Hey All,

Recently got the OEM Tailgate extender. Any tips for installation?

Thanks

 

not sure on the new model, but my 03 I just lined it up to a hard plastic grommet piece on the rearbed rail. Got a Torx bit and socket. There were no threads showing. You just push hard and start screwing it it.

 

All it takes is to pop in the plastic sleeves in the holes on the bed sides, position the extender and screw in 1 bolt for each side. Just make sure that the yellow locating pin is position on the correct side (I believe it is the drivers side) so it locates into the tailgate. You can look i8n my gallery for pics of the extender. And yes you will need a Torx bit for it.

 

And I used an air impact wrench to install mine. Tried it via hand driver as well as ratchet but since the bolt is self tapping as the holes are not tapped from the factory and i had to also cut through a tough Line-X coating, I was mostly just spinning the bolt around doing nothing but playing with myself!

Otherwise, you May want to consider tapping the holes first...

 

Thanks All. Sorry, Have a 2011 FX4 with stock Ford drop in bedliner

 

The bolts are self-tapping, so just try to be straight and consistent should be enough for a perfect install. Simple.

 

Not to sound stupid because I just opened the box basically, but its just one screw on each side that self-taps in?

 

Yes one per side. That is the swivel point.

 

Not simple when you are trying to cut against Line-X! The more pressure you put on the tool in order to "dig" into the Line-X, the harder it is to maintain stability and "straightness." ARGH!

 

I don't have LineX, So i Guess I just have to cut a hole in the stock bedliner. Any tips for that? LOL. I don't want to screw up my bedliner. Also appreciate all the help. I guess all I need to do is get a torx bit, any one know what size?

 

That would be the T-fifty.

 

Thank you all!

 

Take out your taillight housings and you will see the holes from the inside. You can drill them a pilot hole from the backside through your bed liner to ensure hole alignment. The Ford liner has dimples approximately where the holes go, but...

Once you pilots are drilled, you can push back the liner and put a block of wood between the liner and the truck body to drill the liner with you final sized mounting holes. I think I used a small hole saw for the holes. Also, if you leave you taillights out, till your done, you can put some silicone on the back side of the self tapping torx screw. Don't remember the torx size though, might be a 50 or 55.

 

You may have an issue with the locking pins lining up with the holes on the sides. I have LineX and I needed to file down the nubs the bumpers sit on to get the correct alignment.

 

Yep, I have the same problem, but with a rubber bed mat. I can't lock the pins when it's facing toward the cab. The pins are fine when it's on the tailgate. The thickness of the mat doesn't allow the holes to line up. I'll yank the rubber pads out on the extender and see if that helps.