Box Link problems installing cleats.
 

OK, I might feel stupid if the answer is easy but on my 2015 xlt I had no problem locking the Box Link cleats into the bed. My new 2017 is a complete PITA! do I need to a side wheel and take some plastic off the cleats? I have 1 cleat in and the other 3 feel like I'm going to have to pound the piss out of them to get them all the way into position. Anybody else ever have a hard time installing. Any help would be appreciated.

They can be difficult to install, especially when new. You'll need to manipulate it in there just right. It can be a tight fit, but they should fit.

Mine were very hard to install, I had to wiggle them in and out, and right and left quite a few times to get them started.

I appreciate the reply's. Man I was pretty steamed trying to get them in. I'll give it another shot tomorrow. I don't remember my 2015 being so difficult to install. At least I know I'm not doing anything wrong. Maybe the manufacturer needs to check their "go- no go gauge" on these things.

I put on the optional spray-in bed liner in my '17 and worked until I was blue in the face trying to get even 1 installed, and finally gave up. There is absolutely zero wiggle room (as noted above) to even get them "started". Haven't decided what my next move will be.

If clearance behind the box bracket is an issue, you might want to use a T30 Torx driver to remove the bracket and put a 1/4" space washer in behind each attaching point.
I haven't tried mine yet with the BedRug installed..

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I had my 2015 Rhino lined and it took some jiggiling to get mine installed.

I had to tap ( 2 ) of the box links in using a mallet. It was the links, not the slots, because I tried them in different places, & the rest fit fine.
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I got lucky. They delivered the truck with the box links installed so I don't have to worry about them. Of course they also installed one of those plastic bed liners and I am not exactly ecstatic about that, but it is what it is.


2017 Lariat Screw Fx4

I have a spray in and they were a pain in the ass to get in, hence why they stay in. No need for the locks as you will need a mallet to get them back out lol. if i plan on taking them i will shim the brackets so it's not so hard. I thought i would have to trim them too but some persuasion with a mallet did the trick.

The Box Link option didn't really take off, did it? Ford or the aftermarket never expanded on the idea by making more accessories for the mounting points. The only ones I can think of are the ramp mounts and the bed divider.

No reason for these cleats to have locks on them. I doubt anyone would ever want to steal one.

Yep. I've never used mine. In fact, the only reason I installed them was to get them out from under the rear seat where I do store stuff. It was 2 years ago but I don't remember having much problem getting them in place.

Same here, they're still in the box under the back seats. Have not found a use for them after 2 years.

Funny, I'm thinking of buying the whole setup for my truck. I looked at a prior year truck a while back that had "cargo management". What happened to that? That appeared to be a more versatile system. Anyway, it's good to have more places to tie down, but as noted above, it would be good to have some kind of additional hardware so you could adapt things to the system, or even have more "factory" do-dads to choose from.

True that. But the location of these don't lend themselves very well as a good tie down spot, IMO.