Q: Rear bed side caps- access underneath?

Hey all, after relentless searching, I was unable to find an answer to the following:

How do you access the under-side of the bed (capped location) on the side rails? It looks like removing the bed would be a PITA / impossibility, so can you remove the rear quarter? or access it through the wheel well? I know the caps pull off easy, but was not able to find any guidance of accessing the underside of the metal there...anything helps- thanks!

(stealing image from another thread )

 

That highlighted cover literally pulls off with plastic tabs holding it in place.

 

Start from the tailgate and go to front of truck they pop off. I painted mine hammered finish, almost looks metal.

You can access from underneath truck through wheel well but it’s tight.

 

I can't help but atleast I read the entirety of your post.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, maybe I worded it wrong, but I'm looking to get under the metal part as well- bolting something down through the cap and metal bit.
I realize the cap comes off easy enough, but getting around the metal bed frame seems to be more challenging

Hahah thanks anyways

 

Friendly bump
Nobody has fished up under there?

 

See this https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bed-rail-caps.541445/#post-17499202

 

Aha! Thanks- this was what I was looking to do.

"Dont laugh but I had my wife thread the bolt through while I held it in place with a curtain rod from underneath. I could not get my arm up in there that far and could not use extensions. The nut I was using fit into the end of the curtain rod and it held up long enough to get the bolts snugged. Mickey Moused that one."

eek that kind of scares me....

 

@mdiprimio Did you end up doing this? I have the same dilemma. Now I'm debating on using plus nuts, but would love to just use bolts from underneath. Surprised no one has a complete write up of this install for noobs like me - I've seen a few on the road and others here in the forum.

 

Take out the well liners, body panel braces and wheel to access from below. Behind the wheel you can pull the cubby out to get at that space. The there's a metal panel separating the tail light spaces from the areas in front of them with some holes but nothing you can get a hand through.

 

Pics of what you were doing?

 

Yep- ended up doing it successfully. Easy enough to reach your hand up there by taking off the inner fender well, and the rear tail light.
Just used nuts + huge washers, and spread out the load as much as I could across 4 contact points.

Have taken this thing absolutely blitzing offroad with a tent + bike on it and no issues!

Hope that helps!

 

You might want to add bed supports. The rails can carry the load but don’t have enough lateral stability without them. The supports reinforce the tailgate opening.

 

Yeah I basically always have a single crossmember attached at the top for my bikes. Then when I add anything else on there I add 2 additional crossmembers. Keeps the whole system increidbly stable.