Bed Rail Cap Removal?

[dcwinters]

Anyone taken the Bed rail Caps off? I need to remove to cut holes in them to install Bed Rail Tubes. The service manual says they have clips on them, but it does not say how to remove the clips. Do you need to take off the Ultra track to gain access from underneath the rail? Or can you just pry on the caps?

Also, I see a indentation where the stake pocket exists. Does this portion of the cap pop out to expose the pocket, or does it need to be cut?

[rawze]

you can cut the caps with a utility knife to get to the pockets

[phillipyang]

I don't think its a snap on, its just a line helping you guide your cut w/ utility knife.

[travism]

I'd like to know how to remove the bed rail caps and the plastic on top of the rear bumper too. I had a muddy day where the rear bumper got caked in mud. Now everytime I step on the bumper I can hear dirt scraping around between the plastic and the bumper, no matter how much water I try to spray up in there. It looks like the rear bumper and rail caps are held on by the same type of clips, although a quick look didn't reveal how to get either of them off. Anyone done this?

[keiffers]

If you remove your bed rail caps, you cannot put them back on. You will have to purchase new ones if this happens. They are designed/made to stay on and once they come off, they are worthless to the truck. I learned this when my Titan was in the body shop back in July. They had to take them off to take care of the body/paint work and the shop manager advised me even to do just this, it breaks the connector that keeps it attached to the truck.

[JAOHN]

You can see the clips if you open the tailgate, then look from the rear at the underside of the cap, just behind the Utilitrac rails. It looks like there's quite a few clips formed into the plastic, and I have also heard that they are fragile, but if you take off the utilitrack, and use some care, I think that they could be reusable if you loosen each clip. I haven't looked in a while, but I think that it looked like there were about 15 or so clamps on each side rail.

But if you only need access to the stake pockets, then you can use a utility knife to cut out the outlined pockets on the rail caps. They are right over the pockets on my truck.

[rjspitz]

JAOHN is right. There are about 15 clips on each side, and you can remove them without hurting them. I removed mine to remove the stock plastic bedliner and was able to save them. But I bought new ones just in case. I'll take pics of the new ones so you can see the clips.
When removing it, I reached under and depressed the clips. For the ones I couldn't get to, I just pulled up on the rail and used long needle-nose plyers to squeeze the clips.

If you happen to break the clips, new ones are $19.23 a piece at www.nissanpart4u.com.

[rjspitz]

Pic down the length of of the bottom of one,
Detail pic of the clips,
Pic of the part numbers for the KC. (76998-7S200, 76999-7S200)

[wrenrj1]

Can you use a box cutter to cut the pre made stake holes without taking the rails off? I'd like to open mine up to put side boards on when I haul wood etc.

[homer]

Originally Posted by dcwinters

Anyone taken the Bed rail Caps off? I need to remove to cut holes in them to install Bed Rail Tubes. The service manual says they have clips on them, but it does not say how to remove the clips. Do you need to take off the Ultra track to gain access from underneath the rail? Or can you just pry on the caps?

Also, I see a indentation where the stake pocket exists. Does this portion of the cap pop out to expose the pocket, or does it need to be cut?

I thought I read on here somewhere that some folks had caps on the stake holes that popped out but I could be wrong. Mine have the die-cut lines where you would cut them. When I went to install my bed rails (Putco) I chose NOT TO CUT them out, because the plastic pieces that sit on the bottom of the rails aren't big enough to cover the openings. I thought that would look crappy so instead drilled holes through the plastic and used large toggles to secure the rails, rather than the rubber expansion plugs. I've never had much luck with those anyways. So what I'm saying is, depending on what rails you're going to install, make sure they will completely cover the stake pocket holes if you choose to cut them out. I see no need to remove the rail covers themselves, but maybe I'm missing something?

[JAOHN]

AFAIK, (as far as I know), some but not too many of the early titans have been reported to have removable caps on the stake holes. But the design was evidently changed pretty early on to a single molded bed rail cover, with a indentation pressed in over the top of the bed pockets.

I have not cut out my stake pockets, so I cannot speak with authority on whether the indentations line up exactly over the stake pockets.

ANYONE WHO HAS CUT OUT THE POCKETS, Please speak up now. -- Thanks!

[rjspitz]

They do not match exactly. The holes in the cap are slightly larger and a little off center than the holes in the bed rail.