Plastic bed rail cap/protector removal

I saw a good pic of the plastic protector pulled off from a 2011 thread. Are the 2021 plastic bed rail protectors attached the same way or do those just pull off? I'm reading there is a clip on the front and back that needs to be removed first before the plastic can be pulled off. If there are clips, does anyone have a pic of them in place so I can see what I'm looking for? I have a 180 cap on order and want to seal under the protector before the cap is installed. The dealer said they pull the front bed rail cover and seal under it and the gaps in the front corners but not under the side rail protectors themselves.

 

Basically, they pull off, but be careful. You can break the plastic clips if you are too forceful. (The clips are part of the rail cap, are spaced every few inches the length of the cap, and fit into corresponding holes in the sheet metal beneath.) What I did was insert a thin spatula from the outside of the truck, under the rail, to locate the clips. Starting at the front of the bed, push in slightly (using the spatula) on each clip to release it from its hole, while pulling up on the cap. These will snap free, one at a time, until the whole cap is released.

The little plastic studs at the ends, that you are referring to, were prior to the 3rd generation. At any rate, they're not found on the 2021's.

One advantage of working with a new truck is that the clips are still flexible. On an old truck, the clips will probably have hardened, become brittle, and are more likely to break off easily.

Once you get the side caps off, I recommend putting your sealant inboard of the holes in the sheet metal. That's because water splashes up through the open fenders and comes up through those holes. You have to provide an avenue for the water to escape rather than pooling up around the holes, promoting rust. Especially, run a bead of sealant along the inboard edge of the sheet metal. It will be covered up by the plastic cap when it is reinstalled. Look for the reinforcing ridges on the underside of the plastic cap. That's where you want to put sealant.

Regarding the gaps in the front corners of the bed, I highly recommend using the OEM plugs that normally come with factory-installed tonneau covers. (The Toyota part numbers are 6254104010 and 6254204010, and they run about $32 each. Worth it, IMO.) You have to do a bit of surgery on the plastic side caps to get the plugs to fit.

The front cap is easy. It just bolts on with the 5 bolts that are clearly visible. (Those 5 bolts also hold on the front accessory rail, if you care to add it.) If you are sealing the side caps you might as well seal the front one also rather than letting the dealer do it.

 

Look for oem tonneau cover swap video for 3rd gen, shows how to do it with good detail.

 

Perfect thank you. The Leer dealer said they would take care of the sealing in the other common points but not under the length of the side rail protectors. Thanks for the tip about the inboard side so as to leave the holes open for drainage. I asked him about any leakage and I was told he rarely gets complaints and when they do, they correct them. Went with the Leer 180 with sliders including the front window. Color matched and carpet liner are free so the only optional cost was the front slider window for an extra 60.00. Was given a time estimate of 4-6 weeks for it to be delivered to them. Looking forward to it.

 

What’s your plan to run along under the side rails? I ordered some butyl ‘tape’, have some silicon on standby. My cap should be in by the end of the week so I’ll be tackling this same project tonight or tomorrow

 

I was planning on silicone. I'm open to hearing what others have done with good results.

 

Just slip in a finger or two

 

Curious about the trimming for side rail end caps, at $20+ each hate to mess them up but want a good seal.... has anyone posted trim/install guidance? seem to recall seeing somewhere in TW, cannot find now ..

 

Seems to me while I was doing a search on sealing up caps that I had seen that brought up. If I recall it was just a small trimming that needed to be done that really didn't look like it changed things too much. It had to be somewhere in the caps and cover forum.

 

Here's what I did:

1. Removed the front bed cap (5 Torx bolts).
2. Placed the plugs on the top of the front wall of the bed (it should be obvious which way they go). Pushed the plugs against the side caps.
3. Marked the side caps with masking tape to show what area needed to be removed for clearance for the plugs. This is a small, irregular area about an inch square.
4. Removed the side caps.
5. Cut out the area to be removed, using a rotary file bit in a Dremel tool. Removed the minimum amount of material, constantly doing trial fittings.
6. Put silicone sealant along the top of the front wall, and reinstalled the front cap.
7. Installed the two plugs, with silicone sealant. (They're in contact with the ends of the front cap.)
8. Sealed under the side caps, and reinstalled them. Filled any gaps in the corners with more silicone.

 

Thank you kindly for taking time to post this

 

Go to Home Depot and get some dum dum putty or Duct seal tape. Gardner Bender makes it and the part number is DS-110. This fills gaps and doesn't harden ever. It is cheap and eff those oem plugs. Oh yeah, they make the putty in gray and black.

 

I way I see it, the cost of $32 OEM plugs pales in comparison to a $40,000 truck. But for me, it's still a new truck and I'm being very particular about it. YMMV.