Tabs in rear wheel opening that extend down from bed??

I am a first time toyota owner new to me anyway..used 09 Tundra

I am genuinely curious as to what purpose the metal tabs in the rear wheel opening that extend downward from the underside of the truck bed. Serve they have holes drilled in them leading one to believe they are used to mount something but I don't know what that something is or why they were designed like that

I have researched high and low both direct from Toyota dealer parts department and from aftermarket companies and nobody offers plastic rear wheel liners so . Although I would gladly buy a set for my truck if they were available those are not available anywhere so I know the mounting tabs cannot be for that reason

I am hopeful that by joining this forum I will get more adult-oriented replies in comparison to some of the answers I got at a different Tundra forum

Thanks in advance for any information you can share with me

,Dave

 

Welcome from Arizona. No idea what the tabs are for but I'm sure that someone here will know.

 

Im guessing here, but it looks like someone had airbags installed for towing and removed them but left the brackets

 

Good guess, but no. Air bag brackets would be attached to the frame, not the bed. My truck has them too, never had bags. I think they were used at the factory for robotic handling on assembly. But that IS a guess too.

 

Another guess here - did the '09 come with an inner fender liner? There is no liner in the pict but the brackets look like a good place to attach one.

 

I have seen someone mount reservoir brackets on those tabs.

This guy just posted this video yesterday. Start watching around 5:00.

 

I agree on this^^^^^^^^

 

Sure enough my 2010 has them on both sides. They appear to be attached to a support that runs under the bed and to the other side.

 

Inner fender mounts

 

must be something different offered from the factory on the 18 model tundras...because non of the earler ones seem to have them

 

My 16 TSS had them too.

 

I haven't seen one 07-13 Tundra with them. Could be a third gen (14-18) option

 

On my '15 Tss.

 

I looked at the build sheet and didn't see any reference to inner fenders. It lists spray in bed liner, light kit, decals, etc, but no inner fenders.

 

Wheel well liner attachment points.

 

I have the inner fender well liners mounted to those similar tabs.

 

Are those inner liners factory installed??

 

As far as I know they are. They are not listed on the build sheet as part of the SR5 or Sport Trim add-ons.

 

For reference I have a 2013 SR5 Crewmax 4x4. Towing package(if that matters).

Not sure what they are for, but the bracket holding my resi seems to like it LOL.

 

My second gen has three pieces of the wheelhouse liner and doesn't connect over to those tabs. Thinking it's an add-on that Toyota included on the third gen to clean up the truck a little.

Here is the third gen part # for the wheelhouse liner :
65637-0C040
65638-0C040

Any 3rd gen owners that can confirm the wheelhouse liner is one-piece?

Here is the second gen setup:

 

Here’s a picture of the inner fender liner support that comes stock on ‘14 and newer.
Several posts already showing the plastic liner itself, so I won’t repeat that

@lugnuttz
You could probably buy fender liners for a newer model and modify them to fit with shears and a heat gun

 

I think that is exactly correct

 

Great! I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to adapt the third gen setup to a second gen. It would probably require the supports under the liner as well since the second gen doesn't have them.

 

Yes, part of the TRD Sport package, as far as I know. Standard SR5 does not have it.

 

Yes, 3rd Gen liner is one piece.

 

And TSS Sport package.

 

All 2018 at my dealers lot have them regardless of trim or TSS package. All the 2017 used ones have them also regardless of trim or options.

 

my 15' platinum has them.

 

good for KING reservoirs