hello all, n00b here.

Just picked up a '04 (regular cab, long bed) and I'm setting it up to haul my motorcycles. I want to install a box bar (a bar that has recesses for the bike's front wheel and a couple of tie down points). It is supposed to bolt to the front, inside wall of the bed.

Problem is: how do I install this thing. Can I mount it over the bed liner? Should I cut a hole in the bed liner so I can mount it directly to the wall of the bed?

Also, is there some trick to getting the nuts on the bolts? I need to reach up between the cab and the bed. Long extension on a wrench?

Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Well not sure how quick you want this to go but I helped a friend with one and we just took the bed off of the truck and sat it on milk crates.

 

Thanks, that makes sense. Are the beds easy to remove/reinstall?

Are the liners removable? (I think the liner orginally came with the truck)

 

The plastic liner is held in place by the tie downs on the corners of the bed, just take those off and then you can pry out the top edges of the liner from under the bed rails. The top of the front of the liner also curves over the top of the front of the bed, once you clear that the whole thing slides out. Don't be surprised if you got a bunch of rust under there.

 

After you take the tie downs out from the 4 corners just pick up on the center of the liner at the back and make it bow in the center. That will pull the sides down and it's a heck of a lot easier than trying to pry the sides from under the bed lip. I worked my butt off on my first one, then someone showed me the trick.
Depending on your climate you may have no rust at all under the liner. I just took one out of a '97 and there wasn't a speck of rust. The paint on the bed ribs was worn down to the primer in some places but it looked real good for a 10 year old truck! See my photos here: https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=295944