.
Figures below come from each maker’s product page. Westin does not print a step load rating on the maker page used here.
| CURT Grip Step #32001 | Westin HDX #56-10015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who for | Wide 26″ aluminum expanded tread; pin included | HDX drop-plate style; anti-rattle; universal 2″ |
| SKU | 32001 | 56-10015 |
| Receiver | Most 2″ × 2″ | Universal 2″ |
| Stepping surface | 26″ × 7″ (maker) | Drop step plate (dims not printed on maker page) |
| Tread / plate | Expanded-metal aluminum; open treads | Textured black drop step plate |
| Frame / shank | Steel powder-coated shank | Textured black e-coated steel frame |
| Drop sibling | #32002 (6″ drop) — related option only | Drop hitch step design (HDX) |
| Anti-rattle | Not the headline feature on 32001 | Anti-rattle bracket (maker) |
| Pin | Pin & clip included | Pin sold separately (maker/retail copy) |
| Load rating | Not printed as a lb step rating on 32001 page | Not published on Westin maker page |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime (5-yr finish / 1-yr parts) | See Westin terms for this PN |
| Not this pick | AMP BedStep; nerf/power boards; 32002 as 32001; 31001 pad as peer | AMP BedStep; stainless 56-100152 as the Westin Shop option; unpublished load lb |
Credit: CURT
01 · Wide aluminum Grip Step
26″ × 7″ stepping surface. Powder-coated aluminum expanded-metal treads. Open treads shed dirt and snow. Rounded end caps. Steel powder-coated shank for most 2″ × 2″ receivers. Front or rear hitch use. Includes hitch step, shank, hardware, and pin and clip (step and shank may ship separately). Limited lifetime warranty (five-year finish, one-year parts). Part 32001. Not 32002.
Credit: Westin Automotive
02 · HDX drop hitch step
Universal 2″ receiver drop hitch step. HDX styling. Anti-rattle bracket. Textured black e-coated steel frame with black drop step plate. Receiver pin sold separately on maker/retail copy. No step load rating published on the Westin maker product page. Not stainless 56-100152. Part 56-10015.
A hitch step is a platform on a 2″ shank. You slide it into the receiver, pin it, and use it to climb into the bed, reach a roof rack, or work under the hood on a front-mount hitch. When you need the receiver for a trailer, you pull the step out. That is a different product from an AMP Research BedStep, which bolts under the bumper as a vehicle-specific retractable step. It is also different from nerf bars and power running boards, which mount along the sides of the truck for cab entry.
Do not leave a hitch step in the receiver and try to tow through it. Do not treat it as a bumper replacement or a recovery point. Do not confuse CURT’s compact #31001 step pad with the wide Grip Step on this compare.
Same aisle. Different platform story.
CURT prints a 26″ × 7″ expanded-metal aluminum surface — the widest maker-printed pad on this page. Open treads shed mud and snow so you are not tracking the trail into the cab. Westin uses an HDX drop-plate step on a drop hitch geometry; the Westin maker product page does not print a matching length × width table, so those numbers stay off this page rather than borrowed from a retailer listing.
CURT 32001 is the standard Grip Step height. CURT’s #32002 sibling adds a 6″ drop for taller or lifted trucks — related option only — not a main pick on this page. Westin 56-10015 is built as a drop hitch step with HDX styling and an anti-rattle bracket. If your bumper or hitch sits high and a flat shank feels too tall, compare drop geometry in person or with the maker install sheet before you buy.
CURT: powder-coated aluminum tread plus steel powder-coated shank. Westin: textured black e-coated steel frame with a black drop step plate on 56-10015. Stainless drop-plate 56-100152 is a finish sibling — not the Westin Amazon Shop pick on this page.
CURT includes a pin and clip with 32001. Westin installs with a receiver pin that is sold separately on maker/retail copy — budget a hitch pin or hitch lock if your kit does not already have one. Both fit most 2″ × 2″ receiver tubes; CURT notes the shank may not fit certain receiver adapters.
CURT’s 32001 page emphasizes fleet-approved expanded treads and warranty language. Westin’s maker product page does not publish a step load rating. If a retailer listing shows a pound figure Westin does not print, that number is not used here.
CURT Grip Step with 6″ Drop #32002 — same 26″ × 7″ aluminum expanded tread as 32001, with a 6″ drop shank for larger or lifted vehicles. Designed for use in the drop position only. Pin and clip included. Related option only — Amazon Shop on this page is 32001. CURT 32002 (maker)
CURT Hitch-Mounted Step Pad #31001 — compact 6-3/8″ × 10-3/4″ anti-skid steel pad for 2″ receivers. Budget/compact alternative, not the Grip Step peer to Westin HDX. CURT 31001 (maker)
Hitch step (this page): slides into the 2″ receiver. Removable. Universal across trucks with a 2″ tube. Conflicts with towing while installed.
AMP BedStep (our guide): bolts under the bumper. Application-specific. Retractable. Stays on the truck when you tow (receiver stays free). Different mount class.
Nerf bars / power running boards (nerf / power boards): side steps for cab doors. Not a bed/roof hitch platform.
If search sent you here for BedStep or power boards, leave this page and use those guides.
Credit: CURT
Pick: wide aluminum Grip Step
For bed, roof, or hood access when you want the widest printed aluminum expanded tread and a pin in the carton.
Drawback: occupies the receiver while installed — pull it before you tow. Shank may not fit certain receiver adapters (maker). Not a permanent under-bumper BedStep.
Credit: Westin Automotive
Pick: HDX drop hitch step
For bed or roof access when you want HDX drop-plate styling and an anti-rattle bracket on a universal 2″ shank.
Drawback: pin not in the carton on typical maker/retail copy. No maker-printed step load rating or pad dims on this page. Occupies the receiver while installed — pull it before you tow.
AMP BedStep as a hitch step. Different mount. See our AMP BedStep guide.
Nerf / power boards for bed access. Side entry is not hitch-step geometry. See nerf bars and power running boards.
Leaving the step in while towing. Pull it first.
CURT 32002 as a main pick here. Use the 6″ drop only when you need that drop — Shop on this page is 32001.
Guessing a Westin step load. If Westin did not print it, it does not go in the table.
For this page: CURT Grip Step #32001 for a wide 26″ × 7″ aluminum expanded tread with pin included, or Westin HDX Drop Hitch Step #56-10015 for HDX drop-plate styling with an anti-rattle bracket on a universal 2″ receiver. Both are removable hitch steps — not BedSteps or side boards.
CURT 32001 prints a 26″ × 7″ open aluminum tread, steel shank, and includes a pin and clip. Westin 56-10015 is an HDX drop hitch step with an anti-rattle bracket and textured black e-coated steel; the receiver pin is sold separately on maker/retail copy. CURT wins on printed width and included pin. Westin wins on HDX drop-plate style and anti-rattle. Neither is an under-bumper BedStep.
No. A hitch step uses the 2″ receiver and must come out to tow. An AMP BedStep bolts under the bumper as a vehicle-specific retractable step and leaves the receiver free. Use our BedStep guide for that product class.
Both hitch steps fit standard 2″ × 2″ receiver tubes. CURT notes the shank may not fit certain receiver adapters. Confirm tube size and pin hole before you order. A 1-1/4″ receiver is the wrong class.
No. The step occupies the receiver. Remove it, then install your ball mount or other hitch accessory before you tow.
Buy 32001 for the standard Grip Step height on this compare. Buy 32002 only when you need the maker’s 6″ drop for a taller or lifted vehicle. 32002 is designed for drop position only. Amazon Shop on this page is 32001.
Yes on typical maker/retail copy — the receiver pin is sold separately for 56-10015. CURT 32001 includes a pin and clip in the carton. If you already own a hitch pin or hitch lock that fits your 2″ receiver, you can use that with Westin.
Last updated September 28, 2026. Author: TruckDaily.