Hello Ford people.
 

I am Roy from North Idaho. It seems I am a Ford guy since that is all I have ever owned. I am not really sure why that is? A glutton for punishment I guess. My rigs have always been mistreated but have always performed well. I have been using the FTE forum but they seem tobe mainly concerned with looks and aftermarket stuff. Having problems with a vehicle, even a Ford,is a fact of life not a direct personal attack on the forum members.

Hopefully I can be of some help and this forum relies on answers or ideas not pro ford opinions to help each other out.

Currently I have a 08 f250xltCC LB V10 Auto,4X4, 4:10,tow and camper package, it is 6 months old 6K on it. Very few extras.
I really enjoy driving this pickup. Once I ditched the Continental tires it performed very well. I am getting 12 empty highway, and as low as 7 pulling a 24 foot camp trailer without a canopy, 65 MPHin a good head wind. Our 2000 V10 250 Ex cab Short boxwith a step up canopy never got below 8 MPH with trailer, usually 10,and is now getting 14 empty. 74 K miles.

My new truck rides great, power train feels solid and it has los of room. However I am not happy with the structural integrity of the truck bed or paint. I use this thing to haul dirt gravel firewood etc.. I can see already Ford is like everyone else andis selling less for more. This stinks, but the ride, the power and hopefully thestamina my other fords have had is thereas well.

Here's my current problem, I have sprung the bed box top rails, out, about 1" in the center at the middle pockets.The inside lip edge of the top rail is buckled. The plastic top rails follow the bow perfectly and gives my truck a custom look.

My plan is to rig up some type of holding or clamping system and use a come along to crank her back into place. I have heard of this done to the rear of the beds if they spread. Rumor has it if the tailgates are left off the rear of these beds will bend out, mainly with a 5th wheel.

In a nutshell, the beds have been getting weaker and if you load anything up the sides the beds will bend quite easily. The load of firewoodI hauled out that damaged the bed only had thetruck squatedabout3 ?inches from empty. I used racks so it was probably a leverage deal with the rounds pushingout as i drove out.

If anyone has any ideas how to straighten the top rails / bed and then to beef up the rails to prevent this please let me know. I amopen to anything except not using the truck for what I bought it for.

I have read the plastic top rails are very difficult to remove so I do not want to do this. I will however take out the bed liner to really check things out. Thing is I need to do this kind of covert since Iwould prefernot to hear the wifes opinion on howI ruined my new truck already, if you know what Imean?

Thanks for being a captive audience, my apologies for the ramble, Roy.

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RE: Hello Ford people.
 

Welcome to the site..

The bedside caps aren't horrible hard to remove, and helps to release the tabs from the underside of the rails.. At least the ones you can get at.. If prying from the topside, get as close to the the retainer tabs as possible.. Then attach a pulling plate/s to the square cutouts or use a 'mo clamp' on the turned down inboard portion of the rails and use a comealong from the opposite side (if the bed rails as spread equal amounts the pull should be pretty smooth).. If one side is moved out farther than the other, brace the lesser to the wheelwell bump (blocked) and continue the pull to alignment...