Homemade maxtrax

koretex

Forum Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
13
So Im wanting to add a pair of maxtrax to my FXT's recovery gear porfolio, but would rather spend $200 on something else. So i thought about using an appropriate sized board and screwing old worn out mountain bike tires to it for traction...any clue if this will be worth the effort?
 
I know TheInterceptor uses some cut up milk crates and just ties them together in a long row, they fold up small and I think they do a good enough job.

I would think your idea would work well and have more grip then actual maxtrax, after all rubber is often layed out for extra grip on beach exits.
 
Red XS said:
I know TheInterceptor uses some cut up milk crates.......
Click to expand...


Yep!
Here is one of them under my old subie.





Works perfectly on sand :twisted:
Currently theyre a bit more damaged and ive painted them orange to mimic maxtrax. Maxtrax are friggen expensive and i dont see why cheaper ones wont do the same job if milk crates give traction!!! And my crates were freee!
I can supply a youtube link if you want to see them in action haha.
 
TheInterceptor said:
Yep!
Here is one of them under my old subie.



Works perfectly on sand :twisted:
Currently theyre a bit more damaged and ive painted them orange to mimic maxtrax. Maxtrax are friggen expensive and i dont see why cheaper ones wont do the same job if milk crates give traction!!! And my crates were freee!
I can supply a youtube link if you want to see them in action haha.
Click to expand...

would love to see a youtube link
 
2:20ish in this video!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKVGnyDQrGQ"]Lancelin 8/12/13 offroadsubarus.com - YouTube[/ame]
 
milk crates can't bridge a gap. just a decent board should do, i'm not sure the bike tyres will add much to the traction. I think Pezimm has a board with some timber ridges screwed to it.
 
milk crates can't bridge a gap
Click to expand...
A good point

If Koretex is just doing sand and mud driving milk crates will be fine to get you out of a bog. But if you're going to be doing rocky trails or driving over ruts a solid piece of timber would be better for making bridges over un-passable holes. It's all about having the right equipment for the job you're doing.
 
Honestly reckon the crates are only good for sand. Havent done much testing in mud but have done so in my dirt driveway in the wet trying to get a RWD car on ramps and it just didnt have a bar of it....spat it out.

Maxtrax (or similar!) are good for all situations, if you look at the link below, at 5:35 onwards, you can see the maxtrax being used on the river crossing where my milkcrates would have been killed haha.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxJmAki8Gls"]OffroadSubarus.com Yeagerup and Heartbreak trail - YouTube[/ame]
 
Milk crates cant bridge a gap but they can be stacked to fill in a rut.

As for mud, they work great! However, I only use the crate bottoms, the sides dont work as well.

They still wont be as good as Maxtrax/TREDs, etc but those arent cheap. Mine are free!!! :lildevil: Plus mine fit nicely in a $2 plastic tub. I dont have to worry bout getting mud everywhere or tying them onto the roof
 
One small question for you, NL ...

Where is your secret lode of milk crates? :iconwink:
 
Ive got bread crate tracks and they work brilliantly in sand. In mud I usually find that they get to slick almost instantly and just cant pull them under the wheels. If you put them down prior to getting stuck they make some difference but not much in my opinion.

Im thinking I will try some planks of wood next with some tek screws screwed in to them for added grip. Probably wouldnt want to have your tyre spinning on them to much but Im thinking that they should work better than the plastic crates. Also can bridge gaps and also be used as a load distribution platform for jacks.
 
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