Tacoma Loose Bed design Flaw explanation

So they asked me to talk with the service manager. I mentioned the thread and he was about to write off what I was saying until I asked him to hear me out and to his great credit, he did! End result after some head scratching between a few of us is that the chuck of tire sidewall cut to form a washer was installed. Rattle gone. In addition, he seemed glad that the suggestion worked. I sent an email to him with this thread and he will be submitting feedback to Toyota engineers.
So I just walked out, and they didn’t even charge me for the repair! Wow. Can’t say I have always had good experiences at dealerships. This one is not the case. A+ to Adam at Oregans Toyota in Nova Scotia!

 

I know it’s been quite a long time since this thread has been live. I am going through this same thing. When you purchased this washer, did you widen the ID any more? Or just bought it and threw it in and the sleeve passed through it? How has it been holding up? Thank you!

 

Holding up perfectly. No enlargement of the ID needed at all. Eyeball it from the top, position it so it disappears, drop the bed and the sleeve will pass through it.

 

I haven’t heard of or seen anyone talking about installing the washer under the rear most bed bolts closer to the tailgate.. these seem to be my problem as they are always loose even after torquing them to 55ft lbs. my question is where does the washer go I can’t seem to see the bed bolts from underneath. Here is a picture of one of the bolts, it’s like it’s sinking into my linex

 

Whatever spacing product you use goes between the frame and the bottom of the bed support.

Torquing the bed bolt from above will NOT fix the problem.

Plenty of pics and discussion in this thread, I’d suggest starting with the first page. You’ll be an expert by the time you get to this post.

Good Luck!

 

This forum came through again for me. Did a quick google search for “Tacoma bed side rattle” and ended up here. Should’ve come here first. I had about 3/8 gap under my bed. The rattle started to drive me bonkers this week. I made two washers out of thick rubber floor mats. (Thanks Husky Liners for the lifetime warranty replacements)
I used a Jack and 2x4 to raise the bed slightly from underneath. This allowed me to slip the two rubber washers in between the bed support and frame. Dropped the bolt back in, tightened, donezo.
Spraying penetrating lube on the threads made bolt removal a cinch. Listen to the real ones on this thread. They know what they’re talking about.



See! No more rattle. Pics don’t lie.
(Weird looking 2nd gen, I know)

 

I think I stripped the nuts, anyone know what size nuts I need and know if I can somehow put another nut underneath ?

 

I decided to use the rubber bushings from my OEM shocks i discarded.
I used some Permatex Green Gear Oil Gasket Sealant to attach them to the frame.

 

Keep us updated this is a great idea. mine is loose again after using truck mud flaps cut into small pieces. Its one of thoes repair I'm dreding because I have an aluminum body lift and all the bed bolts have seized themselves into the spacers.

 

can you share the exact part you used from the car wash website please?

 

Sure. UHMW Washer, 2-1/2" x 1/4" x 1"
PART#160-1098-.25



I can tell you they didn't cost anywhere near what they cost now back when I bought mine.

 

Dang expensive! Could be reduplicated with a sheet of 1/4” uhmw and the right sized hole saw for the outer diameter and bit for the interior

 

expensive washer for sure lol

 

they were 3 bucks in 2018.

 

bed back on and bolts back in.
No play between the composite bed and the frame now.

 

very good to know.

 

I used silicon paste for the four bolts that are going through the rubber shock bushings and copper anti-sieze on the middle bolts that just touch metal.

I had to remove the yellow recovery straps after the bed was lowered…a little rough getting them out by myself with the gas tank in the way.

 

I picked up a 2015 Tacoma Limited a few days ago and noticed a rattling noise. After ruling out the tools under the rear seat and items in the bed I gave the bed itself a shake on a whim and noticed it moved up/down. A quick search brought me to this thread which was a relief because it seemed to be an easy fix. I was able to secure the bed in about an hour after getting the right tools.

• After removing the front passenger side bolt I saw exactly what others did, the metal sleeve protruding above the bed.
  
• I had to get a breaker bar and needed every inch of the 24"; that bolt was tight. As someone else mentioned, I had to use the breaker bar for almost the entire process of removing the bolt. It wouldn't budge even with the 1/2" ratchet and penetrating oil until the end. I cleaned & lubricated everything pretty well before reassembly so I was able to use the ratchet to reinstall the bolt. I gave it a twist with the breaker bar at the end to get it tight.
• I needed to use a 1/2" to 3/8" converter because I could only source a 3/8" T55 bit & a 1/2" breaker bar locally today. It all worked well though.
• I used that Winbag to lift the bed up to create space to insert the washer. It worked really well for that. I loosened the other two bolts on the passenger side in hopes of avoiding undue stress. Those bolts worked out relatively easily.
• For now I just used a 2"x1/8" rubber washer with a 1-1/4" hole in the middle between the bed & frame. I got it at Lowes. I wanted to prove to myself the fix would work for me and get the process down. Now I need to order the recommended more durable parts.

Thanks everyone for the useful information here.

All the tools I needed.


The Winbag between the bed & frame. It really worked perfectly for this application.
I didn't realize how blurry this was until I uploaded it for this post.

 

Awesome idea with the winbag.

Also I have to say, based on that one pic, you must have the cleanest 2015 frame out there. Congrats on that

 

Thanks.
I really jumped on this truck after seeing the frame and test driving it. My FJ Cruiser was totaled after a dump truck backed into me a few weeks ago (still devastated by this) and I looked at a lot of Tacomas since then. This one has an immaculate frame. I actually saw a lot of good ones but this was exceptional. It has some body imperfections (small tailgate dents, bent rear bumper, dent on the driver door) but the great frame, Limited package, and 71K miles made it a no-brainer for me.