Have any of you pulled off a tie-down yet?

I was about to and I was about ready to try to break it loose when I thought I'd take a look up the underside of the bed and from the inside it looks like two bolts coming out with a nut on it... Did Ford tack these nuts to something or am I going to have to get a wrench up the inside of the bed to be able to reattach a tie-down if I take one off?

Reason I'm wanting to take it off is that someone posted about filing a groove down to help them drain water as I have a couple that drip waters for literally HOURS after I wash, even if I use my air compressor to blow them out. Or I'm going to fill the back up w/ something to make less room for water to hold.

any ideas anyone?

 

I have never removed mine but I too have probs of leaking water for hours after I wash it. I have thought of filling the underside with silicone or something. I too would be interested in how easy it is to remove these and how to solve the leaking problem. let us now how it goes.

 

The bolts will not fall off when you take the screws out. I removed them when I put in my bedrug and had no problem re-installing, except that I think I tightened one a little to tight and was about to strip it.

 

Tun2One, I believe he ment the tie downs on the outside of the bed not the inside of the bed.

 

I have had mine off to wax behind them nuts will not fall off bed

 

yup, the ones on the outside are giving me the probs.

Anyone got any ford manual for the new trucks that shows how to replace em at all?

I want to pull the back one off. I could probably get it back on if the nuts fell off but it would be an impressive display... would also need to find a really really long wrench or socket to fit up there.

 

well I pulled all mine today and drilled a slot in the back of the tie down to help it drain. none of the nuts will fall down but they might fall a little they are mounted on a bar that goes between them and can swivel on a middle point. so if one nut falls down a little the other will go up a little. so some wiggling of the bolts to get the nuts up lined up with bolts was nessessary. there is a pocket that can fill up with water behind those tie downs. in fact some of mine had cracks in the plastic in front of those pockets. I figured thos pockets must have filled with watter in the winter then froze in the winter. that is th only way I can figure those plastic covers were split open. I drilled holes in the plastic covers at the bottom so the water can drain out of those pockets. I got to thinking after I got done it might have been better to have drilled holes in the bottoms of the pockets themselves in the bed so the water drained to the inside of the fenders instead of out onto the outside of the bed. oh well I will see how well this works.

 

Cool, Appreciate the information. I'm going to attempt this tomorrow.

Draining to the inside would is a good idea. I'll be checking it out tomorrow though.

 

after reading info here decided i would try to fix the leaky tiedowns,, came off real easy with a T30 star screwdriver,, could see the problem rite away with the back plate not allowing water to drain out,, even water line on inside of back plate about 1/4 inch up,,and 4 outta the 6 had cracks from the cold weather here in wisconsin from water freezing inside,, sealed the cracks with silicone,, used ratfile to cut small grooves in bottom of plate then made groove go up to waterline on inside of plate,,also put the groove towards the cab bottom edge of the plate as bed and plate is on angle facing the cab and this is where it was always leaking out of,,waxed behind plate good,, took about a hour, putting back bolts a little tricky,, but once you get them lined up with nuts push in bolts keep pressure on bolts and screw them in,, i checked holes with wire and they are all good and should eliminate this leaking problem,, this was good site for minor irritation,,john