I searched around but haven't been able to find exactly what I'm looking for so I figured that I would post this. So since I bought my truck September of last year I have been slowly purchasing the accessories that I want for my truck. I had 2 more on the list and lucky me it was my birthday Friday and I got the last 2 accessories on my list a tonneau and a bed extender. There is kind of a catch to the bed extender though. I really didn't want anyone spending big money on things for me I don't need them that bad that people have to spend tons of money. So my dad picked up a bed extender off a 2014. It's in great shape everything is there but the mounting bolts and one rubber foot. He said he got a hell of a deal on it so to me doesn't really matter if it's used as long as it works. My next question is I found the mounting hardware online for it but will it fit my truck? I mean from just holding it where it's supposed to go it seems to be the right size and should work other than the hole not lining up for the rod that goes down into the tailgate. The center mounting hole doesn't look to have any threads in it so I'm wondering will this extender work is there something different with the new ones? Do the bolts self thread? I'm willing to buy the stuff I need to make it work right just want to make sure that it will work before I buy the pieces I don't have. I don't know if anyone has run into this or tried this but I appreciate any insight I can get.

 

Appearance-wise my bed extender looks exactly like the bed extender that I had on my 2014. I can't guaranty the mounting holes are in the exact location without having the old one here to measure.
There should be threaded nutserts in the sides of the bed for the center mounting bolts.
(similar to these)

 

Thanks for the info. Did the threaded inserts come with the extender or are they already in the truck? If they are already in the truck I'm guessing I sprayed over them when I did my bed liner. If they are already part of the truck I wonder if I run the bolt for the extender in if it will clean out the liner material that is in the hole. Everything seems to line up were it is supposed to so I feel like it should work.

 

I ordered my truck with the bed extender so they came on the truck. I don't believe the nutserts would come on the truck if the truck didn't come with the extender, but the holes should be there.

 

Ok that sounds right because I didn't see anything threaded in that center hole. I will talk to my local dealer parts department to see if I can get the hardware for the new one and put it on the old one. I appreciate the help. I swore I saw somewhere that the bolts self threaded the holes but I could be wrong about that. I can find the older hardware online but not the newer stuff.

 

You are correct. The bolts thread the holes. The price of those two mounting stud bolts will make you cringe, so I'm told.

 

You are correct about the pricing of the bolts $26 per bolt. They come with the bolt and plastic sleeve. Now I am luckier than most when it comes to this but my brother is a mechanic at the local dealer so I can get special pricing on them but it's still $16 per bolt which is still pricey. I guess now I'm trying to figure out if I need those threaded inserts or just run the bolts in and they will thread the hole. That is what I have seen online but after posting here and getting info of there being threaded inserts that is the first I have heard of that but if they are needed because of the truck being aluminum that is fine just want to make sure I do things the right way and get the right parts.

 

I just removed one side of my bed extender on my 2017 to look and there are no nutserts. The bolts just thread into the holes. You guys were correct and I was kind of surprised because there was nutserts on my 2014.

 

I really appreciate you looking at that's for me. That kind of makes things a little easier then so I need the 2 center bolts and the sleeves. I am going to mock it up one more time to make sure everything lines up and if so I am going to order the bolts. Does anyone know if I really need the plastic grommets that go in the upper and lower hole that the locking pins push into? I was going to try it without but might end up buying them anyways.

 

The Ford OEM bed extender for the 15-17 uses a plastic sleeve.

 

Does anyone know if these will work for the upper and lower holes on each side?

http://m.ebay.com/itm/2x-2004-2008-F...ATCHING_ACTIVE

 

They look the same to the naked eye.
I took a rough measurement and the holes are about .5"

 

Thanks for the reply I think I am going to buy 2 and see if they work and it they do, I will buy the other 2. The part number I got for the new ones was a partial number 286A54. If you look at the part number on the ones I listed they have 286A54 in the part number so I'm going to just take a guess they are the same. I'll buy a pair and see what happens.

 

So I got the center bolts and sleeves tonight and installed the extender on the truck. It worked but it didnt. When you swing it to the inside it hits the fender wells and wont sit flush with the bedside like it should. I already knew the hole in the tailgate didnt line up with the pin. So I am going to sell this one and just get the right one. Thanks for the help from everyone. So it could work if you got one cheap enough and didnt really care if it lined up perfectly but I am to OCD with that stuff that it has to be right so I am going to throw this one on ebay and get what I can for it and then get the right one.

 

I took the aluminum bed extender and the two screw-in mounts out of my 2006 and drilled/tapped 2 holes in my 2011 and it fit perfectly, so you can probably move them from year to year, at least for the earlier models. Didn't need any expensive sleeves; reused the old screws.