Retractable License Plate Install On A Toyota Truck - Clean Your Plate

1. The heart and soul of this install is the SSC Hidden Plate actuated license plate kit. We'll also replace the roll pan, where the license plate was previously mounted.

2. We began by unbolting the bed and the tailgate. We placed the bed on two stands so we'd have more room to work.

3. To find where the old roll pan was welded in, we ground off the paint and bondo on each side. The old roll pan could then be cut out.

4. Once the previous roll pan was removed, we ground both sides clean, exposing a good welding surface. We then lined up the new roll pan and tack-welded it into place. Go slow as you're welding, and be careful not to blow through the metal or warp it from the heat.

5. Once both sides had been completely welded, we cleaned up the welds by grinding them smooth.

6. Joe Nunez, our bodywork expert, got down to business molding the roll pan in and sanding both sides smooth.

7. While Joe and his partner Rick were banging out the bodywork, we began to tackle the task of building a new back wall for the bed to house the SSC kit. We started by welding a support beam in place to keep the bed straight while we unbolted the back wall and cut it from the bed.

8. After the back wall was removed, the entire surrounding area was ground down to bare metal.

9. We then took careful measurements to build a frame for the new back wall out of 2x1-inch square tubing. With measurements in hand, the square tubing was cut.

10. After lining everything up, George tack-welded the new back-wall frame together.

11. The frame was then test-fit into the bed to double check both sides and ensure it would fit snugly.

12. Next, we placed the SSC kit where we wanted it mounted and marked the area to be cut out.

13. After removing the top bar to make room for the license plate kit, George measured to center it and tacked it into place.

14. When everything was in place, the entire frame and SSC kit were welded, then ground down.

15. With the frame in hand, George took a trip to see Chris at Ludikrs Kustoms so he could pick up the 16-gauge sheetmetal and use the sheetmetal break. He took all his measurements and cut out both a front and back wall for the frame.

16. The sheetmetal was cut to allow it to slide right over the license plate box and be flush on all sides.