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Pickup trucks are extremely practical vehicles, great for hauling cargo. Some people, however, often carry gear like motorcycles, lawnmowers, furniture or pallets of wood, which are too bulky to fit snugly in the truck's box, but which could be damaged by too much side-to-side movement. Newer pickups are usually outfitted with tie-downs and cutouts so that you can attach ropes and chains. However, these are located at very fixed positions, and might be difficult or inconvenient to use. Putco has developed a stylish and utile solution to this problem: a line of side rails which span the length of your truck bed. Made out of chromed stainless steel and available in a variety of designs, these rails are easy to install, are strong, and will look great on your truck. The rails are designed to anchor into your truck's current tie-down cutouts, and they can easily be installed with simple hand tools. There are three main pieces - the two curved anchors and the long steel bar. Once these parts have been joined together, you simply place the anchors on top of the cutouts, and then use an Allan key to tighten the mounting bar from the top. There are no visible clamps, and a rubber gasket goes between the rail and your paint to make sure there is no scuffing or scratching. The basic Putco locker side rails have a simple steel tube which has a cutout at each anchor end for more involved tying. They can hold up to 1000 pounds, which is more than enough for most hauling. You can also upgrade to 2.5 inch tubing with the same design if you feel you need a heftier look, but these 'Boss' railings, as Putco calls them, only hold 500 pounds. If you have a need for more tie-downs, but don't want to clutter up your truck's bed rails, the Putco Pop Up Lockers might be worth a look. They have 4 hidden tie-downs, which are rated at 500 pounds, along that railing that can be 'popped' to use when you need them. Otherwise, the railing maintains a solid appearance, lacking even the openings found at the anchor points on the standard version. For those looking to only enhance the appearance of their truck bed without necessarily needing the option of a tie down, the Putco SSR Locker fits the bill. It's a good chrome accessory because it adds a lot of shine without competing with the rest of your truck. Chrome wheel well flares, for instance, usually compete with your truck's wheels because they're so close together. By adding chrome parts where nothing existed before, the eye tends to treat them a little better. Bed side rails are also useful for people who frequently find themselves climbing in and out of the bed of their truck, especially in wet conditions where bed liners or bare steel can be especially slippery. The rails make for excellent hand grips, and can also be good for providing you with leverage when reaching over the side of the truck bed for items down on the cargo floor. The only real downside to installing railings like these is that it makes it impossible to use a tonneau cover - although if you are regularly hauling large gear, that probably wasn't an option anyway. Putco side rails are a great way to dress up your truck. They're fairly inexpensive, at about $200, and they add a practical edge at the same time.
Article Source: http://www.avidarticles.com
Author Jason Lancaster administrates TundraHeadquarters.com, a website with information, news, and reviews of Toyota Tundra accessories and Tundra parts.
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