Installation of Tonneau Covers for a 2005-2008 Toyota Tacoma:

Prior to installation, unpack and inspect all parts and the Tonneau Cover for signs of obvious damage.

Before installing your cover, attach the rubber bulb seal to your cover as described in the "Install rubber bulb seal" instructions.

Step 1:

An extra piece of bulb seal is included for installation. This is to fill the gap on the front rail of your truck bed. Make sure the front rail is clean and dry. Clean and dry is important if you want the seal to sit properly.

Install this seal across the front rail as shown below.  Cut the excess off with a razor blade.

Step 2:

You will find 8 threaded rectangular plates provided, about 1" x 2" x 1/8" thick. They are identical. These are inserted into the black rails of your truck bed. 4 (two at each end) are inserted into the front rail, and two each, are inserted into the side rails near the rear.

The "female hinges" and the rear "strikes" bolt to these.

Step 3:

Attach the two front "female" hinges with the bolts and washers provided as shown in the picture below (red arrows). One 'female hinge' goes on each end of the front rail.

Although the female hinges can be slid back and forth along the front rail, try to position the rectangular plate (in the above step) flush with the end of the rail (yellow line below). That is the best position to start with. Also note that the "female hinge" should just rest, slightly, on the bulb seal installed in the step above.

DO NOT compress the bulb seal by pushing the "female hinge" down (green arrow). Just leave it uncompressed as in the photo.

Step 4:

Next we will install the rear "strikes". They are installed with the round little "ball stud" (blue arrow) toward the front of the truck. You will want these positioned as far back on the side rail as possible (give or take 1/2" or so). Leave the bolts somewhat "loose" as we will tighten later.

Step 5:

We are now ready to install the tonneau cover itself.

Using two people, lift the cover up and insert the "male hinges" into the slot of the female hinges. It is probably a good idea to measure between them, prior to lifting the cover, to make sure they are the correct distance apart and will fit. Both the male hinges and the female hinges can be adjusted wider or narrower depending on your need. Once you have made sure the distance is correct and all the bolts are tight (if you had to loosen any of them to get the right distance), you can perform this step.

Step 6:

With the tailgate open, we now will adjust the rear strike.

On the tonneau cover itself are the latching rods. Position them so they are in the "open" position, slide the "strike" up (remember we kept the bolts loose in an earlier step?), then push the rods into the "locked/latched" position. Now allow the "strike" to drop onto the top of the end of the rod. Now you can tighten the bolts. (Red arrows).

Here is a tip that works well for us:

BEFORE tightening the bolts, slip a small piece of cardboard (or something of similar thickness...about 1/8" thick) between the bulb seal and your truck bed along the side rails toward the rear of your truck. This will "shim" the cover up slightly, temporarily, until you tighten the bolts. This helps to allow the cover to rise slightly when you close the tailgate. Obviously, once the bolts are tightened, it's ok to remove the cardboard. The reason for this tip is because we noticed that almost everyone needed to "raise" the "strikes" about 1/8" to allow their tailgate to close after they finished installing the cover. Just remember to make sure the bolts on the strike are tight after doing this!

Step 7:

Install the gas props by snapping them (both ends) onto the "ball studs".

Here is a tip: Make sure the "barrel end" (the thicker end) is attached to the tonneau cover itself. This allows the oil in the barrel to keep the shaft lubricated.

Step 8:

At this point, you can try the cover out. Try opening and closing the tailgate with the latches in "locked/latched" position as shown below. If everything works like you like it...you are done...enjoy!

If you find the cover is latched "too tight" or "too loose", then you will need to adjust the strike upward or downward (blue arrow below).

If need to readjust the "strike":
FIRST, you will need to snap the gas prop off the lower ball stud (yellow arrow and following photo) to relieve the pressure on the "strike". Then  you can loosen the bolts (red arrows) and move it up or down (blue arrow) to a better position.

Please note: You will need to remove the gas props if you adjust the strikes. The are under compression. With the cover open, they are removed by simply sliding a flathead screwdriver behind the metal clip and prying upward a little bit. Don't pry to much, or the entire clip will snap off.

Step 9:

That's it! Try it out. We've built in a lot of ability to move things around and you can adjust almost everything. If you have any problems, feel free to give us a call.