Bak MX4 Tonneau Cover Review After 8,000+ Road Miles

[Jim Lewis]

Overall, I'm glad I bought a Bak MX4 tonneau cover for my 2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER. But two years and over 8,000 miles later, the cover just hasn't held up as well as I'd expect for a premium brand. On a recent 3,400-mile road trip to London, Ontario and back to San Antonio, the elevator bolts rattled loose and got thrown out of the cover, while traveling on some pretty badly maintained American "superhighways." In London, I bought a replacement kit and used semi-permanent thread locker to reattach my new set of tonneau cover bolts (seems like something that should have been supplied with the original tonneau cover).

One winter, I left my tonneau cover flipped up for an extended period with the truck in my garage. The ends of the tubular tonneau cover crossbars are plugged with "rubber stoppers." While the cover was up, one stopper decided to pop out, and since then, it's always been a thing, any time I open my tonneau cover, to make sure that stopper is plugged in when I close the cover, or the tonneau over won't lie flat on the truck bed rim and keep out rain.

There were also two rubber bumpers up on either side of the tonneau cover behind the truck cab, near where the elevator bolts are inserted to help latch the cover to the bed frame. During my first truck wash using Meguiar's Car Wash detergent, both those bumper pads came loose and washed off.

Don't know about the rubber stopper problem, but from chit-chat with an Action Car & Truck sales rep in London, Ontario, neither the elevator bolts rattling loose nor the bumper pads coming off are uncommon problems with the Bak MX4 tonneau cover. Seems like something Bak should fix. Maybe having to offer free elevator bolt replacement kits along with a tube of thread locker the first time around as a warranty-replacement for a product somewhat defective in material and workmanship would provide a financial incentive to get things right to start with.

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[I <3 My Lightning]

I have never trusted a tonneau locking mechanism, no matter the latch system they use. Even covers I have built myself out of diamond plate. I have always added my own loops, whether welded, riveted bolted, ect and strap the cover to the bed tie downs as backup.

I currently am using a work sport cover and at the bulkhead it's strapped to the bed tie downs and I replaced the plastic loops that holds the strap latches when the cover is folded with riveted metal loops and have that area strapped down to the box links.

 

[Realtruck]

Overall, I'm glad I bought a Bak MX4 tonneau cover for my 2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER. But two years and over 8,000 miles later, the cover just hasn't held up as well as I'd expect for a premium brand. On a recent 3,400-mile road trip to London, Ontario and back to San Antonio, the elevator bolts rattled loose and got thrown out of the cover, while traveling on some pretty badly maintained American "superhighways." In London, I bought a replacement kit and used semi-permanent thread locker to reattach my new set of tonneau cover bolts (seems like something that should have been supplied with the original tonneau cover).

One winter, I left my tonneau cover flipped up for an extended period with the truck in my garage. The ends of the tubular tonneau cover crossbars are plugged with "rubber stoppers." While the cover was up, one stopper decided to pop out, and since then, it's always been a thing, any time I open my tonneau cover, to make sure that stopper is plugged in when I close the cover, or the tonneau over won't lie flat on the truck bed rim and keep out rain.

There were also two rubber bumpers up on either side of the tonneau cover behind the truck cab, near where the elevator bolts are inserted to help latch the cover to the bed frame. During my first truck wash using Meguiar's Car Wash detergent, both those bumper pads came loose and washed off.

Don't know about the rubber stopper problem, but from chit-chat with an Action Car & Truck sales rep in London, Ontario, neither the elevator bolts rattling loose nor the bumper pads coming off are uncommon problems with the Bak MX4 tonneau cover. Seems like something Bak should fix. Maybe having to offer free elevator bolt replacement kits along with a tube of thread locker the first time around as a warranty-replacement for a product somewhat defective in material and workmanship would provide a financial incentive to get things right to start with.

I'm sorry to hear that your MX4 isn't holding up as well as you had expected. While these specific issues aren't common overall, it's still a disappointment and I understand your frustration. If you haven't already, I recommend submitting a warranty claim with BAK Industries. I'd be happy to help you with the process and get things started for you. PM me or email me any time!

 

[Vulnox]

That’s surprising, I have had my MX4 since 2017, moved it to my 2019, then 2021, then 2023, then 2024 F-150s. I had to replace the support arms and the latch pieces that hold them when not in use, but otherwise it has held up great.

 

[trev5150]

That’s surprising, I have had my MX4 since 2017, moved it to my 2019, then 2021, then 2023, then 2024 F-150s. I had to replace the support arms and the latch pieces that hold them when not in use, but otherwise it has held up great.

I wouldn't call having to replace those parts "holding up great" but if you're happy...

 

[trev5150]

Diamondback HD (installed by AZ Truck Outfitters in Tucson): After two years and 20k miles, it's still may as well be brand new and looks/operates like it was just installed yesterday.

 

[Vulnox]

I wouldn't call having to replace those parts "holding up great" but if you're happy...

The arm I had to replace because I somehow lost it. They screw in and at some point it had unscrewed. The pieces that hold them were these metal clips, after 7+ years having to replace a couple little pieces that cost about $15 is hardly a sign of a bad product.

You are comparing it to something you had two years. Not even in the same zip code for comparisons. It otherwise looks and performs largely the same as it did when I got it. Not sure how that isn’t holding up by any estimation, especially on trucks that only ever sit outside.

 

[watts/up]

I bought a TruXedo Sentry CT hard roll-up one year ago for more money than I ever thought I'd spend on a tonneau cover and so I've had no issues and it still looks great. TruXedo, like Bak, is a Real Truck brand. I vacillated between a roll-up and a flip cover and I'm glad I went with the CT. A roll-up isn't for everyone but in hindsight the simplicity of design is probably a plus from a maintenance standpoint. My main concern was the material developing lines or tears from being rolled up but, for my use, it's pretty much always closed so no issues thus far. I did treat it with Chemical Guys Convertible Top Protectant when installed and intend to do so yearly.

Just thought I'd add my experience. Again, it's only been a year so YMMV.

 

[trev5150]

The arm I had to replace because I somehow lost it. They screw in and at some point it had unscrewed. The pieces that hold them were these metal clips, after 7+ years having to replace a couple little pieces that cost about $15 is hardly a sign of a bad product.

You are comparing it to something you had two years. Not even in the same zip code for comparisons. It otherwise looks and performs largely the same as it did when I got it. Not sure how that isn’t holding up by any estimation, especially on trucks that only ever sit outside.

I actually DIDN'T compare the thing you have to the thing I have. You strung those two entirely separate posts together with assumption string. If anything, I was comparing my thing with the OP's thing, as we both have had the things for ~two years.

 

[Vulnox]

I actually DIDN'T compare the thing you have to the thing I have. You strung those two entirely separate posts together with assumption string. If anything, I was comparing my thing with the OP's thing, as we both have had the things for ~two years.

You didn’t in the post compare them but seemed happy to announce that your basically new product is still basically new but seemed to need to comment that I was somehow unreasonable for being happy that mine, with four times the life and in harsher climate, has done well with just some service parts needing replaced.

It just seemed odd is all to say what you did. I think most would be happy with ~8 years and over 100k miles and just having to replace a prop rod and a couple clips for the prop rods. I haven’t had to touch the tonneau itself. But to you that’s purely unreasonable I guess. Just trying to understand the logic.

Looks like Diamondback sells the same parts essentially for your cover, almost like gaskets or shocks/rods and that are expected to either be lost or need replacement after a number of years.

https://diamondbackcovers.com/collections/cover-parts

 

[trev5150]

You didn’t in the post compare them but seemed happy to announce that your basically new product is still basically new but seemed to need to comment that I was somehow unreasonable for being happy that mine, with four times the life and in harsher climate, has done well with just some service parts needing replaced.

It just seemed odd is all to say what you did. I think most would be happy with ~8 years and over 100k miles and just having to replace a prop rod and a couple clips for the prop rods. I haven’t had to touch the tonneau itself. But to you that’s purely unreasonable I guess. Just trying to understand the logic.

Looks like Diamondback sells the same parts essentially for your cover, almost like gaskets or shocks/rods and that are expected to either be lost or need replacement after a number of years.

https://diamondbackcovers.com/collections/cover-parts

You wanna hug it out?

 

[Jim Lewis]

If you haven't already, I recommend submitting a warranty claim with BAK Industries.

Thanks for the offer. An elevator bolt kit only cost me $16.65 in Canada and was easy to find in London, Ontario, so I don't think it's worth the effort to request a replacement now. I'll check the bolt tightness regularly from now on. If the bolts somehow come loose again and are lost on long stretches of rough roads, despite the semi-permanent thread locker, I might request a warranty replacement if there's a next time.

Suggestions would be much appreciated on what to do about the "rubber" plug that keeps popping out of the tubular crosspiece, or how best to glue the bumper pads back onto the cab end of the MX4 tonneau cover. The Action Car & Truck rep said I could use any glue for the bumpers, including Super Glue or epoxy (for an unremovable solution). (These are the bumpers near the strap latch points, not those used to cushion the cover when it's folded up against the cab)

Although it seems I'm making a lot of fuss about $16.65 worth of parts that flew off my tonneau cover, I didn't know whether the plastic rail latches that hold the rest of the tonneau cover down would hold up when I still had 1,800 miles to drive in my trip after the bolts flew off. The tonneau cover would still slide forward on the rails until the loose tonneau cover end was crammed up against the cab, and that cover section was flapping up and down over every bump. Perhaps because of the rubbery bumper on the very end of the cover by the cab, the rear of the cab was not marred by all the tonneau cover flapping. But the whole angst of what might further happen with the cover flapping and thumping took a lot more than $16.65 worth of joy out of my road trip.

 

[Realtruck]

Thanks for the offer. An elevator bolt kit only cost me $16.65 in Canada and was easy to find in London, Ontario, so I don't think it's worth the effort to request a replacement now. I'll check the bolt tightness regularly from now on. If the bolts somehow come loose again and are lost on long stretches of rough roads, despite the semi-permanent thread locker, I might request a warranty replacement if there's a next time.

Suggestions would be much appreciated on what to do about the "rubber" plug that keeps popping out of the tubular crosspiece, or how best to glue the bumper pads back onto the cab end of the MX4 tonneau cover. The Action Car & Truck rep said I could use any glue for the bumpers, including Super Glue or epoxy (for an unremovable solution). (These are the bumpers near the strap latch points, not those used to cushion the cover when it's folded up against the cab)

Although it seems I'm making a lot of fuss about $16.65 worth of parts that flew off my tonneau cover, I didn't know whether the plastic rail latches that hold the rest of the tonneau cover down would hold up when I still had 1,800 miles to drive in my trip after the bolts flew off. The tonneau cover would still slide forward on the rails until the loose tonneau cover end was crammed up against the cab, and that cover section was flapping up and down over every bump. Perhaps because of the rubbery bumper on the very end of the cover by the cab, the rear of the cab was not marred by all the tonneau cover flapping. But the whole angst of what might further happen with the cover flapping and thumping took a lot more than $16.65 worth of joy out of my road trip.

You've got a good reason to be frustrated, that's a long trip to be worrying about whether or not you're going to lose your cover. A silicone sealant or even Loctite can be used to keep the rubber piece in place, and the panel bumpers can be reattached with any 3M adhesive. I hope this helps!

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