Okay, rookie question. The last truck I owned was an 86 Chevy and didn't have bed rail covers. Now I've got this fantastic new F150 SCREW short bed (5.5) and I have bed rail caps that are great for protecting the paint, but I don't even know if my bed has stake pockets.

I love the bed rail covers, but I want to install retractable bull rings. Can I do it? If so how does one work with the bed rail covers to do it?

 

The 5.5 beds do have bed stake pockets they just don't have the little pop out covers like on the 6.5 foot bed. If you want to install the rings in the bed stake pockets you will just have to cut out the square hole in the bed rail cover for the stake pocket.

 

Good stuff, thanks! Any hints on best way to find appropriate spot and make the cut out?

 

^ This has been oft talked about....alas, no one has a 'template' or anything like that, to make the job look professional. About the best thing you can do is to take off the cover, put some sort of transfer agent like DYKEM blueing gel on the stake pocket, then carefully place your rail cover on, pressing down on the stake pocket areas to transfer the 'image', THEN take them back off and carefully cut the hole from the bottom side of the cover.

 

^^ jdtech is correct, the stake holes are there, but there are no pop-out covers in the rail cap to access them.

You might find some other tips in this thread.

https://www.f150forum.com/f38/how-do...il-caps-61377/

 

John did it, but he was in a hurry and was more careless than he would have liked and was mad when done, but he got her done and the hole was later covered anyways with a Back Rack thingy. This is the right front/passenger side on a 5.5 bed:

 

Is there someone who makes rail covers with a space for the stakes?

 

Tape measure.......

 

Since the short bed only has 2 stake holes per side, the end stake holes are the same distance from the front and rear as the holes on 6.5" bed. You should be able to take a measurement from one of the longer bed trucks and transfer the measurements to your short bed. You can see where the stake holes are located from the inside of the bed.

 

Anyone tried this?
http://www.dewalt.com/tools/fastenin...ols-dw660.aspx

Take the bed rail cover off, put some heavy duty tape along the inside of the pocket to protect the paint just in case and use the cut out tool.

ric