Traction Board Review

[Overlandllama]

Great responses in this thread... I ended up ordering a set of the TJs along with a fold-up shovel... hopefully will get them in time for Newfoundland Expedition. Cheers

 

[SAFETYRUNNER]

Great responses in this thread... I ended up ordering a set of the TJs along with a fold-up shovel... hopefully will get them in time for Newfoundland Expedition. Cheers

I purchased that shovel. It is very short, but folds incredibly small and has been used a bunch to clear out under the rig. I was pleasantly surprised at its build for most days when I choose not to carry a full length shovel.

Gotta have room for my wife and dog!

 

[TractionJack]

I purchased that shovel. It is very short, but folds incredibly small and has been used a bunch to clear out under the rig. I was pleasantly surprised at its build for most days when I choose not to carry a full length shovel.

Gotta have room for my wife and dog!

Thanks for the support!

 

[TractionJack]

Great responses in this thread... I ended up ordering a set of the TJs along with a fold-up shovel... hopefully will get them in time for Newfoundland Expedition. Cheers

You rock thank you for supporting us let us know whatcha think!

 

[TractionJack]

Having a small rig, I decided to go with Traction Jack.

The folding feature was the clincher for me. They are far easier to store inside. They are easier to get under the rig and I don't worry about them smacking my sills when the tire first grabs traction.

Folded, they can handle short bridging (over a rut). Unfolded, they are longer than the standard traction boards.

They are surprisingly heavy and seem very robust. If you melt off a nub, you can drill a pilot hole and screw in a short sheet metal screw. The screw head is now a non-melting nub.

The TJ can be used as a jack platform to keep the jack from sinking into soft ground. Fold them and stack them for more height.

I used strapping tape to reinforce the factory box for internal storage. They easily fit inside my small roof rack. I plan on fabbing some brackets to mount on the roof rack when that is the preferred carry option.

Now, I just need to get stuck. ;-) TR

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That was an awesome review thank you for supporting our brand! Let us know if you need anything!

 

[TractionJack]

I've got one. Based on the pictures, the boards look very similar to the ones I've seen in construction and utility applications as crane/bucket truck stabilizer pads. Is it the same or similar material just smaller?

They're kind of their own thing. I think I know what you are talking about but they are useful in so many other applications other than just recovery like everyone was saying because they are designed flat. If you look at Maxsa, MaxTrax, SmittyBilt, and TRED, they all have high spots and low spots which make them weaker under pressure; so you cant use them as a jack surface or for vehicle/trailer stabilization. Hope this answers your question :-)

 

[TractionJack]

Here are two kinda cool situations of Traction Jack getting the vehicles out of sand. The first is a Penske truck and the 2nd is a Cherokee that was stuck even with 4WD engaged. It should that placement of the traction boards is important or else the tires will not catch.

 

[Overlandllama]

You rock thank you for supporting us let us know whatcha think!

I received the set of TractionJacks yesterday along with the fold-up shovel. Quick turnaround on the order and both the boards and the shovel seem very well built. I was surprised by the beefiness of the boards... a good since I'll be using them as a jack base and for leveling our rig on uneven terrain. I think the fold-up shovel has a great twist-lock design and will be perfect for if we need to dig underneath the rig. Oh, I also really like the folding compact feature of the boards as I would prefer not to bolt them to the outside of the rig... for now. Overall, very cool.
Cheers!

 

[Username Not Found]

Does anyone here have any experience with using Fiberglass Grating? I've been really tempted to swap my MAXSA's for some due to the linear rigidity of them that makes them very capable for bridging. Also, I like the idea of using them as a base pad for my shower.

 

[Longshot270]

That's what my grandfather used for all kinds of projects

 

[SAFETYRUNNER]

So I got myself to a rut deeper than I could handle on Sunday over at Rausch Creek. My choices included major landscaping, heading back and trying to bridge the depth. I had my Traction Jacks in the 4Runner, so that became the choice I made. We filled the rut with some support logs and used the traction jacks as short bridges. First, I got across with truck and passenger intact. I can't say the same for the Traction Jack. One snapped in half without warning. I sent and email early Monday and am waiting for a response. I believe they are under warranty.

Will update this thread when I hear more.

 

[OuterLimits]

So I got myself to a rut deeper than I could handle on Sunday over at Rausch Creek. My choices included major landscaping, heading back and trying to bridge the depth. I had my Traction Jacks in the 4Runner, so that became the choice I made. We filled the rut with some support logs and used the traction jacks as short bridges. First, I got across with truck and passenger intact. I can't say the same for the Traction Jack. One snapped in half without warning. I sent and email early Monday and am waiting for a response. I believe they are under warranty.

Will update this thread when I hear more.

Bummer that happened. They seem very sturdy, so that is a bit surprising.

My plan for unsupported bridging was to leave them doubled up. That makes for a short bridge, but should be stronger. I am interested to see how this gets resolved. Good luck, TR

 

[TractionJack]

So I got myself to a rut deeper than I could handle on Sunday over at Rausch Creek. My choices included major landscaping, heading back and trying to bridge the depth. I had my Traction Jacks in the 4Runner, so that became the choice I made. We filled the rut with some support logs and used the traction jacks as short bridges. First, I got across with truck and passenger intact. I can't say the same for the Traction Jack. One snapped in half without warning. I sent and email early Monday and am waiting for a response. I believe they are under warranty.

Will update this thread when I hear more.

The instructions have the do's-and-dont's for safe and proper use of your Traction Jack's. We've gone a step further and warrantied them for the first year even if they're used improperly; and in this case they should have not be laid down over any other object that would constitute a positive pressure against the weight of the vehicle and the load on the Traction Jack's as we do not at all mention bridging as a use.

We'll make sure our warranty dept contacts you to get you squared away.

 

[Slow_racer_218]

We use maxsa innovation escaper buddy traction boards with great success

 

[SAFETYRUNNER]

We use maxsa innovation escaper buddy traction boards with great success

The key advantage of the Traction Jacks for me is the folded size. I keep my gear inside my vehicle, do space is critical. TJs have worked great and been versatile (see my comments above). They also got me out of my predicament. I was just disappointed that one broke.

Sounds like I'm learning about how they can't be used, and a warranty replacement will happen. All good.

Sent from my SM-N910V using OB Talk mobile app

 

[OuterLimits]

They also got me out of my predicament. I was just disappointed that one broke.
Sounds like I'm learning about how they can't be used, and a warranty replacement will happen. All good.

Glad to hear TJ will take care of you.

It is true that TJs were not designed for bridging. That said, if I need to extricate myself, I will use what ever is at hand. A rock, a log, floor mats, a spare tire, or a set of Traction Jacks. As long as it is done with safety in mind.

If that means I soil my floor mats or break my TJs and have to buy a new set, that's on me. I'm OK with that. That is still a better option than not getting out or paying $$$ to get towed out.

I do appreciate that TJ will stand behind the product for one year. That is commendable.

 

[Quicksilver]

Thanks for spending both the time and money on doing this review. It's nice to see them all in action. Maxtrax is a bit expensive for me, but I have been looking at the Maxsa and Treds. I'm really leaning towards Maxsa, despite the poor stackability. I believe they will fit in the roof rack/basket I'm planning to get, so I don't anticipate that being a problem.

 

[YETI X]

Good thread and a lot of good points to consider... Thanks for doing this.

 

[Arizona Overland]

Thanx to the OP for doing this. After watching the OPs video and doing a lot of research, I decided on a set of MaxTrax. Picked em up today.
Overly expensive? Yes. Best traction control device on the market? I dunno. But it seems to be a good quality product that works and is durable and will hold up, and I can mount up to 4 where I want without a problem.

 

[Trail_Blazer]

I have tried several different traction boards, include PSP boards. I have also used several forms of sand ladders that worked well enough. I settled on Maxtrax and now own a second pair for my pickup truck. I live in Nevada and we have sand, mud, and snow. We also have a condition in our dry lake beds, washes, and basins where the top layer of sand/mud solidifies. When you drive across it sometimes it supports the weight of the vehicle (until you stop) and sometimes you break through until you stop, then sink up to your axles. Quite challenging to extract yourself.

I had a cheap pair of sand ladders that I bought at Costco. I think I paid around $20 for each track. If you were in sand, and snow, they were good. No so in mud. I was given a pair of Smittybilt, but they were cheaply made and broke the first time out. The PCP boards worked well in sand, but snow and mud they were too slick.

I tried a pair of Maxtrax, after hearing the hype and seeing them demo at the Overland Expo. The first time I tried them was in about three feet of snow. The road had ruts in the lower layers of snow and we were stuck with the truck. The truck has Toyo All Terrain tires. The wife got the truck stuck, when I arrived, she was really stuck. I dug out some snow and stuck in the Maxtraxs. No joy. So I ended up jacking up the truck enough to slip chains on and drove right out like it was nothing. This brings up a very good point that chains (not those girly cables, but manly chains) work in snow, sand, and mud. If you're just starting out or traction boards are not on your priority list right now, you can pull out those winter chains and they'll most likely get you out of the hole.

Note: If you are jacking up you car/truck/SUV in snow, mud, or sand you need to have a stable and sturdy base under it. These are easy to make, light, and store well. The simplest, I've seen was a 12"x12" piece of 3/4" plywood. The guy drilled holes in it and used spikes (really large galvanized nails) to further stabilize the platform. If he didn't need the spikes, he didn't use them. He also used the spikes as tent pegs from time to time.

Next time out, it was mud and sand. The Maxtraxs worked as advertised. However, don't spin your wheels! This burns of the lugs, but you can replace them with metal lugs really easy. There was a comment above that the lugs eat your tires, but I have never seen that. I would think that the metal lugs would give a better grip. But then again, they could crack your Maxtraxs. I would be interesting to hear from someone who has experience with the metal lugs.

And lastly, I had to cross some really deep erosions across the trail. I stacked two Maxtraxs on each side and drove over the ditches with no damage to the boards.

Last thoughts: I bought my first pair of Maxtraxs in Tan to match my 2011 Jeep JKUL, and my second pair in Black. I cannot recommend the tan color in the desert. Really hard to find the Maxtraxs in the sand. Haven't had an issue with the Black, but I recommend just getting them in orange. Both came with orange leashes, which on more than one occasion was all I could find. Typically, I put the Maxtraxs on the Gobi roof rack and lash them down with ratchet straps. Initially they were just there in the sun, but I became concerned with the sun damaging the plastic, so I wrapped them in a piece of heavy weight canvas I found. I've found that the canvas was a great addition as a ground cloth while you dig under the tires and vehicle in general.

Hope to see or hear you on the trail.