So bed stiffener time???

I am not sure if this is normal or what but I thought I would bounce it off of you.

Working on the truck the other day and I noticed that the gaps in between my tailgate and bed sides are larger at the top than the bottom.. took a pic tonight to show you.

This one shows what I am talking about but the other side has this gap as well. Pic does not do it justice.


So.... is this normal? Bed stiffeners in my near future? Probably couldn’t hurt to have them but not first on my list for the truck right now. Unless this is the start of something I need to address......??

Thoughts?? Am I being ??

 

I noticed a gap like that on mine, particularly on the left side. I put these on mine and it did help. Was it necessary, maybe?

 

Did the gaps improve or did it just stop moving???

 

Improved. Pulled it in to where it looks straight.

 

Exact same situation on my 2013 AC. Stiffeners next after the stereo is complete

 

I was thinking that I was seeing things or was paranoid.... glad to have a few confirm what I am seeing.

 

Just ordered some as I use the toco a lot I thought why not just on case. I also had a welding shop make a pair for my old chevy it got to the point where the tailgate would just drop going down the road this fixed the problem so yes get them

 

Yeah it’s a done deal at this point!

 

Doesnt look like you have a cap or bed bars....do you normally load the rails with added weight?

 

It had a cap when I got it. I pulled it and sold it. I am guessing the previous owner capped it the entire time....

 

speaking for myself...and my sides show the same gap as the OP...my bed exhibits this and it's a 2013 with 46k on the clock and a 60lb tonneau cover since new.I work with the previous owner and the bed never did more than haul bags of top soil and the occasional sofa. I have no explanation for the 'splayed' sides. But, the gaps are there.

 

Bed stiffeners are almost a must have in my opinion. Per the total chaos instructions you bolt the flat part down first and then the sides. If there is a gap (like shown in the epic) the bed is tweaked. I heard it physically snapping/popping back into place when tightening the bolts on the uprights.

 

OP if you aren't ever running a cap or any kind of weight on your bedsides I think getting bed stiffeners is overkill. Instead I'd try and fix it with a heavy duty ratchet strap to pull the sides back in together.

 

....you beat me to it. I was just going to make the joke and tell everyone to just wrap ratchet straps around the whole bed to keep it from widening out any further.

 

Wow!! Now I really want to get it done!

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bedside-reinforcements-tie-downs-in-stock.476123/

 

Look for cracking down in the corner below the taillights

 

So, if I'm understanding this correctly, if you have a shell or something of that nature you should get bed stiffeners? Does the weight of the shell (or what ever is on there) push the sides of the bed out?

 

If you a shell or take the truck offroad bed stiffeners are a must (in my opinion). The stock bed flexes a lot offroad even without a shell and will get tweaked. On road trucks with no shell really don't need them.

 

General consensus is yes. The composite bed is prone to spreading out over time, whether exaggerated by the weight of a shell, bedrock, offroad use, etc. Some have seen their bed spread with no shell, while others with shell have not seen much. Each truck is different. If you're getting a shell, or have a shell, it's the safer bet to install stiffeners as a preventative option. It's not needed though, as some people don't mind or don't have the eye to such detail. It doesn't hurt anything either way.