T bolt and nut to fit Truxedo Elevate FS slots

I am in T bolt hell and can't find an answer to escape. I have many add-on parts on my 23 Tudra and it seems as though they all require a different type of T bolt. Currently,I am looking for the right size T bolt for use with a Truxedo Elevate FS bed rails. I googled and found the recommended size, which is M8 x 16 (assuming what I read was correct), but I am unsure which type of T bolt to use that fits in the slots. Thanks in advance for any info!

 

I went through the same process myself. The rails and tie downs I have (Elevate TS) came with t-bolts that were 7/16" and the only direct option I could find was to purchase additional sets of tie downs which was quite expensive for a couple bolts. The t-bolts themselves are just pemstuds in plate. You can buy the steel stock at lowes/home depot and order the studs fairly cheaply online. I went to go down the path to make my own but to use steel, the installation force is higher than your standard garage arbor press and you need a specific die. As an alternative, you could use aluminum plate but you gotta be careful about torque out of the stud. My process stopped there as lack of free time took over and the cost to DIY was approaching just buying them outright because I only needed four.

I also went down the path of researching other brands but almost all seemed to be too thick or too wide at the stud base. Maybe if we got enough folks needing them we could pool together and make our own to justify the up front costs.

 

One would think that by now the same thing that happened to phone chargers would happen..... they are just universal now with USB-C. Each phone used to have a specific charger though. People were eternally pissed.

As far as making them..... I did that route too. I bought the tap, #7 drill bits (I think it was #7, anyway), bought the steel bar, etc. PAIN. IN. MY. ASS. A person would think that if you are going to build a big money item like the Elevate bed rack, you could somehow find the decency in you to make some bolts that work with the design. But NOPE. It's a bit late to return it now, but I'll never buy another Truxedo part in my life! What good are they if you can't use them for their intended purpose?!