RetraxPRO MX Retractable Tonneau Cover for 2017-2026 Honda Ridgeline (5'4" Bed)

Here's the short version. Follow Retrax's install sheet (below) for your truck's exact steps, part letters and torque settings.

1. Fit the Ridgeline mounting rails. Remove the four upper tie-down hooks with a T-50 Torx bit. Slide two rail brackets into each mounting rail, one at the cab end and one at the tailgate end, and loosely assemble the cab and tailgate brackets. Set the mounting rails on the truck with the front cap pad firmly against the bulkhead, line the brackets up with the tie-down bolt holes and thread in the factory bolts, tightening while you push the rails down and forward.
2. Assemble the cover. Remove the shipping screws, brackets and white shipping tubes from both sides, and keep one shipping bracket to use as a spacer later. Pull the cover 6-8" out of the canister and hold it there while you guide it into each side rail's channel and seat the rails in the canister. Fasten the rails to the canister with the four 10-32 x 7/16" screws, then slide the front cover under the rails and fasten it through the top of the rails with the two 10-24 x 3/4" screws and the 1/8" Allen wrench, all to 32 in-lb. Leave the protective film on until the end.
3. Set it on the bed. Some drop-in bed liners need notching at the front corners to clear the canister. With two people, lift the cover onto the bed with the canister at the bulkhead and the front seal lying flat on the bulkhead; trim the seal if it runs past the bed rail caps. Slide the cover back and use the shipping bracket as a spacer to set both rails 1/8" from the tailgate.
4. Clamp the rails. Fit the clamps between the adjustment screws and tighten them with a 9/16" wrench. Push down on the rail and tilt it up about two degrees while you tighten; Retrax says this positions the rail best to keep water out. Then clamp the cover rails to these mounting rails.
5. Square the rails. Measure across the rails on top of the front cover and again above each clamp; all three must match within 1/16". If they don't, remove the clamps, turn both white adjustment screws with the 6mm Allen wrench (one full turn moves the rail 1/16") and re-clamp. With the cover closed and latched, the weatherstrip should show equally on both sides; if one side shows less, move that rail forward toward the cab.
6. Drains and final checks. Peel off the protective film, push a drain tube into each side of the canister and turn it clockwise until it clicks twice; the tubes usually exit through a hole drilled in the factory bed plug or another suitable hole (check for lines before drilling). Open and close the cover and tailgate to check that it rolls without rubbing or binding, and re-check every clamp after the first week of driving (a warranty condition) and now and then after that.