Utility Bed Rails Install

[JohnJohn301]

What worked for me -
Had Ultra Liner (pretty think) sprayed in my bed before adding the Mopar Utility Rails. I used a small rasp in a cordless Dremel and it took all of 10 minutes to clean the Ultra Liner out of the hex-shaped holes. A small rasp will find a flat side of the hex quickly and allow you to just work the flats all the way around and not round off the corners.

 

[Lslblues]

Went to harbor freight and picked up a rivet/nutsert tool. Sounded like the easiest way to get this done. Any words of wisdom? Any issues with spray in bed liner?

Did you find a tool there that works? The ones at my local HF didn’t have an M6 adapter and would not work. I had to order one from amazon.

 

[Bigcountry]

No. I ended up getting a tool on amazon as well. The tool worked well. I ended up messing up one of the rivnuts. The bed liner was too thick and the rivnut didn’t grab. I ended up taking a knife and shaving the liner down around the rest of the holes. Everything else went smoothly and the tool I bought came with rivnuts so that was nice.

 

[Lslblues]

Got my nutsert tool today. Wow - made the job so easy. Came out great.

 

[deanfx]

I just ordered the utility rails. MoparAmerica finally got them in stock. Thinking I need to go ahead and order the tool because my Ram came with a spray in liner.

 

[Damion]

I installed these last night on mine, No way could I get the nutserts to bulge out enough to grab into the bed. I also have a spray in liner ( factory ). It seems the liner makes it too think for the nutserts to grab onto. I sheared off a bolt trying to get it to seat. I also cleared up the holes with a small file.

SO.... I went and bought some large fender washers and some M6 nylock nuts, dropped my rear fender liners and bolted the bars on not using the nutserts at all. I really feel the way I did it is much more robust ( no way your going to pull a 2" round washer through the bed without breaking something else ) than the nutserts. Down side my rails aren't easily removable but how often are you really going to take them out?

 

[deanfx]

I installed these last night on mine, No way could I get the nutserts to bulge out enough to grab into the bed. I also have a spray in liner ( factory ). It seems the liner makes it too think for the nutserts to grab onto. I sheared off a bolt trying to get it to seat. I also cleared up the holes with a small file.

SO.... I went and bought some large fender washers and some M6 nylock nuts, dropped my rear fender liners and bolted the bars on not using the nutserts at all. I really feel the way I did it is much more robust ( no way your going to pull a 2" round washer through the bed without breaking something else ) than the nutserts. Down side my rails aren't easily removable but how often are you really going to take them out?

After installing all the stuff that this truck should have come with, I'm thinking everything little thing is a struggle. However I do like the way you installed yours.

 

[Damion]

It was a task but worth it in the end i think. I usually err to the more robust side of doing things. Do it once even if its overdone but you shouldn't have to touch it again.

 

[cnyram]

I installed these last night on mine, No way could I get the nutserts to bulge out enough to grab into the bed. I also have a spray in liner ( factory ). It seems the liner makes it too think for the nutserts to grab onto. I sheared off a bolt trying to get it to seat. I also cleared up the holes with a small file.

SO.... I went and bought some large fender washers and some M6 nylock nuts, dropped my rear fender liners and bolted the bars on not using the nutserts at all. I really feel the way I did it is much more robust ( no way your going to pull a 2" round washer through the bed without breaking something else ) than the nutserts. Down side my rails aren't easily removable but how often are you really going to take them out?

I'm going this route, thanks for the idea. Planning on adding the led bed lights and the full rear liners and a dualliner bed liner at the same time so I won't have to take it all apart again. Were you able to access all 8 holes on each side doing it this way?

 

[Damion]

Yes I got all 16 bolts in. I’m not saying it was a walk in the park but with some patience do able. You’ll also need someone in the bed to work the bolt side while your under the truck putting the washers / nuts on and snugging them up

 

[deanfx]

I'm going this route, thanks for the idea. Planning on adding the led bed lights and the full rear liners and a dualliner bed liner at the same time so I won't have to take it all apart again. Were you able to access all 8 holes on each side doing it this way?

Can't speak for that gentleman. But I have the factory bedliner and I used the nutcerts that came with the rails. Actually I couldn't get two to work and ended up using the round ones that came with my tool from amazon.

 

[Damion]

Having a nutsert tool would help with installation for sure. Had I had one thats the route I probably would've went, but am kinda glad I went with how mine are mounted.

The way I did the install ( with nylock nuts and fender washers ) is way more robust. it wouldn't take much force to pull a nutsert through the body theres only 3/16" flange on them once installed at best. The way I did it theres 2 1/2" round by almost 3/16" thick washers that would have to pull through. Either the bed rail itself or the bolt would break before the actual mounting point failed.

I also noticed while trying to install the factory nutserts, that the bed around the holes can bend fairly easily, my washer method reinforces this area again.

Not saying the factory is a bad method , just as with most things theres room for improvement.

 

[cnyram]

Having a nutsert tool would help with installation for sure. Had I had one thats the route I probably would've went, but am kinda glad I went with how mine are mounted.

The way I did the install ( with nylock nuts and fender washers ) is way more robust. it wouldn't take much force to pull a nutsert through the body theres only 3/16" flange on them once installed at best. The way I did it theres 2 1/2" round by almost 3/16" thick washers that would have to pull through. Either the bed rail itself or the bolt would break before the actual mounting point failed.

I also noticed while trying to install the factory nutserts, that the bed around the holes can bend fairly easily, my washer method reinforces this area again.

Not saying the factory is a bad method , just as with most things theres room for improvement.

Would it help to go with a longer nutsert and with someone helping, put fender washers on the outside of the bed? I haven't started mine but was thinkling for the expense of the tool and some longer nutserts it would make the installation sturdier like yours did with the nuts and fenderwashers, but would still be removable from inside the bed?

 

[deanfx]

Would it help to go with a longer nutsert and with someone helping, put fender washers on the outside of the bed? I haven't started mine but was thinkling for the expense of the tool and some longer nutserts it would make the installation sturdier like yours did with the nuts and fenderwashers, but would still be removable from inside the bed?

I don't see what washers on the outside of the bed would do to make a stronger bond. It would just make an awkward job that much more so.

 

[cnyram]

I don't see what washers on the outside of the bed would do to make a stronger bond. It would just make an awkward job that much more so.

I don't see what washers on the outside of the bed would do to make a stronger bond. It would just make an awkward job that much more so.

Gotcha. The bed sheet metal seems so thin I guess I was looking at it as the nut insert collapsing against the fender washer and doubling the thickness as well as spreading out the force a little bit to the size of the fender washer instead of just the insert.

 

[Damion]

A washer with a different nutsert may help, but if your gonna go through the trouble of putting washers why not just get nut and bolt em on anyway. I thought about the work needed if you wanted to remove them after having them bolted, but then again how often / why would you need to remove them anyway. So I just bolted em in and called it done.

My truck also has rear fender liners so the added work of dropping those and putting them back in wouldn't justify taking the rails out.

I wouldn't be surprised if the nutserts spun around in the holes while trying to remove them. I just don't have much faith in them after seeing how easily they spun in the holes.

 

[cnyram]

A washer with a different nutsert may help, but if your gonna go through the trouble of putting washers why not just get nut and bolt em on anyway. I thought about the work needed if you wanted to remove them after having them bolted, but then again how often / why would you need to remove them anyway. So I just bolted em in and called it done.

My truck also has rear fender liners so the added work of dropping those and putting them back in wouldn't justify taking the rails out.

I wouldn't be surprised if the nutserts spun around in the holes while trying to remove them. I just don't have much faith in them after seeing how easily they spun in the holes.

Good points. Mine didn't come with the full liners but I have them ready to go when I do everything. Parts manager gave them for me for around 30% off which totally surprised me since I didn't ask. Stated the owner advised parts personnel to discount accessories like wheel liners and the led bed lights that should be or used to be on the trucks from the factory.

 

[Damion]

Luckily mine came with the full liners from factory.

I usually gend tend to overdo things. I’d rather over do it once and right the first time and never have to touch / worry about it again

 

[cnyram]

Luckily mine came with the full liners from factory.

I usually gend tend to overdo things. I’d rather over do it once and right the first time and never have to touch / worry about it again

One last post and I'll let this die. The insert holes are quite a bit larger than the oem bolts without the inserts in them. Did you still use the original bolts or something bigger? If you used the originals, did you center the bolts or just let them rest on the bottom of the mounting holes?

 

[Damion]

Yes original bolts, I let them rest on the bottom of the holes.