F-150 and Raptor Bed Tie-Down Upgrades: Anchors, Rails and Cleats
Factory F-150 bed tie downs work until the load is short, heavy or on two wheels. This guide covers where the F-150 and Raptor tie-down points are, the upgrades (replacement anchors, BoxLink tie-downs, rails with cleats, D-rings), how they compare, and how to pick by what you haul.
Short answer: If you only want the factory tie-downs replaced, swap them for billet F-150 tie-down anchors. Charvonia lists its anchors for 2004–2025 F-150 and Raptor trucks. On 2015+ trucks with BoxLink, add BoxLink tie-downs higher on the bed wall. For movable points on a 5.5-ft bed, go with Integral rails with tie-down cleats. Where you have no anchor point at all, a drill-in D-ring kit adds one.
Where the factory tie-down points are
Layouts vary by year, trim and options, so treat this as a general map and check your own bed.
- Corner anchors. Most F-150 and Raptor beds have four tie-down anchors low in the bed, one near each corner, bolted to the bedsides. These are the points most people upgrade first. Charvonia's install notes call for a T40 Torx to remove the stock anchors on 2004–2025 trucks.
- BoxLink slots. Many 2015+ F-150 and Raptor beds have BoxLink mounting slots near the top of the bedsides. Charvonia notes that many trucks left the factory without the BoxLink tie-downs installed, so you may have the slots and nothing in them.
- Stake pockets. The rectangular openings on top of the bed rails take stake-pocket accessories and some rack and cover mounts.
The corner anchors sit low, which gets awkward for short loads, cases along the walls, or a bike that needs straps pulling forward. Most upgrades come down to getting a point in the right spot.
The four upgrade types
1. Replacement bed tie-down anchors
These bolt into the factory anchor locations. The Charvonia Design Bed Tie-Down Anchors for F-150 / Raptor are listed for 2004–2025 F-150 and Raptor trucks and sold as a pair. Charvonia lists 6061-T6 aluminum, red or black textured powdercoat, a center slot that helps retain straps, and radiused inside edges to help keep straps and rope from being cut. Grade 8.8 hardware is included. You remove the stock anchors with a T40 Torx and install the new ones with an M6 hex bit. Charvonia calls them a heavy-duty upgrade over worn factory hardware.
2. BoxLink tie-downs
The Charvonia Ford BoxLink Tie Downs fit 2015+ F-150 and Raptor and 2017+ F-250 through F-550 Super Duty trucks. They put a point high on the bed wall. Charvonia lists 6061-T6 aluminum tie-downs on laser-cut, powdercoated steel mounting plates that it says are twice as thick as stock. It compares them to the OEM plastic versions. Install uses a T30 Torx to remove and reuse the stock bolts. They come as one pair or two pairs, and Charvonia says a full bed takes two pairs (four tie-downs).
3. Rail systems with cleats
A rail runs along the inside of the bedsides, and its cleats move to wherever the load needs a point. For the F-150, Integral lists Integral Rails + Tie-down Cleats for the 2015+ F-150 and Raptor (5.5' bed only), with extra rail tie-down cleats and rail track nuts sold separately. Integral also makes a front-of-bed bulkhead rail for the 2015+ F-150 and Raptor 5.5' bed. The Integral listings give fitment but not materials, mounting method or ratings, so ask us if those matter for your build.
4. Add-on D-rings and universal anchors
When there is no factory point where you need one, you add one. The universal Charvonia Mounting Kit for Billet D-Rings mounts two Charvonia billet D-rings to the bed floor or side wall. Per the listing, you drill two 5/16-inch holes. Two 3 x 1-inch reinforced steel plates go under the bed, held by VHB tape for a one-person install, with Grade 10.9 Torx shoulder bolts. The D-rings are not in the kit's parts list, so ask us about the matching rings. For a lower-profile anchor, Charvonia's universal Medium and Small billet tie-down anchors can mount through a panel with backside access, or with Charvonia rivnuts (M6 for Small, M8 for Medium; rivnut tool not included) where you cannot reach behind it. For through-bolting the Medium anchors, use the Universal M8 Mounting Hardware.
Tie-down upgrades compared
| Upgrade | Where it mounts | F-150 / Raptor fitment we carry | Install (per listing) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charvonia bed tie-down anchors | Factory corner anchor locations | 2004–2025 F-150 and Raptor | T40 Torx out, M6 hex in; Grade 8.8 hardware included | Everyday loads, dirt bikes, replacing worn stock anchors |
| Charvonia BoxLink tie-downs | BoxLink slots high on the bedsides | 2015+ F-150 and Raptor | T30 Torx; reuses stock bolts | Short loads, cases along the walls, adding points to empty slots |
| Integral rails + tie-down cleats | Along the bedsides | 2015+ F-150 and Raptor, 5.5' bed only | Not detailed in listing | Work trucks, Packout boxes, loads that change week to week |
| Integral swivel straps (BoxLink) | BoxLink slots | 2015+ F-150 and Raptor | Not detailed in listing | Strapping boxes and gear without separate straps |
| Charvonia D-ring mounting kit | Anywhere on the bed floor or wall | Universal | Drill two 5/16-inch holes; plates under the bed | Extra points where none exist, such as a moto front point |
How to choose by use
Work truck
If your bed carries the same tool cases every day and loose material on the weekend, rails pay off. On a 5.5-ft bed, the Integral Rail + Swivel Strap Bundle or the Integral Rail Full Bed Kit + Swivel Strap Bundle pairs rails with straps, and both listings describe them as suited to Milwaukee Packout boxes. Without rails, corner anchors plus two pairs of BoxLink tie-downs give you eight fixed points. Our truck bed storage and organization guide covers panels and Packout mounts in more depth.
Dirt bikes and motorcycles
Front straps do most of the work on a bike, so you need two good anchors near the front of the bed. Charvonia mentions dirt bikes as a use for both its F-150 bed anchors and its BoxLink tie-downs. Its D-ring kit listing calls out dirt bikes and motorcycles too, if you want a point exactly where the bars end up. Use soft loops around the bars so the hooks are not on painted or plastic parts.
Camping and overland
Coolers, totes and water cans shift on washboard roads. Fixed anchors at all four corners plus BoxLink points let you build a cargo net or strap grid. If you are planning a full build, see our F-150 overland build guide. Our F-150 lighting upgrade guide covers lighting the bed for loading at camp after dark.
For floor anchors vs rails in general, see our bed tie-downs vs rail tie-downs guide.
Strap basics that make any anchor work
- Angle. Run straps down and outward from the load to the anchor, roughly 45 degrees, so they hold the load down and keep it from sliding.
- Ratchet vs cam buckle. Ratchet straps get high tension for heavy, solid loads. Cam buckle straps tighten by hand, which makes it harder to crush coolers, cases or bike suspension.
- Use enough straps. Use at least two straps on anything that can move, and use straps whose rated working load limit (on the label) is well above what you are hauling. Browse ratchet straps if yours are frayed.
- Check after the first miles. Loads settle. Pull over after the first few miles and re-tension, then check again at fuel stops.
Install notes from the listings
- Backing plates. Ford applied the factory bedliner over the stock tie-downs, so removing them can leave bare paint showing. The Charvonia Backing Plates for Ford Bed Tie Downs (F-150, Raptor and Super Duty; sold as a pair; textured black powdercoat) go between the bed and the new anchor to cover it.
- Bedliner. Spray-in liner over the factory anchors is not a dead end; see the FAQ below for Charvonia's removal method.
- D-ring tools. The D-ring kit lists a T45 Torx, torque wrench, center punch, drill with 1/8-inch and 5/16-inch bits, isopropyl alcohol and light grease.
What NVMOS carries
Our F-150 and Raptor tie-down parts come from Charvonia Design (billet anchors and BoxLink tie-downs) and Integral Truck (rails, cleats and swivel straps).
- Charvonia Bed Tie-Down Anchors for F-150 / Raptor 2004–2025 (pair)
- Charvonia Ford BoxLink Tie Downs, F-150 / Raptor 2015+ and Super Duty 2017+
- Charvonia Backing Plates for Ford Bed Tie Downs (pair)
- Integral Rails + Tie-down Cleats, F-150 and Raptor 2015+ (5.5' bed only)
- Integral Rail Tie-Down Cleat
- Integral Rail Track Nuts (4 pack)
- Integral Bulkhead Rail, F-150 and Raptor 2015+ (5.5' bed)
- Integral Rail + Swivel Strap Bundle, F-150 (5.5' bed)
- Integral Rail Full Bed Kit + Swivel Strap Bundle, F-150 (5.5' bed)
- Integral Swivel Straps for Ford BoxLink, F-150 / Raptor 2015+
- Integral Swivel Straps for Integral Rail
- Charvonia Mounting Kit for Billet D-Rings (universal)
- Charvonia Medium Billet Tie-Down Anchors (universal, pair)
- Charvonia Small Billet Tie-Down Anchors (universal, pair)
- Charvonia Rivnuts, M6 or M8 (pack of 4)
Browse by category: Bed Accessories, Ford F-150, Ford F-150 Raptor and Recovery Points & D-Rings (frame-mounted recovery hardware, not bed tie-downs). You can also shop by vehicle, check current lead times, or read our vendor warranty policies.
Shop Integral rails and straps →
Frequently asked questions
Where are the tie-down points in an F-150 bed?
Most F-150 and Raptor beds have a factory tie-down anchor low in each corner, bolted to the bedside. Many 2015 and newer trucks also have BoxLink slots near the top of the bedsides, and the top rails have stake pockets. Layout depends on year, trim and options.
Do the Charvonia F-150 bed tie-down anchors fit my truck?
Charvonia lists its F-150 / Raptor bed tie-down anchors for 2004–2025 F-150 and Raptor trucks. They replace the factory anchors and are sold as a pair. Its BoxLink tie-downs are a separate part for 2015+ F-150 and Raptor and 2017+ Super Duty trucks.
Can I replace the factory tie-downs if my truck has a spray-in bedliner?
Charvonia says yes: carefully cut around the edge of the factory anchor and clear the Torx head, then remove it. The billet anchors are wider than the factory units and, per Charvonia, normally cover any missing liner. Its Ford backing plates are another way to cover the area under the new anchor.
What is BoxLink on an F-150?
BoxLink is Ford's system of mounting slots near the top of the bedsides on 2015+ F-150 and Raptor and 2017+ Super Duty beds. Tie-downs, plates and brackets lock into those slots. Charvonia notes that many Ford trucks left the factory without BoxLink tie-downs installed.
Do Integral rails fit the 6.5-ft or 8-ft F-150 bed?
Every Integral F-150 rail listing we carry that names a bed length is for the 5.5-ft bed, and the rails-plus-cleats kit says 5.5' bed only. A few F-150 and Raptor bundle listings don't state a bed length. If you have a longer bed, call us before ordering and we will check what Integral offers for it.
How many tie-down points do I need to haul a dirt bike?
The usual setup is four straps: two at the front pulling forward and outward from the bars, and two at the rear holding the back of the bike in place. That means two solid anchors near the front of the bed and two farther back.
Are bed D-rings the same as recovery points?
No. A bed D-ring is a cargo anchor bolted to the bed sheet metal. A recovery point mounts to the frame and is meant for pulling a stuck vehicle. Never use a bed tie-down for recovery.
What load rating do these tie-downs have?
None of the Charvonia or Integral F-150 listings in our catalog publish a load rating, so we do not quote one. For a heavy or unusual load, call us before you buy.
Not sure which tie-downs fit your bed? Call a real person at (920) 249-7744 or send us a message, and we will help you sort it out.
