1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Frontrunner Bed Rack and Bed Rail Weight capacity

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by D-CM, Jul 8, 2018.

  1. Jul 10, 2018 at 1:33 PM
    #21
    D-CM

    D-CM [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2018
    Member:
    #253512
    Messages:
    59
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma TRD OR DCSB
    Rock sliders
    Wow, great info from the last three posts. Thanks everyone!
     
  2. Jul 10, 2018 at 2:59 PM
    #22
    Broccoli

    Broccoli Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2015
    Member:
    #166833
    Messages:
    2,096
    Gender:
    Male
    Airdrie Alberta
    Vehicle:
    2016 trd sport blazing blue,
    I fought with toyota on this years ago after a cleat broke and the dirtbike handle bar went right thru the fender. They fought me at every turn. I weighed the bike. With weigh scale pics and papers and built up a 45* pvc pipe contraption and loaded the bike with bike strapped to show that the straps were not at an angle greater than 45* all said and done they paid half the repair. Which at the end of the day was solid by toyota but a huge waste of my time (months)
     
    D-CM[OP] likes this.
  3. Jul 11, 2018 at 2:29 PM
    #23
    D-CM

    D-CM [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2018
    Member:
    #253512
    Messages:
    59
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma TRD OR DCSB
    Rock sliders
    Okay, so I got some new info from Alyssa at Frontrunner. She said that the attachment I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, that helps secure the rack using the walls of the truck bed, is in pre-production but that they are selling the ones they have. They are $40 for a pair of them. Kinda pricey especially for something that, in my opinion, should have been put on the rack arms in the first place. But hey, it’s a cool rack and at least there is an option.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
    Admiral_Akbar and prest14 like this.
  4. Dec 20, 2018 at 5:01 AM
    #24
    Admiral_Akbar

    Admiral_Akbar Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2016
    Member:
    #194494
    Messages:
    517
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    '17
    betojr14 likes this.
  5. Feb 7, 2019 at 8:11 PM
    #25
    shadowkhan

    shadowkhan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2015
    Member:
    #150065
    Messages:
    635
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2016 Barcelona Red TRD Sport 4x4 Prem/Tech w/JBL DCSB
    Thinking of getting the frontrunner bed rack. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Seeing some just using the load bars. How are they holding up with RTT on? I currently have a CVT but thinking of switching to gofsr high country
     
  6. Feb 7, 2019 at 8:31 PM
    #26
    Captqc

    Captqc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2017
    Member:
    #212458
    Messages:
    4,919
    Gender:
    Male
    Tigard, OR
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma 4x4 TRD AC Off Road
    I’ve got Frontrunner bars but I also had extended brackets made so that my RTT would sit at cab height.
    84A1425E-547E-4BC8-9542-A1A17AD8FCBD.jpg
     
  7. Feb 7, 2019 at 9:27 PM
    #27
    D-CM

    D-CM [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2018
    Member:
    #253512
    Messages:
    59
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma TRD OR DCSB
    Rock sliders
    Man I dig those extra brackets...takes some of the load off the bed rails which was my primary issue with the front runner rack. No one at front runner would guarantee me that the rails could support the weight of a roof top tent plus body weight, and off road abuse. So I went with a different rack. Wish frontrunner offered brackets similar to the ones you have. If they did I’d have one right now along with tons of their rack accessories
     
    mcharfauros likes this.
  8. Feb 7, 2019 at 9:28 PM
    #28
    shadowkhan

    shadowkhan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2015
    Member:
    #150065
    Messages:
    635
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2016 Barcelona Red TRD Sport 4x4 Prem/Tech w/JBL DCSB
    What kind of brackets are those?
     
  9. Feb 7, 2019 at 10:21 PM
    #29
    Captqc

    Captqc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2017
    Member:
    #212458
    Messages:
    4,919
    Gender:
    Male
    Tigard, OR
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma 4x4 TRD AC Off Road
    Just some I had made by a machine shop.
     
    mcharfauros and D-CM[OP] like this.
  10. Feb 7, 2019 at 10:32 PM
    #30
    computeruser6

    computeruser6 Nuclear Janitor

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2015
    Member:
    #152306
    Messages:
    1,966
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Dirk
    Escondido
    Vehicle:
    2008 Regular Cab Tundra
    King 2.5 coilovers Nitto Exo Grapplers
    The bed rails are not designed to hold up the weight of a RTT and other stuff attached to a bed rack. The fasteners holding the bed rails in are what, 6mm? It would be even worse if you have that weight trying to shift as the frame and bed are flexing off-road. The rails should be used to prevent a load from sliding around, not supporting its entire weight. All truck frames and beds flex at least every so slightly and the design of the Tacoma/Tundra frames and bed flex more than most other manufacturers. If the rack has a high torsional rigidity while the bed does not the bed will be turned into a bushing and fail.
     
    D-CM[OP] likes this.
  11. Feb 7, 2019 at 10:42 PM
    #31
    D-CM

    D-CM [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2018
    Member:
    #253512
    Messages:
    59
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma TRD OR DCSB
    Rock sliders

    That’s exactly why I didn’t go with their rack. Problem is that they seem to market it as being an option for an RTT but then shy away from a direct answer when someone asks the question

    EDIT: I’m not trying to bad mouth them either because I think frontrunner otherwise has great products. I just think with a few simple modifications, they could rectify the problem. And btw, those extra brackets they came out with last year don’t solve the issue. But I do like the brackets that’s Captqc had fabricated
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2019
  12. Feb 12, 2019 at 12:46 PM
    #32
    YUKON007

    YUKON007 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2017
    Member:
    #228720
    Messages:
    15
    Gender:
    Male
    Still having ZERO issues with this set up, glad people are commenting how it'll never work, means my truck will remain unique! This is my issue with this forum, 3 posts in a row earlier saying how much people love this set up along with sources of other cases where this set up was used successfully followed directly by people that have never used it saying how it would never work...
     
  13. Feb 12, 2019 at 12:54 PM
    #33
    prest14

    prest14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2018
    Member:
    #254996
    Messages:
    188
    Gender:
    Male
    Temple, TX
    Vehicle:
    2017 SR5 4x4
    Bilstein 6112/5160, TC UCA, Dakar Medium
    Ya mine is holding up fine - zero issues. Not the exact same frontrunner rack, but attached the same way.
     
    DanishTaco likes this.
  14. Feb 12, 2019 at 3:15 PM
    #34
    computeruser6

    computeruser6 Nuclear Janitor

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2015
    Member:
    #152306
    Messages:
    1,966
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Dirk
    Escondido
    Vehicle:
    2008 Regular Cab Tundra
    King 2.5 coilovers Nitto Exo Grapplers
    I'm more than happy to be your issue with this forum if disagreeing with you is all it takes. Define what you mean by zero issues? How long have you had it? What trails do you go on? I don't have to use a specific product to know that it's not necessarily the best idea. Here are some cracked beds for you:

    Tundra beds

    Tacoma bed

    Tacoma bed

    Tacoma bed
     
  15. Feb 13, 2019 at 4:26 AM
    #35
    prest14

    prest14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2018
    Member:
    #254996
    Messages:
    188
    Gender:
    Male
    Temple, TX
    Vehicle:
    2017 SR5 4x4
    Bilstein 6112/5160, TC UCA, Dakar Medium
    The whole debate here is whether or not the weight of a RTT on a bed rack that is solely supported by the bed rails is more likely to fail and cause damage than a rack that is supported by the bedsides and rails. In all 3 of your Tacoma examples, damage was caused by a rack or hard top that was supported by the bed sides, not just the rails. You proved that carrying additional weight over the bed can cause damage due to the extra stress - something that I think we all know is a possibility. The examples don't show that the bed rails are the weak point that will fail if used as the sole mounting point for the weight - which it what we are all talking about.

    Now granted I haven't taken my tent on any crazy trails, but I haven't experienced any cracking, bending or sagging in the bed sides or rails since I've had mine mounted.
     
    fanchaztik likes this.
  16. Feb 13, 2019 at 7:48 AM
    #36
    computeruser6

    computeruser6 Nuclear Janitor

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2015
    Member:
    #152306
    Messages:
    1,966
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Dirk
    Escondido
    Vehicle:
    2008 Regular Cab Tundra
    King 2.5 coilovers Nitto Exo Grapplers
    Well, if you think it's a great idea to mount all of that weight solely to the bed rails best of luck to you. If you think that the bed rails are stronger than the bed so be it.
     
  17. Feb 13, 2019 at 9:16 AM
    #37
    prest14

    prest14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2018
    Member:
    #254996
    Messages:
    188
    Gender:
    Male
    Temple, TX
    Vehicle:
    2017 SR5 4x4
    Bilstein 6112/5160, TC UCA, Dakar Medium
    I don't think it's any worse of an idea than mounting all that weight over the bed to begin with. I'll keep on keeping on.
     
    fanchaztik likes this.
  18. Feb 13, 2019 at 10:09 AM
    #38
    D-CM

    D-CM [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2018
    Member:
    #253512
    Messages:
    59
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tacoma TRD OR DCSB
    Rock sliders
    You are probably right on that
     
  19. Feb 28, 2019 at 7:42 PM
    #39
    Sandy Taco

    Sandy Taco New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2017
    Member:
    #212191
    Messages:
    4
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    JD
    Vehicle:
    2017 Quicksand TRD OR
    Thank you for this post! I’ve got a 2017 that I want to mount some over the bed bars to, Front Runner load bars caught my eye but I was concerned with the same issue with the rails.

    Seeing that there are several people who haven’t had any issues with this system directly on their bed rails, I think I’ll go ahead and go with it. If anything does happen I can always have the mounting brackets modified with the lip to go over the bed.
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2019
    DanishTaco, mcharfauros and D-CM[OP] like this.
  20. Jun 19, 2019 at 4:06 PM
    #40
    betojr14

    betojr14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2014
    Member:
    #134970
    Messages:
    68
    Gender:
    Male
    Moreno valley ca
    Vehicle:
    14 Sport PreRunner, White
    Torch 20" Led Grille.
    Did you make those brackets yourself? Or did you buy them?
     
    mcharfauros likes this.

Products Discussed in

To Top