Truck beds endure a lot of heavy use and therefore need some heavy-duty protection. There are a number of options for protecting the bed of your pickup, including single-piece plastic liners, bed trays or rubber floor mats. Another option is a roll-on protective coating. This inexpensive technique enhances the appearance of your truck while providing a durable, nonskid surface (figure A). The rubberized preparation can also be purchased in a spray formula, but we chose to utilize the roll-on version for our demonstration since it's simpler to apply and provides a nice textured finish. Materials: Roll-on bed-protector kit
Electric sander, sandpaper and abrasive pads
Rubbing alcohol
Newspaper and masking tape
Socket wrench or screwdriver
Rubber gloves
Particle mask
- Remove the tailgate from your truck. Also remove the tie-down hooks (figure B) and drain plugs from the truck bed.
- Sweep out any dirt and debris from the bed of the truck. Wash the truck and make certain that the bed is clean.
- Use an electric sander to sand the entire surface inside the truck bed (figure C). If you don't have an electric sander, you can simply use sandpaper and abrasive pads, but the process will take much longer. Repeat the process on the inside surface of the tailgate. The sanding serves to scuff the entire surface (figure D) to prepare it so that the rubberized coating will adhere well. To avoid breathing paint-dust, wear a particle mask during this portion of the job.
- Use newspaper and masking tape to protect the areas of the truck that are adjacent to the area to be coated (figure E). Also, apply protective tape to the tie-down bolts (figure F), drain-plug holes, grommets or other parts of the bed that you don't want to be covered over by coating. Be certain to sand and scuff the bed-surface all the way up to the taped edges.
- Once the entire surface has been sanded, clean away all of the dust and residue with a tack rag, and then clean it thoroughly with a rag and rubbing alcohol.
- The bed-protector kit should contain everything that you need to apply the coating -- the rubberized formula, tray, roller, paintbrush, mask and gloves (figure G ). Once the surface has been prepared and adjacent areas have been protected, begin rolling on the formula. Roll it on evenly (figure H), beginning at the front of the bed and moving toward the rear.
- Coat the entire surface of the bed all the way up to the taped edges (figure I). Make sure to keep the roller saturated to get good coverage. Use a paintbrush to apply coating into crevices and hard-to-reach areas. After the first coat has been allowed to dry for about two hours, apply a second coat. Additional coats can be applied to build up thickness as desired.
- Once the final coat is completely dry, reinstall the drain plugs, tie-downs, etc.
One simple option for protecting the painted surface of your truck bed is a rubberized bed-mat. These are vehicle-specific and custom-made to fit individual makes and models of truck. The rubber mat is simply rolled out into the bed of the truck, like rolling out a rug. It not only protects the painted surface but also provides a skid-resistant floor so cargo is less likely to slide around when the vehicle is in motion. Another option is the bed tray, also made to fit specific makes and models of truck (figure J). These are made of a sturdy, hardened polymer that effectively protects the bed from even the roughest cargo. They protect the floor of the bed without covering the sides, but they do have a lipped edge that will protect the bed if a liquid, such as paint, should spill. Finally, the ultimate protection for a truck bed is a full-blown bed liner. These accessories are vehicle-specific and are available in models to go either under or over the bed side-rails, depending on your preference. The bed liner protects the floor as well as the sides of the truck bed. There's also a tray that installs inside the tailgate to protect it as well. Installing a bed liner is an easy project for the automotive do-it-yourselfer. Since they are vehicle-specific, they generally attach using factory-drilled holes and hardware already in the truck (figure K). For the liner that we installed in our demonstration, we first removed the tie-downs (figure L) from the truck-bed, as these are utilized to secure the liner in place. Since our demonstration vehicle already had protective plates on top of the bed-rails, we installed a liner that slips in place underneath the lip of those plates. After removing the hardware from the truck bed according to the directions that come with the bed liner, simply position the liner in place (figure M) and reattach the hardware. This particular bed liner has premolded indentations that allow you to place pieces of lumber, cut to the proper length, to form dividers or shelves to customize your cargo area for different jobs. Once your bed liner is installed, you may want to treat it with a protective nonskid spray so that cargo is less likely to slide around and damage the plastic surface.
RESOURCES :
Auto Repair for Dummies
Author: Deanna Sclar
ISBN: 0764550896
Vehicles provided by McNelly-Whaley Ford Lincoln Mercury
750 Dolly Parton Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37862
Phone: 865-453-2833
Web site: www.ford4u.com
Vehicles provided by Lance Cunningham Ford
Vehicles provided by Lance Cunningham Ford
4101 Clinton Highway
Knoxville, TN
Web site: www.lancecunninghamford.com
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