traction mats ?

mjmcdowell · Post by **mjmcdowell** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 6:55 am

Found these, thought about getting a pair, what do you think? might be useful in slick stuff, clay,etc. www.portabletowtruck.com price dosent seem to bad. stay safe, mjmcdowell

bwenny247 · Post by **bwenny247** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:27 pm

i've used something like that before, didn't work for me. my tire just caught it and threw it out behind me. lol

BobbleSmitty · Post by **BobbleSmitty** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 7:59 pm

Maybe if the bottom of it had larger spikes for those very muddy situations, it might be effective. I know when I got stuck last year down to my frame, something like that may have worked but the bottom of it would have needed to have much longer spikes to dig down and the mat would of needed to be much longer.

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 8:12 pm

There has been some discussion on this subject on the 4wdtrips.net forum.

Sand ladders was the topic. Also Bridging ladders has some material that I have seen in catalogs from McNICHOLS

I agree that those above would probably work on ice, but if things are that bad perhaps chains would be a better idea?

One interesting idea that came up was using old snowmobile track. I guess it can be purchased pretty reasonably. Some shops just throw it out.

Others use old carpet. A few use other materials, aircraft landing mat, ramps, boards , etc.

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:42 pm

I have been watching and looking for quite a while now. Finally I placed an order.

This self recovery helped to sell me on the stuff: Youtube video
I ordered two pieces of grating material from American Grating LLC , ( http://www.amgrating.com ) I have been dealing with Colin Kendrick. He has been very helpful.
I purchased two pieces Molded Grating, Isophthalic Resin, 2" deep with 2" mesh, Light grey with a gritted surface, 18" X 48" $70 each. They should arrive first part of next week.
Light weight and strong. The plan is for it to function as traction and bridging material.

I have a couple places in mind to carry them. One would be a frame mount to the side bars. The other would be attached to the tailgate.

Terra-trax appear to be a similar product. The cost is higher at $195 + $29 shipping and they are narrower.

Wider is better if you aim is not real good

I do like the options these will offer. My approach angle may need some help now and then and stuck in sand is not fun either.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:45 pm

HenryJ wrote:...........Wider is better if you aim is not real good .........................................

That is why you have to trust your spotter!

Obviously that series of photos was staged but, the Rubi could have moved 10-20' towards the camera location and crawled or bumped right up that ledge/step. You are right in that our approach angles are the pits and our departure ones are worse. My trailer hitch and tow hooks has saved me several times.

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:23 pm

I have a shield on the rear tank now and a skid for the winch mount. I like the low COG, but still want to keep up. There is always another way to "kill a cat". That is what I am looking for here. Traction mats , ramps and bridging material. Light weight and affordable, so to speak. Have you priced aluminum mats? Sticker shock!
I have a nice set of reinforced diamond plate ramps for the HenryJ's car trailer. They would be too short and heavy. I am hoping that these will work as ramps and benches around the campfire. Should be great for drying wet stuff and maybe even a table?

I really hope they fit in the frame to the step bars. I might even trim them down a little to fit if that really looks like it will work.

I am actually kind of excited for them to arrive. I have all sorts of ideas for how to use and carry them. All hidden mounting. No way am I going to resort to a mall crawler show off

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:50 pm

They showed up today. Right at quitting time, so I did not get a chance to play with them. I may need to narrow them up a little. They are plenty wide. Over 25 lbs each. I want to keep that weight low and centered if I can.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:58 pm

HenryJ wrote:.................I want to keep that weight low and centered if I can.

Always a good rule of thumb that I keep getting reinforced

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:25 pm

Things did not go exactly as planned.

First. You do not need ramps 18" wide. 12" is plenty. The tread width on my truck is only 7".
The material was just way too wide to be carried practically. I could have saved 1/3 the price by ordering less.

I thought I could store these above the side bars, in between the frame. Nice idea, but just did not pan out. 10" is as wide as might fit in there. I wanted a little wider , so I stayed with 12". Right now they are nyla-tied / zip-tied to the side bars and frame from the underside. I do not know if the ties will hold up long term in this application. I would like to try a winch from the spare tire, or some slide in racks. Custom sliders may be the ultimate solution.

They do not reduce my ground clearance at break over since they are above the bottom of the frame. I am not crazy about the current location, but we will see how it goes.

To cut the material, don't waste time with a reciprocal saw. A table saw ripped through them easily. I wasted three blades and a bunch of time on the first one with the sawzall.

I have two pieces four foot long and just over four inches wide to play with , left over. It should be fun to do some testing with those.
Black would have been nicer to hide them. This makes the Terra Trax a little more attractive. Price makes these attractive.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:20 pm

They look good. What are you guessing their weight at?

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:49 pm

36 lbs for the pair

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:44 pm

I never noticed your body molding before

You of course have extra diagonal cutters and zip ties handy? I can attest to not skimping on the zip ties. Dollar store ones wouldn't even keep my sway bars out of the way on my XJ and I used two per side.

Post by **HenryJ** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:09 pm

Finally made time to find a solution to the installation of the traction mats. I knew zip-ties were not the answer as they require too much effort to put the mats in place. I ran several ideas through the last few days and settled upon a tried and tested method. Spare tire winches.

I checked out several types , starting with the one removed from my truck. Most were rather large. I settled on the fullsize Dodge 2500 winch. Small, flat top four bolt mount, 5/32 cable.
The lift plate was not going to work. I found that the mid ninties Nissan truck lift plate was perfect for a two by four inch hole. Cut one bar and It fits like it was made for it.

Now to attach the Dodge winch cable to the Nissan lift plate. The Nissan uses a chain lift. Removal was simple. By creating a loop in the cable I had exactly what was needed to attach the plates.

Brackets were easy. Two pieces of 4" angle. One side bent upward to align the winch to pull in and up. Four nutserts in the frame to mount it and hang the winch.

It probably took about three hours to complete. Time will tell if it was time well spent.

As you can see I am not 100% trusting. I still have one zip-tie on each mat as a safety

BADs Crew · Post by **BADs Crew** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:14 pm

Nice job

You should change your name to MacGyver

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:21 pm

BADs Crew wrote:Nice job You should change your name to MacGyver

I am still looking for a more appropriate name. Definitely someone you want to stay close to when wheeling the Moab!

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 8:36 am

BTW, total cost of the mounts $13

That should put the whole project in under $150 if you purchase the right amount of material to start with.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 2:04 pm

I am satisfied that this material will work just fine.

That piece is four foot long and four inches wide. It did flex, as you can see it bowed in the photo. I jumped on the front bumper to bounce it and rolled the truck back and fourth to see if I could break it. No luck. It held up just fine. Once the weight was removed it returned to shape with no bowing. Grip is good. It moved about an inch during the test. The tire was not centered very well and It did not look bad. I did hear some creaking, like stressed fiberglass can do. It was probably the gravel as it moved a little . I could see no deterioration of the material. That one front tire should have around 1500# on it. Somewhere around 30# per square inch.
My 12" wide mats should spread the load better and be more than enough.

mjmcdowell · Post by **mjmcdowell** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:54 pm

HJ.... by the looks of your side steps you have never come down on them, I have, several times and slightly bent and severly scraped them. Although not sliders I feel that the have me some body damage however minor. If you have the misfortune to do so you may have a problem with your mounting position. If you bury yourself in mud/sand getting at them seems like it might be a chore. Rattle can them black and mount them flat on the inside of your tail gate, just my .02 worth. Mall cruiser??? who cares what people think those who know, know those who don"t well.. they just don't. (my truck alhough not beaten does have some small "scars" that would attest to its use however if one was to notice) mine are 41' long 12' wide modded 2 section folding MC ramp from "Better Built" and strong enough to support the front/ rear of my CC. Just some thoughts, stay safe mjmcdowell

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 5:53 pm

mjmcdowell wrote:........ Just some thoughts, stay safe mjmcdowell

Good to hear from you here! You do like wise!

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:10 pm

mjmcdowell wrote:.... by the looks of your side steps you have never come down on them... If you have the misfortune to do so you may have a problem with your mounting position.

Very true. My bars may look untouched , but they have been retouched. They were filled with structural foam prior to installation, so they do not dent easily. The mounts are reinforced as well. They are also raised and just clear the body. I usually rub a shield or the frame before hitting bars. Cautious driving may play a part too.

If you bury yourself in mud/sand getting at them seems like it might be a chore.

Agreed. I do have an air jack. I can dig a couple inches under the truck anywhere and raise it plenty high enough to retrieve the mats if needed. At least that is how I hope it works. Time and a few more trips will tell. Moab, UT should be a good test.

mount them flat on the inside of your tail gate

That is plan "B". That bed space is valuable. With the tool box I am very limited and right now things pack tight. If I go that route I will need to do something else with the tool box and probably install the Softopper.

my truck alhough not beaten does have some small "scars"

I have more than a few blemishes. The scrapes and dents are not too noticeable yet. Pewter hides pretty well.
Thanks for the thoughts. My mounting solution may not be for everyone. It is easily reversible, so I can always try plans B through Z if I need to

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 8:10 pm

http://www.gratemates.com.au/

jedthrocornpone · Post by **jedthrocornpone** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:17 pm

ok so I sent off a email to http://www.gratemates.com.au/ about stateside distributors. here is what I got back

JC,
Unfortunately we do not have a distributor in the States.
However, we can ship to you but this would be expensive.
GRATEMATES are AUD245 per pair and shipping costs I would have to get a quote for.

Regards,
Glenn Bull
Manager
Mount Barker 4x4 Centre
Ph: 08 8391 4391
Fax: 08 8391 4323

www.mountbarker4x4centre.com.au

From what I can find thats 161.115 USD (1/20/09) before any shipping

I would love to get quotes from some stateside places but my searchengine skills seem to be failing me and HJ's links are taking me to strange places?

on a side note the AU ladders say they are able to saty out in the elements and don't weather like others. HJ are yours poly, poly-glass, something funky, is deteriation a issue?

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:58 pm

First off, I appreciate you researching!
Brule is a member of many other forums and I know that the mats are discussed there at length.

I am sure that he will provide you links concerning their use and where to buy. We didn't need to utilize them during our Oct Moab trip but, there were many warning signs that indicated their need during different weather conditions were warranted.
Personally, I was concerned with the location that he had them stored. There was only one obstacle that he bypassed, that I took. I believe that he could have gone over the same obstacle with a different line and cleared it easily. I just think we were goofing on photo ops and and radio fun! It was not anything to be worried about .

Post by **HenryJ** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:19 am

jedthrocornpone wrote:... are yours poly, poly-glass, something funky, is deteriation a issue?

Fiberglass grating material. No issues with deterioration.

Maxtrax They have a US distributor, but are also expensive.

I will stick with the ebay grating material. It is still the best bang for the buck. Those should run about $150 a pair.

There is a good thread here: Expedition Portal - Sand Ladders

S-10CREWCAB.NET

traction mats ?

traction mats ?

HJ......mounting your bridging ramps

Re: HJ......mounting your bridging ramps

Re: HJ......mounting your bridging ramps

dang down under

Re: dang down under