bed

What are these metal railings in the bed of my 1990 Bronco Eddie Bauer? They were behind the rear panels. There is one on each side of the bed. I'm thinking about removing one in order to fit some storage, but don't want to if it serves a structural purpose. Thanks.

When i baught my bronco, the previous owners had covered it in some crapy spray on bed linner. i know it will come off with a good sandblasting, but i have not the funds to pay to sandblast the entire bodey. Any ideas?