Maglite Deck Clips

To further complicate the issue, the clips I bought have two mount holes each, aligned along the axis of the flashlight. The distance between the two holes happens to be wider than the thin flat spots on the corrugated metal.

Once I had determined where I wanted the clips to go, I put the clips on the flashlight and held it in place, verifying that the clips were over the correct spots by feeling the bottom of the truck with my other hand. Then I marked the locations of the clip bases on the carpet with a pen.

Step 2: Remove the door scuff plates

This is somewhat of a pain in the ass the first time, because you don't know whether or not you're about to break the tabs off your scuff plates. No tools are required to get the plates off; as long as you are pulling upwards on the plates and not putting too much shear force on the pins, they'll pop free and not break. I found that starting with the rear-end of the forward scuff plate worked best. There are 10 clips holding the forward scuff plate down. I just worked my way from the back to the front, wedging my fingers under the plate and pulling straight up until they popped loose.

Once the forward plate is free, set it aside. You'll see some wire bundles running under where the scuff plate was; be careful not to damage these during the remainder of the modification. The rear scuff plate proceeds much as the first, though this time I worked from front to back and there are only 7 clips.

With both scuff plates removed, the edge of the carpet is revealed. You can pull up on it slightly and see the insulation padding and corrugated metal beneath.

Step 3: Ensure you are clear to drill

Technically, we could have just cut through the carpet and insulation in Step 1 and not had to deal with all of this scuff plate nonsense, but we need to be sure that there are no wires, conduits, welds, etc. where we plan to drill. Now that we can look under the carpet we can verify this for ourselves. Make sure there is nothing you don't mind cutting through between the carpet and the metal.

Step 4: Cut the carpet and insulation

Here's where we start irreversibly modifying the Tacoma. Cut a hole in the carpet the size and shape of the base of the clip using a box cutter or hobby knife. Mine have a rectangular base, so I just cut three sides of the rectangle and folded the resulting flap under the rest of the carpet. That way, should I decide to remove this installation, I will just have a cut in the carpet, not a big hole. Do the same for the insulation beneath the carpet, and repeat for the second clip. You should now be able to see straight down to bare metal.

Actually, the textured silver surface shown in the above photo is a tar-like sound dampening material they have placed on top of the metal. It is only a couple of millimeters thick and can be drilled through easily. Plus, it makes a great surface to mark your drill holes in.

Step 5: Mark and drill the mount holes

Place the clips down onto the metal and use something sharp (I used a centerpunch, but the soft soundproofing goo means that a ballpoint pen would work just as well) to mark the location of the mount holes (see above photo). Remove the clips.

Now, figure out what size drill bit you need to match the mount holes on the clips. For the Maglite brand clips that I bought, a 5/32" hole was about right. Again, since we're drilling through pretty tough metal, get a drill bit made for cutting through hard metal. I used a DeWalt 18V cordless hand drill with a 5/32" cobalt bit and it worked great. The metal is surprisingly thin. Remember to wear eye protection. Once the drilling is complete, use the sticky side of some duct tape to collect any stray metal filings.

Step 6: Mount the clips

Unfortunately, the mount screws that came with my clips were made for going into wood. So I replaced them with hex socket cap bolts. Place the clips in their spot and drop the bolts in the mount holes, down through the base of the truck. You want bolts that are long enough so that they stick out about a half-inch from the bottom of the metal plate (20mm was plenty for my installation). Then thread a lock-washer and nut onto each bolt end and tighten them down securely. I smeared some silicone rubber sealant around the edges of the nuts so that water couldn't seep up into the cab through the holes.

Step 7: Re-install scuff plates

The scuff plates just pop back into place. Remember to put the rear one on first and to keep the carpet edge securely tucked underneath.

Pop the flashlight in the clips and you're done. Remember to re-connect your battery when you're finished.