The short answer: A complete no-drill Leitner ACS FORGED installation uses 62 fasteners, roughly 40% fewer than comparable modular bed racks. It installs in one to two hours at an intermediate skill level, requires no drilling on most applications, and ships with thread locker already applied to every fastener at the factory. There are no loose flat washers in the kit.

Every fastener in a bed rack kit is one you have to locate, align, thread, and torque. It is also one more thing that can work loose on a washboard road. Fastener count is one of the few installation specs you can verify before you buy, and the spread between brands is wider than most buyers expect. Here is where that number comes from and why it matters once the rack is on your truck.

Why Does Fastener Count Matter?

Installation time tracks fastener count more closely than any other spec. A rack with twice the hardware takes roughly twice as long to assemble, and that time goes into sorting bags, matching bolt lengths, and reaching into places your hands do not fit.

Every fastener is also a potential failure point. A bed rack lives in constant vibration, and any threaded connection can back off over enough miles. Fewer connections means fewer things that can loosen, and it shortens the inspection you should be doing before every long trip.

Fastener count also predicts how much of the job you can do alone. Fewer pieces means fewer moments where you need a second set of hands to hold something while you start a thread.

How Many Fasteners Does a Bed Rack Install Take?

A complete no-drill ACS FORGED installation uses 62 fasteners. Comparable modular bed racks run substantially higher, in several cases past 100 for a partial install, based on the parts lists published in their own installation guides.

Specifications are current as of mid-2026. Confirm details for your application before ordering.

How Did We Count?

A number like this is only useful if the comparison is honest, so here is the method.

We counted every threaded fastener listed in each manufacturer's published parts list, meaning bolts, screws, nuts, and flat washers supplied in the box. Brackets, end caps, spacers, and structural components are excluded on all sides, because those are parts of the rack rather than hardware you have to install. Counts are taken from the complete parts list as published, including any hardware the manufacturer describes as optional, since it ships in the box either way.

The comparison covers a complete installation. That distinction matters more than it sounds, because several competing bed racks are sold as a bundle of three or four part numbers, each with its own instruction sheet. The universal structural components sheet is only one of them. Counting that document alone leaves out the vehicle-specific mounting system and the side rails or slats, which understates the real total by a wide margin.

The ACS FORGED figure has no such gap. One document covers assembly, the clamps, and mounting to the truck, and there is no separate vehicle-specific hardware sheet to add on top of it.

What Makes the Leitner Hardware Different?

The lower count is not the result of leaving connections out. It comes from hardware that does more per piece.

There are no loose flat washers in the kit. The published ACS FORGED parts list contains zero flat washers. Competing kits ship dozens of them, because a conventional connection stacks a bolt, a washer, a second washer, and a nut. Leitner builds the washer face into the fastener instead, which removes two separate pieces from every joint.

T-slot nuts replace through-bolted hardware. The rack's extrusions accept T-nuts that slide into the channel, so a connection is a bolt and a captured nut rather than a bolt passing through a hole with hardware stacked on the far side.

The fasteners are Grade 10.9 and loaded in tension. Hardened alloy steel with a zinc-nickel coating, designed to load in tension where threaded fasteners are strongest rather than in shear.

Thread locker is already applied. Every fastener ships with a dry thread locker patch rated for roughly 10 install cycles, so there is no bottle of liquid thread locker to buy and no waiting for anything to cure. Torque specifications are set for dry hardware to match.

The hardware is metric. Metric sizing matches the fasteners already on your truck, so the sockets you need are the ones already in your drawer rather than a second imperial set bought for one job.

Do You Need to Drill Your Truck Bed?

No. No-drill configurations are available for most applications, which means the rack clamps to existing structure rather than requiring new holes in your bed. That protects both your paint and your resale value.

Drill configurations are available where an application calls for one, and those installations use additional hardware.

How Long Does It Take to Install?

Leitner publishes an installation time of one to two hours for the no-drill ACS FORGED, at an intermediate skill level requiring basic knowledge of hand tools. The rack is light enough for one person to manage, though a second set of hands makes the job easier.

Torque values are listed in the installation guide for every connection, and they are worth following exactly. A correctly torqued fastener is what keeps a rack quiet over the life of the truck.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many fasteners does the Leitner ACS FORGED use?

A complete no-drill installation uses 62 fasteners, roughly 40% fewer than comparable modular bed racks.

Which truck bed rack is easiest to install?

The ACS FORGED is built around a low part count. It uses 62 fasteners for a complete no-drill install, ships with no loose flat washers to keep track of, needs no drilling on most applications, and installs in one to two hours.

How long does it take to install a Leitner bed rack?

Leitner publishes one to two hours for a no-drill ACS FORGED installation at an intermediate skill level.

Do I have to drill holes in my truck to install a bed rack?

Not with a no-drill ACS FORGED configuration. Those are available for most applications and mount without adding holes to your bed.

Are Leitner fasteners metric or imperial?

Metric, which keeps the tools consistent with the hardware already on your vehicle. Some competing bed racks use imperial fasteners that require a separate set of sockets.

Do I need to buy thread locker for a Leitner bed rack?

No. Every fastener ships with a dry thread locker patch rated for roughly 10 install cycles, and the published torque values are set for dry hardware.

Why do some bed racks need more than one installation guide?

Several bed racks are sold as a bundle of separate part numbers covering the structural components, the vehicle-specific mounting system, and the rails or slats, each with its own instruction sheet and its own hardware. The ACS FORGED uses one document for the whole job.

The Bottom Line

Fastener count is a proxy for everything that makes an installation frustrating. It predicts how long the job takes, how many chances there are to lose a part, and how many connections you need to check before a trip.

The ACS FORGED does the job with 62 fasteners, roughly 40% fewer than comparable modular bed racks, with no loose washers, no drilling on most applications, and one guide covering the entire install. It ships same day, and it is designed, engineered, and manufactured in Corona, California.

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