Mounting a Core Trax system... need mounting advice.

[bcrez]

I have a 2010 tacoma TRD off-road... it has the composite bed liner that comes stock. I recently bought a core trax load system and plan on mounting it directly into the bed. The core trax came with some sheet metal screws shown below. After inspecting below the bed, and finding nothing that would be damaged, I figured I could just screw these right into the bed and everything would be fine. Anything I am overlooking here? Suggestions? Warnings? Sometimes its the simplest projects that freak me out the most. Btw this is mod #1 for my new truck build. I'm excited.

The sheet metal screws.

The Core Trax.

How they will look in the truck bed.

 

[zidaro]

I think i would feel better using 1/4" bolts with fender washers on bottomside. Depends on what type of load your securing and how secure you want it to stay when off roading- or worse, crashing. screws may tear out.

 

[bcrez]

Thats what they recommended, but how do I put washers and nuts underneath the bed? I would have to take the bed off.

and as far as security... I want the core-trax as secure as possible. Preferably be able to handle a crash (if they were even designed to do that?)

 

[Ryanmb21]

Thats what they recommended, but how do I put washers and nuts underneath the bed? I would have to take the bed off.

and as far as security... I want the core-trax as secure as possible. Preferably be able to handle a crash (if they were even designed to do that?)

Have somebody hold the washer and nut from underneath, you wouldn't have to remove the bed.

 

[Dave Bennett]

Screws will tear out of that composite under load... Get some comparable style hex head bolts and use washers with nylock nuts underneath. I'd even consider a long aluminum strip as a backing plate vice washers due to the humps and bumps of the bed ridges... Better weight distro too

There are areas underneath that would be a ***** to reach though, pulling the bed is easy with 3 guys.

 

[hillbillyjake]

i would put a full length strip of steel or aluminum that is a little bit wider than the cor- trax undernieth to sandwhich the bed between the two pieces. i dont think thows screws would last very long at all. my $.02

 

[hillbillyjake]

please look at the posting times so it doesn;t look like i'm in the tacodoc fan club:ylsmoke:

 

[keezer37]

If they came with sheet metal screws, they are probably designed for light loads. Do the instructions state a max weight? While you might compensate somewhat for the composite bed, I would not use these tracks for anything more than their intended purpose. That is, you can spread the load underneath all you want, if the tracks are designed for a light load, how you gonna keep the D-rings from breaking out of the tracks?

How you put washers and nuts underneath is you crawl under the truck. You need a little ingenuity if you're soloing on this.

 

[YukonRob]

you need a little ingenuity if you're soloing on this.

lol

 

[Simp801]

Did your kit not come with another set of nuts and bolts? I just installed the same kit, and it hade all the hardware needed. I just picked the spots needed, checked under the bed to make sure I wasn't drilling into anything vital and drilled away. The kit had Nyloc nuts and fender washers for an easy install.

 

[bcrez]

The set came with a whole bunch of screws and nuts, but i didnt see how I could get under the bed without lifting it off the chassis. I will look again and see if I cant get a friend to help me. I think for my purposes I can just use the nylon nuts, washers, and 1/4" bolts. The aluminum strip sounds like a good idea too, I will see how much that would run me.

-BC

 

[zidaro]

I think for my purposes I can just use the nylon nuts, washers, and 1/4" bolts. The aluminum strip sounds like a good idea too, I will see how much that would run me.

-BC

steel nuts with Nylon locking ring. No nylon nuts.
Im confident that if you are using a bolt every 6" along the strip you wont need a full underside strip of alum. unless you are securing a HEAVY load with it.
The Mack's Tiedown Kit that is similar to this actually has vehicle tiedown load ratings with a bolt every 6" on a solid surface.

You should be able to easily get under your truck and wiggle a hand in to hold a nut/washer with a wrench along the strip.

 

[keezer37]

Should be a piece of cake with a helper. The only tough spot is if you have to get to the area of the bed (driver side forward) underneath that the gas tank covers.

If you have to work in this area, my experience should be helpful:
When I mounted my tool box I had to get a nut & washer in here, there is a couple inches between the tank and bed to work with.
-I drilled the hole in the bed the same size as the bolt so it was tight and could not slide up out of the hole so easy.
-I used a bit of duck tape to hold the nut/washer in the box end of a combination wrench.
-I duck taped a three foot length of one inch bar stock (your aluminum strip will work) to the wrench so I could get the wrench in between the gas tank and the bed.
-Wearing a camping headlamp, I painstakingly got the nut set on the end on the bolt extended through the bed. The weight of the bar stock and the tight fit of the bolt in the hole kept the two in good contact.
-I then ever so carefully crawled out from under the truck, reached over without climbing into the bed of the truck and carefully turned the bolt catching the threads.

Ingenuity.

With a friend, should be easy as pie.

 

[bcrez]

Thanks guys... I guess I am just going to have to coerce a friend to help. This all seems a little ridiculous with just two hands (doable, but not fun)

 

[bcrez]

Installed and tested. Took the truck out and strapped a cooler/ wood/ chairs/ and some other guys trash I found on the trail... in the center of the bed. Tooled around the Hayman Fire burn area in Deckers, CO. The Core Trax worked great. Nothing shifted or rattled, not even a squeak over the devils washboards.