Budget high lift bed rail mount

You could fit an axe or something smaller, maybe something with a long handle??

 

Thanks for those pics! They literally are exactly what I was about to post asking for.

 

Hey all! Thanks agin to @Hstone556 for sharing these mounts from Tractor Supply. I had a chance to add my Hi-Lift Xtreme jack to the bed today and am going to circle back to installing my axe and shovel mounts on the other side next weekend - super cold in this part of North Carolina today.

Where I strayed from @Hstone556's setup is that I ordered t-slot nuts from Amazon that fit the Tacoma's bed rail with a 3/8"-16 thread and I used

$12 Hillman 59126 Short Jack Nuts (1/4"-20) - 15 Pieces , Zinc

1/4"-20 jacknuts with 1/4"-20 screws and 1" nylon spacers at the base of the mount to permanently affix the mount to the bed. Very solid - I grabbed them once in place and was able to shake the whole truck when I tugged on them.

Finished photo first:



T-slot nuts, 3/8"-16 x 3/4" cap screws, 1/4"-20 jacknuts, 1/4"-20 x 1 1/2" pan head screws






First and foremost, I assembled the mount with its included hardware. I then needed to round out the slots already cut into the mount to 3/8" with a unibit to fit the cap screws I bought. Before and after below:



I then loosely attached the mounts to the bed rail with the t-slot nuts and 3/8"-16 cap screws and held the Hi-Lift jack in place. I slid the mounts back and forth until a found a spot where neither end of the jack would be rubbing either the front or back of the bed but the stud from the mount would still go through the holes in jack. Sorry, didn't photograph this.

Once I found my mounting points, I tightened the cap screws to the t-slot nuts (hand tight) and put the 1" nylon spacers behind the bottoms of the mounts to act as a template for where to drill my holes. I used a 1/4" drill bit for the pilot holes and then slid the mount out of the way.



Once my 1/4" pilot hole was drilled, I then enlarged the hole with a metric unibit, drilling it out to 12.



I then placed a jacknut onto the

$24 Surebonder Threaded Insert Tool For Metal, Fiberglass, Plastic - Includes 5 Sizes of Threaded Mandrels & Nose Pieces (8510)

threaded insert tool and crimped until the jacknut was solidly in place.



Viola! Two threaded jacknuts in place.




I then slid my mount back into place, inserted my 1/4"-20 screws into the mount and through the nylon spacer to be screwed into the jacknut. I also used a hex wrench to tighten the cap nuts to the t-slot nuts. Again - super solid.




And while I was working, the mailman showed up with my aluminum knobs - I really like this Sunday delivery thing.



One thing I will say is that where the stud for the jack comes through the bracket it is surprisingly loose, even after I cracked down on the nut meant to hold the stud to the mount. I'm going to buy at thick fender washer to go between the lock nut and mount to take up some of the slack.

Thanks for reading!

 

Looks great @incredibillhulk, I didn’t feel the need to secure the lower mounting holes but you did a great job at it. Also, in my post I updated it to reflect adding a single 1/2” lock washer under the supplied lock washer and nut to take up that play in the mount bolt. Worked like a charm. Thanks for checking back in! I needed my Jack this weekend so it was a worthwhile mod.

 

Thanks! The mounts that I used from 4xinnovations also did not have a permanent fix to the bed on the bottom. The metal just kind of rubbed the bed as you drove along. Never caused me any trouble, really. And thanks for the note on the extra washer - I noticed it in your tape measure picture before I saw it in your post. I think after that I'll be squared away on this mount.

 

very cool diy guide thanks

 

Finally got my axe and shovel mounted today. I used a t-slot nut rather than the washers from the OP since getting those in for my jack mount was a total pain. I'll probably go back and swap out those for t-nuts as well now that I have some spares. Just have to drill out a 3/8" hole in the center.
I don't have a bed cover yet, but if I mount the shovel on the bottom side it is well below the bed rail, so it shouldn't interfere.

 

That looks awesome, I’ll be using t-slot nuts when I go to put mine back on. Took it off to install my ARE shell.

 

Amazing job gents! Now where did you get the rubber tool holders? And do the tools stick out past the wheel wells ? I load the bed with milk crates that fit perfectly between the wells.

 

"Quick Fist" mounts available from sources like ebay or Amazon and are available in a variety of sizes.
Mounting an axe, shovel or Hi-Lift usually won't extend beyond the width of the wheel wells.
I guess it all depends on the mounts you use and what it is you are mounting. I'd examine the pics to see which mounts are better suited to your needs. There are multiple mount brands and types out there.
Hope this helps.

 

The axe might stick out just a bit beyond the wheel well, but not by much... an inch maybe.

 

I thank you again!

 

Thanks for the easy set up instructions Hstone556. Did it this weekend. Probably going to get the bolts for a padlock lock up. Tractor Supply had the braces for the Hi Lift Jack