I noticed something on my '97 F350...no tie down hooks in the bed! Can't remember if my '95 F150 had them or not, but I have no place to swing rope or ratchet straps thru. Have diamond plate bed rail caps, but have to cut out the stake pocket holes in them. Do any of you guys have other creative solutions?

 

Here's what I did...

http://mystyk3.tripod.com/truck1.jpg [You will probably have to copy and paste the link into your address bar]

You'll notice I used goop to keep water from penetrating and rusting out the holes I drilled. I just ran a [thick] bead onto the washer before installation- same with the washer on the bottom too- then cut off the excess after it cured. I did this just last weekend.

I used 1/2" eye hooks.

 

I notice that loops on the sides of the bed pretty much don't help me tie anything *down* into the bed.

So I did almost exactly that - except I drilled 8 holes in the bed floor and put eye bolts in 'em. 2 at the front, 2 just ahead of the wheel wells, 2 just behind the wheel wells, and 2 at the back. I sealed 'em with silicon and when it rains, my truck bed still holds water if it's parked facing downhill and water can't drain out the back.

EyeBolt - Fender - nut - truck bed, Fender - lockwasher - nut.

Caveat: as always - when you're drilling holes in your truck be sure you find what's on the other side of the hole, so you don't, say, drill into you gas tank or something.

 

I have these. I like them. I had to modify the front ones to work though.

Bull Ring Retractable Tie Downs | Bull Rings Pop Up Tie Downs | Shop Now

I have thought about adding some of the later model F150 hooks to the lower insides of the bed. Has anyone done that?