Bed bar question

I got set of used bed bars and installed it. But there is gap under each mounting place.

Is it supposed to be this way?
I am going to put tent on it and wondering if it is ok to use them like this? Or something has to be done?

 

I personally would not run them like that. As is, all the weight of the bars and everything you mount on them is going to be on those bolts and thus the bed track rail. I would either extend the slot that the bolts go through to bring the bars down or fill that gap in with something (a metal plate or even a board) so that the bedsides are supporting the weight and not the bolts.

Edit: I just noticed that those bars aren't connected together in any way either. If you're eventually going to put an RTT on there, I might even look into running a length of steel plate along the bedside from one bar to the other and having them welded to that as well. Seems like with a lot of weight on them, those bars may have a tendency to want to "rock" back and forth with vehicle movement. You'll notice some other brands that don't connect the two bars have supports that extend along the bedside a little ways to combat that tendency to want to tip forwards and/or backwards.

 

I wouldn't put any weight on the bar with it installed like that. The bed rails won't support the weight. They are only anchor points. I'd take the bar off, elongate the holes so the plates rest on the bed sides, and reinstall.

You could also use something solid to fill the gap, but IMO that's not a great solution.

 

Ok I will elongate the holes and reinstall

I am gonna get something to connect the two bars to stabilize.
Thank you for the advice.

 

Out of curiosity,
where do you buy something like that?

I'm switching from my trusty 99 flatbed tacoma to a 2013, and the roof rack just isn't enough. I need a support bar like yours out back for longer things- pipe, iron, lumber, kayaks, etc.

 

As others have mentioned, while not required for use, adding some additional structural members to link the two bars together will significantly increase the stiffness and strength of the entire setup (primarily in the direction of the long axis of the truck). Alternatively, you could also weld some beefy gussets in place where the bars meet the mounting pads. If it were me, I might do both, but that's probably overkill.

In a previous post, I believe he said he got them used but that they were fabricated by Bay Area Metal Fab (BAMF)--I'm not sure if they still produce them though.

If you search fo "Tacoma bed bars" I'm sure you'll be able to find several vendors that sell a similar product.

 

Those are for a 3rd Gen I’m assuming. I had the same problem with a used bed rack I bought on Facebook marketplace.

i only have a spare mounted on mine, so I haven’t drilled higher holes/slots in it yet.

 

Searching on Amazon for “universal extendable pick-up truck rack bed rack” turns up a lot of options.

 

It's this one I got it from market place but I didn't get the side panels.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bamf-expo-bed-bars.520848/

 

I didn't realize until I bought them that they are for 3rd gen. I drilled new holes to let them rest on the bed side.

 

Much more gooder.

 

Such a small funny difference between the two gens.