Maxtrax Mount for Tacoma Bed Rails

[Chris Radalia]

Got some supplies today. Can’t wait to get these built the rest of the way. Should be able to post some pictures tonight


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[Chris Radalia]

Mock up night.

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[SPJEEP4x4]

After a lot of trial and error trying to mount them to my bed rail without losing use of the tonneau cover, I decided to go a different route after seeing an idea for a bed divider.

So I went to Ace Hardware, got some 14ga (wanted 16ga but 14 was the heaviest they had in what I wanted) perferated angled steel and some bolts, went to Menard’s for some angle braces and went to work.

Above is the almost finished product, going to paint it black then it will be done.

Did some test fitting with my Plano boxes and I still have plenty of room for them, should be able to fit all three, and extra water and fuel.

 

[Chris Radalia]

Great stuff. I decided to use some hood pin kotter keys

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[Chris Radalia]

I thought I would share my DIY Maxtrax mounting solution. If you have an angle grinder, this will cost you ~$7 in hardware (not including a padlock). I'm sure this will work with other bed rail systems, but the dimensions might not be the same for the hardware.

View attachment 42528

Hardware:
(2) 5/8" Galvanized carriage bolts
(4) Galvanized nuts
(4) Fender washers

Instructions:
The bed rail slot is 1" tall, so you need to grind down some of the bolt heads on both sides for it to slide in. Make it line up with the square part of the stud so it will slide in the rail system correctly.

View attachment 42529

Next, figure out how long you want the stud to extend. I left room for an additional set if I ever get them. Make sure to account for the nut, and leave about 3/4" to drill a hole for a padlock. Thread a nut on, then cut the stud to length. Also, grind the last 3/4" or so of the stud flat so you can drill a hole. Do both sides unless you want to break some drill bits like me (the bit will catch the threads when it comes out and snap smaller bits). Use a punch to prevent the bit from walking when you start drilling. When you are done grinding, unthread the nut to remove any burs left from grinding.

View attachment 42530

The bolts can now go into the bed rail. I used the Maxtrax to eyeball where to tighten them down. I used one washer then a nut for each.

View attachment 42531

Now you need to grind down the last two washers so they fit the contour of the Maxtrax. I just eyeballed it until it fit.

View attachment 42532

Now put it all together.

View attachment 42535

View attachment 42534

Notes:
- I couldn't find any wing nuts that large, but I don't think they would work due to where the hole is at on the Maxtrax. I think the wings would hit the contours and not tighten down.
- The 5/8" carriage bolt was too large to fit through the holes in my Hi-Lift, but smaller sizes work. The square part of the stud on the smaller sizes doesn't fit as nicely. You could probably make this work for a Hi-Lift by grinding both sides down like I did for the padlock, because I was able to slide that part of these bolts through the holes in mine.
- I haven't heard any rattling, and I don't expect any due to the rigidity of the Maxtrax. If it becomes an issue, I might put some foam on the bed below.

My Maxtrax won’t fit between mine like yours. Mine must be a little longer


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[Taco Zach]

My Maxtrax won’t fit between mine like yours. Mine must be a little longer


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Maybe the bed dimensions or wheelwell design slightly changed between the 2011 and 2014 models. I only have a tiny bit of room between the bottom corners of the Maxtrax and the wheelwells.

 

[DividedSky]

Grainger has a ton of options for nice knob style nuts:
https://www.grainger.com/category/hand-knobs-and-wheels/machine-tool-accessories/machining/ecatalog/N-9n1?cm_sp=Product_Details-_-Categories_Based_on_Your_Search-_-IDPPLACAT#nav=/category/hand-knobs-and-wheels/machine-tool-accessories/machining/ecatalog/N-9n1?perPage=32

LOL... Knobs and Nuts