Repair or replace bedliner

[plainolebill]

I just bought a 2011 Ranger with a 6' bed, there's a piece about 1 1/2" square missing from one spot on the liner and a few other chips. I see they still make a few liners but for this year but I'm wondering if I can just patch it up with some roll-on bed liner paint? The existing liner is held down with those big torx bolts that Ford uses in various places, are they holding the bed on? Another thing that puzzles me is there is an accordion tube with wiring coming out of the cab and running toward the back I'm guessing that they ran the trailer electrics through that.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Can you post a picture ?

 

[plainolebill]

I'll do that as soon as it quits raining!

 

[plainolebill]

I took a picture the one I focused on is the largest and there are several smaller chips. The chip is about 1 1/2 inches long.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

A good cleaning and scuff and roll on would be what I would do. Maybe spray on?
The bolts are what hold the bed down. T-55 if I remember correctly. Go under the bed and spray with some penetrating oil. Those bolts have a tendency of breaking the T-55 socket. I keep more than one now in my toolbox.
A good rap or two with a heavy hammer on the bolt head might help jar the rust bond loose...

 

[plainolebill]

I was pretty sure they held the bed on but would have expected that they would sit under the bedliner. I think I'll get some sort of paint on bedliner and call it good. I am going to be using it as a truck.

 

[4x4prepper]

Having a spray in bed liner AND a drop in plastic bed liner will protect your bed the best. I had a friend with a newer Dodge and she said just to throw the firewood in the bed because she had a spray in bed liner, I said she should not and should place them in, but, she insisted it was fine to do so. Tossing the firewood into the bed didn't hurt the flat part of the bed, but, lt badly dented the wheel wells. Drop in liners can absorb a lot of abuse a spray in bed liner will not. PLUS, getting dirt and rocks out with a drop in bed liner is much easier.

On the truck I am fixing up, I am putting a flexible rubber flap (mud guard or floor mat) between the bed and tailgate, under the drop in liners, so mulch and dirt does not fall off between them when off loading.