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A Quick Guide to Putco Side Bed Rails

by: JasonLancaster
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Pickup trucks are typically very practical vehicles, especially for hauling cargo. However, some drivers often need to carry bulkier gear like furniture, motorcycles, or pallets of wood, which don't fit snugly within the walls of the truck's box. These items could possibly be damaged by too much side-to-side movements. Newer pickups are often fitted with cut-outs and tie-downs which ropes and chains can attach to, but these are usually at very fixed locations, and aren't always easy or convenient to access.

Putco offers a stylish and useful solution to this problem. They have designed a line of side rails which stretch the length of your truck bed. Easy to install, these rails are made out of chromed stainless steel and are easy to install. Not only are they strong, but they look good too!

Designed to anchor into your truck`s current tie-down cutouts, the rails can be easily installed with simple hand tools. The three main pieces - two curved anchors and a long steel bar - are joined together, the anchors are placed atop the cutouts, and the mounting bar is then tightened from the top with the use of an Allan key. There are no visible clamps, and scuffing or scratching is prevented by a rubber gasket which goes between the rail and your paint.

Your basic Putco locker side rails can hold up to 1000 pounds, more than adequate for most hauling jobs, and have a steel tube with a cutout at each anchor end to accommodate more involved tying. For those wanting a heftier look, these can be upgraded to 2.5 inch with an identical design, but these "Boss" railings, as they are called by Putco, can only hold 500 pounds.

If you have a need for more tie-downs, but don't want to clutter up your truck's bed rails, the Putco Pop Up Lockers might be worth a look. They have 4 hidden tie-downs, which are rated at 500 pounds, along that railing that can be 'popped' to use when you need them. Otherwise, the railing maintains a solid appearance, lacking even the openings found at the anchor points on the standard version.

If you don't really need a tie-down but like the look of them anyways, the Putco SSR Locker is a great accessory for you. It adds a lot of shine because of its chrome construction, but won't overwhelm your truck like wheel well flares will, which compete with truck's wheels for visual attention because they're so close together. Adding chrome where none was will give a better effect.

Bed side rails are also useful for people who frequently find themselves climbing in and out of the bed of their truck, especially in wet conditions where bed liners or bare steel can be especially slippery. The rails make for excellent hand grips, and can also be good for providing you with leverage when reaching over the side of the truck bed for items down on the cargo floor. The only real downside to installing railings like these is that it makes it impossible to use a tonneau cover - although if you are regularly hauling large gear, that probably wasn't an option anyway. Putco side rails are a great way to dress up your truck. They're fairly inexpensive, at about $200, and they add a practical edge at the same time.

About the Author

Author Jason Lancaster is the editor of TundraHeadquarters.com, a web site with info, news, and reviews of Toyota Tundra accessories and Tundra parts.

A Quick Guide to Putco Side Bed Rails

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