Smittybuilt Element Ramps

[bribassguy]

I read the whole thread front to back and I am a little confused on why every one is so concerned on the flex.

These are sold as sand ladders NOT bridging ladder correct? I would expect them to flex some given the intended use.

I work for a large tool company that offers lifetime replacement and we see misuse all the time... one of my pet peeves. Sure you can bang something with a ratchet in a pinch if you don't have a hammer, but that's not the intended use and you should expect it to fail.

I would suspect that if you misused these they'd break too... I am anxious to see how they perform both in their intended purpose and in a pinch.

 

[Brian McVickers]

I think that the flexing is being used as an indicator of quality and durability.

Although they are not designed as bridges they are also not designed to flex as part of their function. The design actually has several aspects intended to increase rigidity.


It's sort of like testing the quality and durability of a couple of ratchets by using them as hammers

 

[Paladin]

I read the whole thread front to back and I am a little confused on why every one is so concerned on the flex.

These are sold as sand ladders NOT bridging ladder correct? I would expect them to flex some given the intended use.

I work for a large tool company that offers lifetime replacement and we see misuse all the time... one of my pet peeves. Sure you can bang something with a ratchet in a pinch if you don't have a hammer, but that's not the intended use and you should expect it to fail.

I would suspect that if you misused these they'd break too... I am anxious to see how they perform both in their intended purpose and in a pinch.

The way I see it, the utility of a sand ladder depends on it's ability to spread the load from one tire over a larger surface area so that the wheel does not sink in to the ground anymore. At the same time, the device must also grip the sand, and allow the tire to grip on the ladder. If slippage happens on either interface, then it has little use.

The sand is obviously not capable of supporting the weight of the tire, otherwise you wouldn't have sunk. If you stuff something the tire, such as a sheet of paper, it won't help you get unstuck because it just deforms around the tire, and the load is not distributed.

So likewise, with these ramps, if they just deform around the tire, and now all you have accomplished is wrapped an Element ramp around your tire, how does that help you get unstuck? It's even worse if the ramp fractures somewhere along the way.

It's painfully obvious at this point that the statement that these ramps "support 7700lbs" is complete rubbish. It must mean that they can support 7700lbs, on a flat, hard surface, such as concrete. In which case... why did you need a ladder in the first place? As has been stated, a sheet of paper can support about 1,000,000lbs on a flat surface.

It's pretty apparent to me that if you put a wheel with 1000lbs of weight on it, on sand, the Element ramp will just buckle, and wrap around the tire, not doing anything to spread the load. It may help you get unstuck, slightly, and it may not fracture due to the radius of the tires, but it's just not good enough.

Sure, they're only $120. But it's looking to me like they would offer the same utility as a piece of 1/4" plywood with the same dimensions.

 

[Beowulf]

Just to throw something in the mix about flex and the usefulness of a sand ladder, take a look at the tried and true PAP (perforated aluminum platform). If you ever see them under tires in videos they bend and flex considerable. But, they are by far the most used around the world. If you watch Brady's video you will see they flex pretty good when he runs over them when they are separate. However, they seems incredible strong when stacked.

I am very interested in seeing the results from everyones test of these. In the end I will probably just go with PAP, but love seeing test of any product.

 

[flyingwil]

These are sold as sand ladders NOT bridging ladder correct?

Correct. Both are marketed as a recovery device.

I think that the flexing is being used as an indicator of quality and durability.

Although they are not designed as bridges they are also not designed to flex as part of their function. The design actually has several aspects intended to increase rigidity.

I agree.

 

[bat]

How many people have used carpet to get out of the sand thats all we had back before running water. Talk about flexing we rolled it up for storage and as long as you could keep it from being shot out the back it worked okay. The Element is what it is a traction device and that is all it claims to be. The last time I parked my truck in the sand I am pretty sure it sank 0 inches.

 

[Hannibal USA]

We are not being judgemental right off the start but with having the Maxtrax and Element ramps right next to eachother, we would not purchase the Element ramps again if we had a choice between the two due to the following main reason: you buy a product that is half the price and when you have to use it to get you out of your situation, it will get you unstuck but in the process, the equipment fails or breaks. You are still out trying to get to where you are going, you get stuck again, what will get you out when you have the pieces of your product that was supposed to get you out.

The Maxtrax might be more money, but it is durable enough to recover your vehicle multiple times, in turn saving you from spending more money and time stuck on the trail. From just our initial review and 60 lbs test we feel that they will not survive a real life situation when you rely on you recovery equipment to have your back.

 

[teotwaki]

Lightweight bridging ladders on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bridging-Ladder-/260783443830?pt=Radio_Control_Vehicles&hash=item3cb7e78f76

READ THE LISTING CAREFULLY!

 

[teotwaki]

------SNIP---- The Maxtrax might be more money, but it is durable enough to recover your vehicle multiple times, in turn saving you from spending more money and time stuck on the trail. From just our initial review and 60 lbs test we feel that they will not survive a real life situation when you rely on you recovery equipment to have your back.

"they" means Elements, right??

 

[Hannibal USA]

"they" means Elements, right??

Yes. The Elements. Sorry typing while driving.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

So guys, unfortunately, the Element ramps were not delivered today... if we get them tomorrow we'll do the testing, otherwise we are rescheduling for the following weekend.

 

[K2ZJ]

We are not being judgemental right off the start but with having the Maxtrax and Element ramps right next to eachother, we would not purchase the Element ramps again if we had a choice between the two due to the following main reason: you buy a product that is half the price and when you have to use it to get you out of your situation, it will get you unstuck but in the process, the equipment fails or breaks. You are still out trying to get to where you are going, you get stuck again, what will get you out when you have the pieces of your product that was supposed to get you out.

The Maxtrax might be more money, but it is durable enough to recover your vehicle multiple times, in turn saving you from spending more money and time stuck on the trail. From just our initial review and 60 lbs test we feel that they will not survive a real life situation when you rely on you recovery equipment to have your back.

You are being judgmental right off the start. Because it flexes more it is more likely to break? Now I don't have either of them in front of me, but what do you get from one flex test? Think of a toothpick and a rubber band. The toothpick (Maxtrax) is more stiff and is going to be more brittle when pressure is applied. While the rubber band (Element) will have some give and be less likely to snap.

Flexing them once in your living room says NOTHING about durability. I already question your biased results, and your test has not even begun.

 

[Mc Taco]

Jim, the scale of your joking is enormous. :sombrero:

 

[Mr. Leary]

Flexing them once in your living room says NOTHING about durability. I already question your biased results, and your test has not even begun.

Everyone is entitles to thier hypotheses. Initial impressions will not factor into the testing, which will be unbiased and thorough.

 

[4xdog]

Stiffness does not automatically mean brittle. Flexibilty does not automatically mean strength. The toothpick and rubber band analogies are inappropriate.

Looking forward to some first-hand, in-use testing.