If you’re a fan of taking your pick up truck off-road, you’ll know the fun that can be had getting out into the great outdoors. As you’re also probably aware, going off-road can put quite a bit of stress on the bed of your truck, which – let’s be honest – aren’t made as robustly and sturdily as they used to be on modern models.
Tacoma bed stiffeners are becoming really popular across the US as a way to add some strength and rigidity to your truck bed, whilst also helping to protect the integrity of your truck’s side panels. Affordable, relatively easy to fit and really effective at what they do, these products offer a simple method to extend the lifespan of your vehicle.
So, let’s now have a closer look at what they do.
How Tacoma Bed Stiffeners Are Fitted
Although we’d recommend going to have your bed stiffeners fitted at your local garage, if you’ve got a modicum of mechanical knowledge, they are pretty simple to fit. The job will involve removing a tail light and drilling a couple of holes to bolt the product on – so if you’ve got the right tools at your disposal, it’s not too tricky a job to get through.
Tacoma bed stiffeners are L-shaped, manufactured from steel and are fitted inside the tailgate to prevent spread being caused. In addition to hitting potholes and off-roading, tailgates can become spread out by the weight of equipment placed in the back. Unlike older trucks, the newer versions tend to be made from fibre-glass or a composite material that’s prone to becoming misshapen when impacted by force or weight.
Once in place, the bed stiffeners do what their name suggests they do – in that they provide extra rigidity to your truck’s bed and offer peace of mind for anybody who regularly gets out for a spot of overlanding.
So You Really Need Bed Stiffeners?
Well, in truth, there are pickup owners out there that never have this kind of product installed and never have any issues, however, there are many more that suffer damage from putting their truck through too much. Whether you’re talking about putting too much weight on the back or driving over unforgiving ground with holes and steep inclines, it puts a lot of stress on your truck’s body and it can become bent and that’s when Tacoma bed stiffeners come into their own.
This is the kind of product that you only really notice when you don’t use it and it’s an extra way for truck owners to customize – which is never a bad thing.
To Fit Or Not to Fit – That Is the Question
Whether you fit Tacoma bed stiffeners to your truck or not is entirely your call. If you’re mainly driving on the flat surface that is the highway, the chances are that you won’t ever need the solidity they provide.
However, if you do move heavy loads on a regular basis or you like to get out and drive your truck over uneven ground, spending a couple of hundred dollars on a set of stiffeners will pay you back ten-fold. Plus, it will give you the calmness of thought of knowing that if you do go off-road, you’re protected.
So, there you have it. It’s an optional extra for your pickup that gets more and more suitable, the more you put your truck through. Choose not to buy a pair and have them fitted whilst also stressing your truck in the ways mentioned and you could soon end up with a much more expensive repair job required for a bent tailgate.
Ultimately though, the choice is yours.