Smittybuilt Element Ramps

[Silver dude]

I like the concept, but the negative reviews on Amazon are just to much for me to consider them.
http://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-27...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

[Eventhough]

I had a Trailblazer do a burn out on my second set of Maxtrax. (I left my first set somewhere... argh...) There is rubber now on the Maxtrax but not a single lug lost.

 

[toyotech]

dont get me wrong, my element ramps are still in working condition and i guess i never consider it being a wear item. probably wouldnt have wear as much if i was the only one using them. since than i dont let anyone use them anymore.
i still cant justify the price of Maxtrax

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I like the concept, but the negative reviews on Amazon are just to much for me to consider them.
http://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-27...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Ouch those reviews are brutal:

"Large 'Made in China' sticker should have been a clear enough warning that these were going to fail. Used these properly in snow and a few of the nubs came right off as the ramps got buried in the snow underneath my light SUV. They both cracked and broke in 70/30 pieces on the 2nd and 3rd try - now I have 4 ramps that I'd never trust to get me unstuck."

"Very disappointed with this purchase! Ramps worked great getting my FJ Cruiser unstuck the first time I used them. Them second time I tried to use them, one of them broke in half. They are advertised as being able to support up to 7700 lbs per ramp. My truck weighs approximately 5000 lbs. Is this just poor quality control or is this a reflection on the quality of Smittybilt's products? The ramps seem like a good idea however, in my opinion, getting only one use out of them makes them a complete waste of money."

"Both of the ramps broke off on the first use. They snapped off about 3-6 inches on the part where the wheel made initial contact. I needed to continue to use them to get the vehicle off the beach and so I turned them around and on the second try, only one of them broke. I was not able to get off the beach with the sand ramps and had to use my winch to do so. I contacted Amazon regarding my issue who went out of their way to take care of me as a customer. However, this product is terrible quality, please take heed to my review and look elsewhere for an element ramp."

"Don't waste your money, mine broke into several piece after first use. All the knobs came off and it broke into 3 pieces. I used these in the snow, temps around 35. My brother also purchased a pair and same situation, they went into the recycle bind after getting home. oh and after 4 different attempts, only worked once (smaller pieces and knobs were gone)"

I'll stick with the tried and proven

 

[Driver-Navigator]

I've seen Maxtrax nubs heavily worn down by a combination of sustained wheel spin, sand, and a very heavy vehicle. That's probably a worst-case scenario. That said, even with that 10,000lb beast on them they didn't break and they were instrumental in extracting the vehicle. Maxtrax instructions do specify to avoid wheel spin as much as possible, for good reason.

I've seen impressive customer service from them too. They're pricey but worth it. And better than dealing with my old PSP mats!

 

[mjmcdowell]

I know this an older post, but... Scott.. If you do not buy "copy cat's" I sure hope you own nothing but Colt 1911 .45 ACP's, lord forbid a Kimber, Springfield Armory, Para-Orderance, older Remington's, and others just sayin..... or good Lord almighty! we won't even get into the boat load of AR platforms, will we, just Colt's only, eh? ;0. mjmcdowell

 

[ANDYROO]

My Element ramp experience

I used my Smittybuilt Element Ramps up in the La Sal Mountains last Xmas rescuing an old lady who had run her SUV off the road into a snow bank. Unfortunately after one use they were pretty beat up and one had a snapped end. At the time I assumed it was the plastic becoming brittle in the really cold conditions (4 degrees). No idea if Maxtrax would have done the same. In desert sand traps they have worked fine.

 

[Jack Stilts]

Not to derail from this thread, but it's sort of similar.

http://www.ironman4x4.com/html/totaltraction.html

New product to compete with the Smittybilt / MaxTrax. I wonder if these are any better?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Not to derail from this thread, but it's sort of similar.

http://www.ironman4x4.com/html/totaltraction.html

New product to compete with the Smittybilt / MaxTrax. I wonder if these are any better?

Seemingly not...
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ats-vs-X-Trax-vs-X-Jack?p=1424956#post1424956

"The Tred's are authentic, and they were brand new, took the zip ties off them before using them on this vehicle. They were placed in the bottom of a muddy rut for traction and road building, there were no rocks and they were not up against the side of the rut. There was an audible crack as the patrol went over them. Upon inspection there was a visible crack (once we washed the mud off) almost the entire length of the TRED, they were now broken. We left them in the hole as they still provided height and traction. Another patrol cam over and increased the split, then a 6t Canter finished them off. The one which appears to be whole is also cracked almost the entire length and actually has pieces missing. These were used at one of our regular training grounds (Our Burnett River Site) where we have used Maxtrax dozens of times under hundreds of Rural Fire Service (and other) vehicles without incident. - www.facebook.com/4x4training"

 

[pugslyyy]

I'm thinking that this is one of those items where the physical design is much simpler to master than it is to select the correct material properties to have something that will hold up. Seems like all the options have a design that will work but only Maxtrax is using nylon with the right properties.

 

[I Leak Oil]

I'm thinking that this is one of those items where the physical design is much simpler to master than it is to select the correct material properties to have something that will hold up.

I would generally agree. What you're really paying for with these are markup, tooling (including the engineering) and materials. More complicated than that I know. The actual shooting of the mold probably isn't a whole lot. Tooling could very well be comparable between the different manufacturers.

 

[chuppie]

Might I suggest you include POW (Plain Old Wood) as well in your testing?

The pictures show a nasty piece of 2x6 with saw cuts in it easily supported a span of 28" bridging on a Subaru. I used 4ft pieces of 2x10 for my surf fishing days with a fully loaded Suburban without issue. I was going to buy the Smittybilts but after all the bad reviews on Amazon, I will stay with wood. On the YouTube teaser linked here, I am willing to bet that a piece of 2x10 or 2x12 would have the least amount of deflection in the bridging test.



FYI...2x8 x 8' weights 21lbs.


Regards

 

[Silversurferyyc]

I been looking for something a little more stout, like skygear mentioned, I also grew up with the Camel trophy, and I've been hunting for a good bridging ladder for my overland build.
Aluminum is the preferred way to go, not plastic.

You would be very hard pressed to break these

5' x 14"vehicle ramps with a 3k per axle rating would work as well.
For the weekend wheeler this option may be overkill, but for my 5-8k trips these are the way to go.


/l | ,[____],
l--L---OlllllllO-
()_)---()_)-o-)_)
Adventure is out there

 

[Silversurferyyc]

I just Googled bridging ladders then images.. The ones in the photos are from the UK

http://www.allmakes4x4.com/accessories/products_php.php?cat=38&grp=15

http://www.paddockspares.com/land-r...nt/miscellaneous/sand-tracks-and-ladders.html


/l | ,[____],
l--L---OlllllllO-
()_)---()_)-o-)_)
Adventure is out there

 

[Silversurferyyc]

By chance, do you have a link for those? or a brand that is reputable?

Mantec seem to be in the upper end of quality.


/l | ,[____],
l--L---OlllllllO-
()_)---()_)-o-)_)
Adventure is out there