BakFlip MX4 Installation Question

[pa-fatboy]

On Step 1, the rear rail bracket installation I am having trouble with this step:

Gently lift the edge of the plastic bed rail cap and insert the rear bracket under the metal bed rail.

in the past, I have caused myself larger, and more expensive, installations by breaking posts or plastic clips in an effort to ‘gently lift’. I am having a problem seating the rear rail brackets properly.

Besides paying someone else to do it, any suggestions on how to get these rear rail brackets seated properly? I have both the front rails in place and ready to go.

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[P. A. Schilke]

On Step 1, the rear rail bracket installation I am having trouble with this step:

Gently lift the edge of the plastic bed rail cap and insert the rear bracket under the metal bed rail.

in the past, I have caused myself larger, and more expensive, installations by breaking posts or plastic clips in an effort to ‘gently lift’. I am having a problem seating the rear rail brackets properly.

Besides paying someone else to do it, any suggestions on how to get these rear rail brackets seated properly? I have both the front rails in place and ready to go.

Hi Rich,

When I installed my MX4 Revolver, there was no bed rail cap. I complained to Bak and they said if they develop they would send me some....Never Happened, so Sorry, cannnot help on this...Install otherwise was straight forward. I caution on some Forum member that modified their clamp...I do not recommend following this Mod. It is unstable.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired.

 

[pa-fatboy]

Hi Rich,

When I installed my MX4 Revolver, there was no bed rail cap. I complained to Bak and they said if they develop they would send me some....Never Happened, so Sorry, cannnot help on this...Install otherwise was straight forward. I caution on some Forum member that modified their clamp...I do not recommend following this Mod. It is unstable.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired.

Thank you for the reply Phil. It looks like BakFlip listened to you. Perhaps you could call where you purchased your MX4 from and get them sent out. After all, you have hundreds of people reading your comments! I guess to tune my question, I am not asking how to install the rail brackets.

The heart of my question is: How do you take the plastic bed rail off the 2019 Ranger without damaging it?

I think if I can get the bed rail off, I could get the MX4 rail brackets on properly. At least the tailgate end of the plastic bed rail anyway. Attempting to get the rail brackets in place, I’m fighting pulling up on the plastic bed rail while sliding the rail bracket underneath the rail and seated properly. I’m a bit worried about applying to much lift without knowing how the bed rail is attached.

what you said about your version not including the four rail brackets makes the stage 3 video a bit more valid. My group of installation hardware is version E.

In the Stage 3 Ranger installation video, the guy never mentions or installs the rail brackets. I was thinking they left it out as it was difficult and they needed to save the time!

 

[Nutty 5.0]

Just seeing this now so hopefully you got it sorted. The wording is a bit odd and a better photo in that would help in their crappy pile of papers that leave you guessing!

You just need to wedge it between if I recall. You don’t need to take it off. There’s some give between the plastic and the bed metal.

Feel free to PM if needed. I live near Reading too.

 

[LurchOR]

I just finished installing my MX4 yesterday, and I can tell you that you absolutely do not need to remove the plastic bed rail cap. Did I read your OP correctly and you have done the front brackets successfully?
It can be very tight to get those brackets inserted correctly, so I would advise the following. Leave the truck out in the sun (if that is possible this time of year) or use a heat gun/hair dryer to gently warm the plastic enough to help it flex. Once the bracket has been inserted between the bed and the plastic cap I found a rubber mallet to be very useful to help get the bracket aligned fore & aft so those little indexing tabs & bolt holes line up correctly.

Best wishes,
Lurch

 

[pa-fatboy]

Hello Phil, Nutty & LurchOR,

It helped to know others got through that part of the install. Initially I was attempting to get the rear brackets into place with the nut barely screwed on. That was bad form on my part.

I was able to get the 2 rear bed rail brackets on the truck today! woot!

I got it as close as possible by hand, then used my smallest hammer and tapped them home. We applied blue loctite, and tightened everything up to complete the bracket install.

Using a hammer... I could just see my Dad shaking his head at me. He lives in Iowa and drives a Chevy truck. He won’t read this and I will leave that part out when I talk to him next.

I do wonder if the line-x coating added a little thickness to the slot and hole the rear bracket sits in that made it just tight enough not to slide into place by hand. I had no trouble whatsoever on the two front brackets. I did not need to clean the threads out as I suspected I might need to.

I plan on finishing the tonneau install tomorrow. Feels great to get past that point. No more questions on any remaining steps.

Thanks again!

 

[pa-fatboy]

Hello All,

I’d appreciate it if the people with the MX4 would comment on where and how much water leakS nto the bed.

today, we have had a steady rain shower beginning about 9pm last night and continuing until now. It is a steady rain that when driving 35 mph through my neighborhood, the wipers need to be running without any pause to keep the window clear.

I drove about 6 miles chauffeuring my bride around local stores. Other than that, it has been parked in a level driveway, outdoors.

Below are the pictures of the bed after sitting in steady rain for 16 hours with the MX4 and the tailgate buttoned up.

Caveat, i needed to order a 7/8th drill bit. The two water tubes in the back are not installed yet as per spec. You will see them below and where the water is.

I’m not sure if I need to adjust or be concerned. This is my very first tonneau cover.

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