Tacoma Loose Bed design Flaw explanation

Thanks for that. Yeah, I have to agree. I inspected my bed mount locations the other day and they look good as new still. No play. But off-roading this past weekend, shit was popping/cracking quite a bit in the flexing situations. Nothing seems broken and I rarely off-road, so it very well could be the composite bed flexing/popping.

 

I've been chasing a popping sound that sounds like it is coming from the rear drivers side. Here is a video.

https://youtu.be/994YBJ0b4Cg


After reading much of this thread I'm thinking that it is maybe the bed bolts. I'm planning to check this weekend. I recently had the bolts out to install the Body Armor molle kit. The cab panel uses the bed bolts to secure the bottom part of the panel to the bed using some offset brackets. Here is a link.

https://bodyarmor4x4.com/products/tc-7126-front-bed-molle-system

I was thinking that maybe this could prevent the metal bed sleeve from being compressed between the bolt head and the mount underneath the cab. Think of the bracket as a washer with an ID larger than the OD of the sleeve. The theory is that when I torqued it down I put pressure on the plastic but not on the metal sleeve allowing it to loosen up. It seems like it could fit the symptoms as the noise is much worse on cold mornings. I'm speculating that the cold causes the plastic bed to contract making the joint looser. I can't see the bolt heads right now as my bed mat tucks under the molle panel and doesn't come out without removing the panel.

Any thoughts on this theory?

Thanks

 

I'm not sure but after looking at the instructions for that molle bracket kit I don't think you'd be doing the bed any favors.

Basically that bracket is equivalent to inserting a thicker and wider washer that would end up transferring more of the compression force of the bolt directly to the bed, rather than through the bushing & into the under-bed mount below. I think over time it would be likely to induce stress cracking in the plastic of the bed.

While I've not installed or needed (so far) to install the bushing solution described earlier in this thread yet, I think it is probably the correct long-term solution to the bed-noise problem.

 

I fixed mine today. Wasn't crazy loose but I could move the bed up and down a bit by hand and the bolt in that corner was a bit rusty. I ordered these washers from McMaster, https://www.mcmaster.com/product/95647A234 along with a fresh oem bolt. You can see that the 1 1/8" id washer fits just right around the od of the metal sleeve. I spun out the old bolt and lifted the bed with one of those air bag shims, held the washer in place with one hand and let the air out of the bag with the other. I put an obscene amount of anti seize on the new bolt and tightened it up and now it's solid.

 

Just did mine. Not too bad of a job. I used a rubber washer between the bed/frame. No more movement Lowes didn't carry the T55 torx so had to trek to a Home Depot

 

Thank you to @Milowilli for starting this thread back in 2015. I used the information from this thread to fix the play between the bed and frame.