lateapex911

So, I'm a new Ford truck owner, and (XLT supercab, 6.5' bed, 3.5EB, ) and the bed has pretty little in the way of ties downs compared to my outgoing GMC Sierra which had tracks bolted to the side with sliders to tie to. It is/was a darn good system.

I've searched threads here, and don't see any definitive answers. (Point me to the right thread if I've missed it, !)

So, what options exist?? Fords site had nothing that I could find.
I see areas prepped with threaded nutserts to accept things.

What have you all done??

52isntbigenough

Buy Box Link. It works really well and locks in place.

Gatorguy

I have both the BoxLink brackets mentioned by @52isntbigenough and BullRings on the top rails.

Georgia Terrapin

You should have the BoxLinks already. They're probably hidden in a small box under the back seat. Gatorguy is right -- the BullsRings add a lot more options.

DeltaNu1142

That's probably similar to the system in Toyota's trucks. Those systems are far superior to what Ford puts in its truck beds.
Neither the BoxLink cleats nor the mounting plates are standard equipment.
That's probably for the BoxLink mounting plates. 8 per side, in two rectangular patterns, for a total of 16?

mikeinatlanta

How much and how are you wanting to secure? I'm getting ready to install this on my bed rails.

tvsjr

They were present on both my 16 and my 18, and I didn't add them as an option (just verified with both dealer order sheets).

lateapex911

So, yea, no love under the seats!
I am familiar with the box links, but, for example, in transporting a vertical tank, they're not much help. Having rails with moving tie downs is awesome.

The suggestion of using the top of the bed is good, except (I should have mentioned this in the first post), I have a trakrak sliding rack system for lumber and long objects, so the bed tops are spoken for

I did find these:https://www.realtruck.com/core-trax-tie-down-track-system/

A: I wish they were longer than 4'
B I will have to fabricate or find a offset bracket to attach them with to the box link threaded anchor points.

lateapex911

Thats the idea, and there seem to be some versions of that avaialble. My bed rail tops are covered with trakrak, soi I need to go inside the bed. Plug and play options, surprisingly don't seem to exist. I might look at moving the GM system over....but the signnificant hurdle remains: The attachment to the Ford anchor points. (And the standoffs needed to clear the Ford bed side reinforcement ridges)

mikeinatlanta

The coretrax you linked are the same thing I'm using, they just prepackage and upcharge standard stuff. Available in any length up to about 20'. There are tones of tie down options to it. I'm using it to mount my bed rack system. Google "L-Track". Literally hundreds of options. Kind of like E-Track but aluminum and a bit nicer. Mostly airplane stuff. It's very similar to Trakrack only not ridiculously overpriced.

EDIT: I dumped the trackrack rails and I'm mounting everything to the L-Track. Much more versatile.