Can anyone tell me if the stock bed caps have to be removed permanently to install Putco locker rails? Or can you simply cut an opening where the caps covers the holes. JMW 04 4x4 Screw

 

Bump..... No one knows?

 

You just have to drill a 1/2" hole in the plastic caps for the bolt to go through.

 

I put them on my truck and like them a lot. You don’t have to remove the factory plastic bed rail caps. Installation is a bit tricky, though. First, as previously stated, you have to take off the pocket covers and drill a hole in them. I used a circle saw and cut a 1” hole in each one to allow a little extra play. What the instructions don’t tell you is that there is a gap between the factory plastic cap and the top of the actual bed rail. If you just stick the Lockers down in the pocket holes and tighten them, it buckles the caps. I took scrap 1/8” steel and made shims to put between the plastic cap and the bed so that it wouldn’t buckle when I tightened it down. If you don’t understand the gap I am speaking of, just take off one of the pocket hole covers and look…you’ll see it. Anyway, I put four small pieces (one on each side of the hole) in each stake pocket hole. Also, the instructions say to tighten them to 65 foot-pounds…don’t do this. I did it and broke one of the stainless allen bolts (hard to find a replacement). After I discovered this the hard way, I got a new bolt and tried it again…this time tightening only to 40 foot-pounds. They are real solid. Lastly, use a little anti-seize on each bolt to ensure it draws down smoothly. Hope this helps!