Installing Ford Modular Bedliner - DIY how-to instructions & photos

[Deleted member 9086]

Thanks for the good write-up! I'm sure this will be referenced often.

This is a nice unit, but I'm thinking about removing mine. I bought my Ranger about 3 weeks ago (my dealer installs the same bedliner in all of their in-stock trucks, which I tried to negotiate out of the deal). I have concerns about the potential abrasion and rust to the floor of the bed from the plastic liner. I prefer a bed mat instead. Does anyone else share that concern, or are my fears unfounded?

With the modular bed-liner, there is no shifting like a one piece bed liner. It’s sides are mounted with screw, just like the tailgate liner.???

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[VehicleNanny]

Thanks, Jeff. That is an excellent point. Added with the other info shared, I'm going to keep the bed liner installed.

Hey @Fix4Dirt ...did you ever think your installation instructions would prove so helpful?

 

[Truckin]

The bed IS NOT aluminum! Not unless Ford has managed to make aluminum magnetic...
And abrasions are unlikely to rust because the same rubbing that wore off the paint will also wear off any rust.

Good to know. Salesman told me it was 100%.
go figure that they may be right one day?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Thanks, Jeff. That is an excellent point. Added with the other info shared, I'm going to keep the bed liner installed.

Hey @Fix4Dirt ...did you ever think your installation instructions would prove so helpful?

No not really haha I still dont think the instructions themselves are super helpful except for folks talking about the DIBL haha.

Glad its helpful though!

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I'm hoping to spend some time this week or next installing the Bakflip MX4 & Keko seal kit. Will make a writeup when this is done, since it looks like the DIBL will need some mods to accomadate the BF & seals.

 

[rstaples1]

The heavy rubber mat from Ford does not fit snugly with the modular liner. Still looks good and has the Ranger logo, but curls up a bit on the sides and the front. Just an FYI.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Update about a month late! To install the Bakflip I had to notch the top left and right of the front panel about 3"x3" I believe I did, then for the seals I used 1" on the front, since the original was too thin IMO. And for the one that goes on the tailgate, I used 1" again but below the gate on the bed. Also had to cut the back edge that swoops around of the side panels to accomadate the seals that run vertical along the bed.

The yellow is where the trims were, red where I used the 1" seal, same with blue.

 

[scorchedearth]

Just picked up my Ranger Raptor 3 days ago, your write up helped me a lot. There are 12 bed tiedown bolts. I was literally on the last one and the bolt head sheered off about 1/3 of the way out on the passenger side rear. Tried my bolt extractor kit to no avail, it’s in there very tight due to the red loctite. Who the hell uses RED loctite on bed tiedowns? Blue would have been enough. Tried 3 different types of penetrant, no luck.

I think I may have to take it to the dealer and get them to extract it. Don’t think I’ll use heat on the bolt to melt the loctite since it’s painted. I only have the tailgate piece installed and the front piece towards the cab. Since I cannot get this broken bolt out I’m unable to install the passenger side bracket which allows the biggest floor piece to be bolted down and then the bed side pieces go on afterwards.

Crossposting from my original post on the Explorer forum.
1. Open the box up, should look like this (minu the toolbox) & come with a bag of hardware

2. Wash your bed and dry it fully
3. Use T40 Torx to remove the 6 bed tiedowns (You don't have to remove the bed light and the power sockets, did it out of curiosity for what was behind) Note: These are in pretty good, and I stripped 2 heads in the process, there is alot of blue locktite. When you get to this step, you'll realize it's in better than you'd expect... be prepared to get a few extra bolts. Vacuum up loctite.

4. Remove 8 T20 bolts on the tailgate, you will leave the 4 in the picture

5. Place your tailgate cover (the one w/ cupholders) on top, and use 8 of the bolt/washer combos in the ahrdware bag, tighten til snug (it says 1 ft/lb I did snug)
6.

6. Take the front liner (the one w/ Ford on it), push it in at the front, it will sort of click... ish?
7. Tape the brackets to the bed (you can see the tape in the corner) Slide the bottom liner (the big one!) underneath the front liner and above the bracket.

8. Cut out your power points & lights (for the PP, use 1 3/4 hole saw ont he 4 corners, then use jigsaw to connect the ends (or use the jig the whole way, if youre so inclined!) (For the lights, use 1 1/8 and connect ends) (The hole saw is to get the 90 degree arcs on the edges of the cutout. It is a tangent line of sorts, here is a representative image)

9. Push these pieces into place, first push forward, then bend the edges under the rail, and the end (bump tab?) on the rear corners, bend udner the molding. Make sure the holes line up w/ the pushpin holes & tie downs

10. Use the pushpins and there should be 3 on each side, 4 on the front.
11. Install the 7mm bolt on the rear corner brackets.

12. Reinstall tie downs.
13. Look at the work you did!

 

[Fix4Dirt]

YEOWZA!!!!!! That sucks man! Sorry to hear that Yes the bolts were definitely in better than I expected... but I didnt think it would be head-shearingly tight... Good luck man, Im rootin for ya!

 

[scorchedearth]

Likely poor grade hardware. No way a M8 bolt would sheer off this easily. I wasn’t putting a ton of force on it either. Anytime I felt resistance or creaking I would turn it clockwise to help break up the loctite. The other 11 were a breeze, the 12th and last one was unlucky.​

I had success, lucky because it was the bolt nearest to the tail light so I was able to remove the tail light to expose the other end of the broken shank and heat it with an induction heater to protect the paint.​

That red Loctite turned into liquid and she backed right out of the hole. If it had been the other 2 bed tie downs the fender would’ve had to come off to access the welded nut on the other side and that would’ve been a nightmare.​

Next up is to install the Bak X4TS tonneau cover. This one doesn’t have the same locking mechanism as your MX4 tri-fold so I’m hoping I don’t have to cut the front bed liner to fit like you did.​

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Likely poor grade hardware. No way a M8 bolt would sheer off this easily. I wasn’t putting a ton of force on it either. Anytime I felt resistance or creaking I would turn it clockwise to help break up the loctite. The other 11 were a breeze, the 12th and last one was unlucky.​

​

I had success, lucky because it was the bolt nearest to the tail light so I was able to remove the tail light to expose the other end of the broken shank and heat it with an induction heater to protect the paint.​

​

That red Loctite turned into liquid and she backed right out of the hole. If it had been the other 2 bed tie downs the fender would’ve had to come off to access the welded nut on the other side and that would’ve been a nightmare.​

​

Next up is to install the Bak X4TS tonneau cover. This one doesn’t have the same locking mechanism as your MX4 tri-fold so I’m hoping I don’t have to cut the front bed liner to fit like you did.​

​

Ahhh got it! Yeah, I wouldnt expect it to shear either...

Got it. I'm not too familiar with the rollups, so I'm not sure you'd have to cut. I always had hard folds or shells

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