Owners of working trucks frequently need to carry tools, gear and accessories with them. Carrying tools and other objects loose in the bed of your truck, however, results in a disheveled mess and can cause damage to your tools. Items left unprotected in your truck bed are also an invitation for theft. The solution: install of a sturdy, locking toolbox. These mount easily and provide a protected spot for storing and organizing tools and other materials (figure A). Toolboxes come in a variety of finishes and different lid options. Lid styles include a single-lift lid, double lids opening from the rear or double lids opening gull-wing style. Most styles also use a keyed lock (figure B). In most designs, the box mounts suspended from the truck's bed rail. This elevated mounting leaves several inches of clearance beneath the box so that you can still carry long, flat objects in the bed. This design also prevents the box from resting on or damaging the bed floor. The box is mounted to the rails using j-hooks (figure C), and installation requires no drilling. The j-hooks are secured with a washer and locking nut (figure D). If your truck doesn't already have bed-rail protectors, the kit comes with rubberized-strip pads to keep the box from damaging the surface of the bed rails. Materials: Toolbox kit and mounting hardware
(including j-bolts, lock nuts, fender washers, retaining washers, mounting pads, etc.)
Ratchet wrench
Tape measure
Masking tape
Grease pencil - Park the truck on level ground, and decide on the exact placement for your box.
- If you're using the rubberized mounting pads, position them and tape them down so they won't move.
- Position the tool box in place on top of the bed rails (figure E) making certain that it's centered from right to left, and equidistant on both sides from the rear of the cab. Depending on the style of box, and other accessories you may have on your truck, you may want to position it all the way forward in the bed, or slightly back. In our example vehicle, a 2000-model Ford F-150, we had already installed a ladder rack, so we positioned the box behind mounting brackets for the rack (figure F). If installing the style with hinges at the rear of the box, be certain that the mounting position allows enough clearance for opening the lid. Once you've positioned the box properly, mark the position with a grease pencil.
- Install the washers and lock nuts onto the top threaded end of the bolt, but don't tighten them down yet.
- Insert the j-bolt down through the end-panel slot, then pull the bolt up so that it hooks under the bed-rail lip. Once you've got all the hooks in place, tighten all of the attachments down fully (figure G).
- The box we installed has an adjustment inside the box that allows you to limit how far the lid will open (figure H). If yours is equipped with such a feature, adjust the opening mechanism as desired.
Note: Follow the installation instructions that come with your toolbox kit. There may be minor differences in installation depending on your particular vehicle, and these should be documented in the manufacturer's instructions. For instance, with our example vehicle it was necessary to attach the j-bolts to the box before placing the box onto the truck. This, and other steps, may differ slightly for your installation. Once the box is installed, it's a good idea to periodically check the tightness of the j-bolts to ensure that it stays properly attached. It's also a good idea to occasionally use a medium-weight oil to lubricate the latch and hinge mechanisms. Caution: Never use your tool box to carry flammable or explosive materials such as gas or propane. Click here to download a PDF illustration showing installation of a truck-bed tool box.
Illustrations may be viewed by using 
RESOURCES :
Vehicles provided by McNelly-Whaley Ford Lincoln Mercury
750 Dolly Parton Parkway
Sevierville, TN 37862
Phone: 865-453-2833
Web site: www.ford4u.com
Weather Guard truck-bed tool box
Weather Guard truck-bed tool box is from
The Weather Guard division of
Knaack Manufacturing Company
420 E. Terra Cotta Avenue
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Phone: 815-459-6020
Toll free: 800-456-7865
Web site: www.weatherguard.com
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