bed rails reliable?

Are these bed rails reliable to hook to? When I latch my dirtbike into them they flex and bend. The book says 440 lbs I was just wondering if tey beak, or if they r reliable to tie stuff down to?

 

Put some extra D-rings in the bed and be done with it. It's better to install something you know will hold instead of having a 5k investment fall in the bed of your truck harming both the bike and truck.

Good luck!

Edit:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/28533-installed-d-rings-bed-pics.html

 

I used to haul my street bikes around using the bed rail and never had a problem but I didn't want to push my luck and put some extra D-rings in on the bed bolts. I would recommend that especially if you are short box and can't shut the tail gate.

EDIT: yeah, what Shane said

 

Yeah, that's my next thing to do I was just curious. Is it ok to install them in places where they r not bolted to the frame, using washers above and beneath the rings for support? B/c if u do the additional mod as specified it it only adds 2 to the front and when I carry mine and a friends bike I'd at least need two more in the front of the bed in the cinter?

 

yes, you can add them to the bed bolts
there is a thread in here some where about adding army surplus d-rings, that's what I used....



the thread

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/90069-new-d-rings-available.html

 

I meant adding them in placed where NOT using bed bolts. Like in the center front of the bed just using my own bolts drilled straigjht therough the bed with large washers for support?

 

^ This is in fact how Toyota intends extra D-rings to be used. Look at the first pic in the link Shane posted - each D-ring comes with a rectangular backing plate. Weight capacity will be less than mounting through the bed bolts.

 

D'OH
helps if I read it right
People use the drain holes at the front of the bed so I suppose you could drill holes in the center. I wouldn't but that's just me.

 

good point

 

For the occasional hauling of light stuff but if you are going to be moving around a lot and stuff go with the extra d-rings. Well worth it

 

I would not trust the bed rails or plastic cleats to tie down anything that is above 40 or 50 pds. I almost had my dirt bike jump out of the back of my truck heading up the mountain on I-70. I'm lucky that it snagged and i was able to pull over. It probably would have went through the guy behinds me's windshield and killed him. The cleat just broke apart. My dirt bike is a little yz250 so its not a big heavy piece of machinery either. What i did what i went out and bough some heavy duty d ring tie downs from high county 4x4 in denver and some plate steel. I then made sandwich plates out the bar stock, sort of like when fabricating roll bars. I painted them with that cheap duplicolor bed liner from walmart. I Installed them up in the front of the bed. 1 on each side in the top of the fender well. There is a perfect little indentation to put them down in so when pushed over the lay flat. I then put one right at the front of the bed in the middle. Honestly is has been one of the best and most useful additions to any truck i have made. I can put 3 bikes in my bed if i turn one backwards, and i can load 2 bikes and have them strapped and ready to go in less than 5 min. Also with strong ties downs like this you can really get inventive with the uses. One of our family friends who is a woman rides a cbr 600 that died in a parking lot. With a broken leg i was able to use the center tie down as a winch point to pull the bike up into the truck with her guiding it and me pulling. I also used it to lower it slowly down the ramp when we got it home. I was in a cast at the time with a broken leg and would have never been able to do this without the tie downs. Only thing i would change is i would have taken the tie downs some where to be powder coated as they are peeling and look kinda crappy, Ill try to put up some pics of my setup this afternoon.

 

here are the pics. one of the back view so you can see the spacing of the 3 tie downs and one of the side view so you can see how the ring lays flat in he wheel well recess. I also dug up the old cleat so you could see how it broke. I keep thinking how lucky i was the bike stayed in the bed. Im going to get the rings powder coated soon as they look like crap now with the liner peeling off.
Please excuse all the chains and crap back there. Its been awhile since i could walk.

 

I really like those style mounts. I'm assuming you just driilled holes straight through the bed and used nuts and bolts to secure them?


Edit: also, you had to make the mounting plates? Did u just head the metal and hammer it over the ring to make a loop it could swing freely in? Any way you could get me a close up pic of the ring/mount?

 

ill get closer pics today. I was kinda in a hurry when i took those. I'll get some closer ones. I did drill where i wanted to put them. I made sure to drill the exact size of the bolt so no wobble. Also no washers in this setup. I didnt think they were big enough and strong enough to spread the weigh and just bolts and nut will probably rip through the bed. So i got some bar stock and made sandwich plates to go on both sides. Also i used all grade 8 nuts and bolt. My motto is always overbuild and you will never be let down. I have fabricated lots of roll bars and stuff so it seemed pretty natural for them to go where they did. This is a really easy useful mod if you have access to something that will cut steel and a drill press. Later when i put up the closer pic ill put up a list of materials i used.

 

Good stuff Hawker

 

And it is also only intended to go in a specific spot. Not necessarily where you want an extra d-ring. It comes with specific mounting instructions.

 

i totally agree here. Do not try to mount the toyota d rings anywhere other than where they say to. They are not strong enough and don't have a large back sandwich plate behind then to do the kind of things that i do with my rings. I honestly advise against the toyota d rings anyway since i you can by better rings from any 4x4 shop for the same price or less. The ones i picked up from high country are 10,000 grade 8 d rings for 8 or 10 bucks a piece.

 

ok so he metal that goes over the d ring is part of the "kit" that you buy. It has 2 square cut holes for carriage bolts to go down and through the plate.
In the these pics you can see better what i did and how it all lays flat in the recess. Also notice how i positioned the plate right against he edge of the bed where it makes a 90 degree bend up. This makes the piece stronger due to the angle that the tie downs are having force applied to them. This is also true with the d ring in the front center of the bed. Remember geometry is just as important as buying the right parts.
Here is a supplies list of what i used: 1/4 inch high quality steel. Do not use bar stock from home deopt or lowes. They do not sell plate with big enough dimensions. You will have to go to a steel type shop I actually bought mine from a leftover plate from a shop that fabricates custom snow plow mount. Be creative and it will save you money. You will need 6 grade 8 carriage bolts. 6 grade 8 nylock nuts, and a way to paint or powerdercoat them, That is the one mistake i made. I tried to save money and use walmart bed liner and it has just peeled off and looks like crap to me. I am going to take he off and to a line x shop soon. Thats all the supplies you need. Any other questions about my setup feel free to ask me

 

Thanks for the pictures and all of the info. I found what you have at home depot, although not intentended for "off road" same design. I do not have a shortbed so I do not ave those indentations. I plan on moving my rear stock rings to the front bed bolts, until I buy more for the rear. I will then add the two new rings I bought center left and centered right so I can cross tie the bike straps giving them lateral stability.

 

My buddy has the ones from home depot and the are just fine just make sure you pick up the ones with a high enough load rating