Bed stiffeners

If I am not planning on using a bed rack any time soon or a truck cap, is a bed stiffener helpful or not worth spending the cash on.

I see people talking about using and installing them but i also see lots of the same people talking about planning bed racks and caps as well.

 

It depends on what you use your truck for. Basically if you put weight on The rails, or off road then the will deflect and end up out of square. Some come stock out of square.

I put on stiffeners because I have a revolverx2 bed cover and anytime I went off road, even light rail riding it wouldn’t close good after. After the bed stiffeners went in problem solved. Also fixed a little of the uneven gap between bed sides and tailgate

 

I put some on mine this weekend. IDK if they're strictly necessary but I do have a cap and anyway the extra tiedown points are nice. I know previous versions of the truck had long-term problems with the bed tub cracking.

 

i just installed the Total Chaos ones the other day. super solid, great quality & fit, and a number of new tie down points. it's a win for the tie downs alone IMO. flex is a common issue so i did this for peace of mind since I'll be driving this truck still after I'm dead and buried.

 

I installed a set of TC stiffeners this weekend and I noticed that the pass side was a little out of square and the stiffeners pulled it back into place.

Plus I’m planning on running a steel tube (aka heavy) bed rack in the near future and RTT eventually.

 

I've got some CaliRaised stiffners waiting for an install. Unfortunately it keeps snowing in April in this godforsaken hellscape.

 

I really like how well constructed the CaliRaised seem to be. Solid and heavy. 4.25 pounds a piece. Minimal welding. What welding is done looks structurally sound. Lots of anchor points. Designed for function over cosmetics.

I haven't put mine in yet. I am thinking of a metal brace of some sort on the tail light side to avoid puckering/pinching at the attachment points. Cali says it is not needed. But, I am butt retentive and will probably do it anyway.

 

I have the CaliRaised ones. They are built solid! Also put a metal brace on the back side of mine. I used a piece of stainless steel to tie the 3 main bolts together.

 

Do you mind pointing me in the direction of said piece of steel? Thanks.

 

I like the Total Chaos stiffeners as they’re taller and follow the contour up to near the top of the sidewall.

 

I didn't buy it in a store. My pops has tons of pieces of steel. He actually has a full Costco shed of it plus more in his main shop ha. He had a few stainless pieces for me to choose from. I used a piece that was about 3.5in wide and I think a foot or so long. Kind of had to shimmy it to get it in there. It was not very thick, but I am hoping it helps out some since it ties the 3 main bolts together. If you go with stainless make sure to use lots of cutting fluid when drilling it. That stuff is tough.

 

i would agree that the TC bed stiffeners look the best of all the options out there. im almost ready to pull the trigger on the tc bed stiffener, not because of the added strengtb of the bed, but for the extra tiedowns. itll come in handy for what i would need it for.

 

Lol!

 

Extra tie downs are always good.

 

I dig the CaliRaised ones for the money. They're super stiff and go in pretty easy. I mainly got them for peace of mind and extra tie down spots.

 

Does anyone make removable bed stiffeners? I bet there would be a market for them, could be a brace with a slot or something so that one could remove them and still load wide cargo when necessary such as plywood, sheetrock, etc., and not mess it up.

 

I got the ones from At The Helm. He designed them with 49" of space between them so you can still carry sheet goods. You have to be a little careful when loading sheetrock not to hit them but there is room.

https://athfab.com/product/bedside-reinforcements-tie-downs-for-05-17-toyota-tacoma/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bedside-reinforcements-tie-downs-third-gen.487107/ See post #214 if you carry a lot of sheet goods.

 

I got the same ones. Just have not had the time to install them yet. Always nice to support another TW member, and as an added bonus; besides the obvious of squaring up the bed. You get the additional tie downs and a bottle opener.

 

Thanks for the Input Gents ! I think i will go with a pair of stiffeners and im going to look at the Total Chaos ones. I like how they are formed and profiled to fit snuggly.

I feel that. We had an ice storm here in Southern Ontario on the weekend and the drive in this morning to work looked like the 17th of December and not April 17th. Waiting for the good weather to show up to detail my truck, get the new grille installed etc.

 

I have @Bentrodder 's bed stiffeners. Got on this past weekend. They are excellent quality and the welds on them are beautiful. Just another option for you. I really like them.