Are Bed Stiffeners Required w/ A Crossbar Bed Rack System

So.... no. Only if you are "rough on the truck" then who knows... bed stiffeners cannot even save you.

This is the first time I've ever seen this marketing gimmick was on this forum. It's laughable.

 

back to ur cesspool buddy. No one is trying to sell anything here, just give insight with our own experiences

 

I'm not at all sure that the top pick is incorrect or somehow problematic.

 

This is exactly correct, think about having a cardboard box with one end open. It's pretty easy to get it to fold to one side with just a little force. If you close up the open end it's much harder to fold it to the side. The bed stiffeners act as that "closed" end.

 

Damn.

I only said that cause I only got into welding recently, and already made 2 sets really fast. Not hard at all and materials were cheap.

Figured anyone with minimal welding skill could easily make you some.


Just no 2nd or 3rd Gens around for me to mock up.

 

4x the protection!!

 

I got some a long time ago when I had big dreams of a wedge camper. Still though, they have been handy for many other things.


I enjoyed welding in HS and had a friend help me weld on a plate to the rack of my long gone sidecar to become a mount for my bicycles. That was the just about the limit of his skills as he was just getting into it.

Lately, I have been watching some fab channels on YT. Folks can do some killer stuff.

 

Here is a pic of my bed without straighteners and with no load. Comparing with the narrow gap created by the straighteners, I’d say that straighteners do more harm than good.

 

The stiffeners will not affect your existing gap. The post that you quoted was showing a bit of spreading (on a 1st Gen). The stiffeners likely pulled it back to the original panel gap.

There are pics of 2nd and 3rd Gens posted around here. Both have the same bed design. The 1st Gen is all metal, but folks have noted that even some full sizers can have spreading.

The stiffeners likely saved my bed this day. I had a real dolt helping me load up.

 

Thank u^

Y'all really just try to argue on this forum lol. I used a ratchet strap, tightened the gap back up, tapped the bed, and bolted in. Jesus.



It didn't look like that when i bought the truck 3 years ago, so evident issue.

 

Not trying to argue, but still waiting for some evidence that stiffeners are needed. Showing pics of large loads and ratchet straps are not meaningful to me, nor is the pic of a normal gap in the tailgate that is narrowed by braces. Anyone have anything? Genuinely curious.

 

Hahaha! You're welcome!


Yeah. TW is like that. You will rarely get a mea culpa either.

 

The search button is your friend. There's way too many of these threads. Even the OP's idea / theory is repetitious.

 

Obviously, you have no plan to buy or use them… not sure why even commenting if your opposed so firmly. No one here is looking to make any money off you selling you something, and could careless what you do with your own rig. If you overload your bed one day and it just so happens to split, come on back for your free “I told ya so’s”.

 

Are there ACTUAL reports of this happening? I have yet to see a post about it here.

 

You're awfully defensive about this, which makes me think you're likely not objective. But to enlighten as to why I'm commenting, this is a community forum who's purpose is to exchange information. I'm interested in learning more. I think I've already mentioned that I'm genuinely curious if bed "splitting" is an actual problem. If it is, sign me up, I'll buy some brackets! If it isn't, I think it's helpful to know that, too, don't you?

 

You may consider watching this video (embed below).


I built a 3/4 ton diesel rig a decade ago and chose a 3.0 dominator kit from Carli Suspension. All of those guys huck their diesels off the dunes in Glamis. They ALL ran bed stiffeners because it was the weakest part of the bed structure. More recently, in my Taco I went with Leitner bed stiffeners to complement my Decked drawer system and Leitner rack. You should consider the forces exerted on OP's rack when wheeling. My Leitner ACS forged is rated for 1400 lbs of static weight but rated at 800 lbs dynamic driving (forces from speed bumps, railroad crossing, etc) and that falls to 400 lbs for off road dynamic conditions (ruts, washboard, etc.). I share these details to show you the forces exerted on a rack when daily driving and off-roading will take a forged rack from 1400 lbs of capacity to 400 lbs because of the forces it endures. With OP's rack those forces are carried to the bed rails and down to the frame. The weakest piece of that puzzle is the bed where the tailgate is attached. For $80 you can stiffen the weakest link. It is a no-brainer IMO.

Before you call something laughable you should do a little more digging. This is a100% functional upgrade and something the pre-runner and desert racing communities have been installing for years.

 

Interesting and helpful video. I can see an application if you're catching air with your truck while offroading. Do you think a 200 lb. topper shell poses a risk in typical use?

 

I don't think so. Not for a normal use case where you are daily driving, doing some light off road..

If you plan to huck your truck: absolutely it is necessary. If you go MT or LT suspension and like to hot dog off road (take dunes at high speed) with your camper shell on you may want to consider it. I know guys that carry no load in their beds and need stiffeners just because they get crazy in the dunes, but they have crazy suspensions and do borderline stupid things in their rigs. Structurally, where the tail gate meets the bed is the weakest point in your truck. For the cost of the part and the time to install, I would have installed them in my stock sport with no overland setup but that is just me.