MotoDave
Explorer
My new Tundra didn't come with the Toyota deck rail system, and after seeing the similar setup that a few friends with Tacomas have I decided I'd do something a bit sturdier. I used L-Track, sometimes called airline seat track, cut to length and drilled to attach to the factory screw holes. The L-Track uses cleats that can be popped into place anywhere along the rail with one hand, and are rated for 2200 lbs each. In this application the 6 small M6 mounting screws, and the sheet metal of the bed sides, would be the limiting factor.
I used 3 6' sections of L-track. The side rails need an inch trimmed off, and the front is cut down to 56 3/4". The slot for the front rail is barely narrower than the l-track, so I used a chamfer bit to chamfer the edge and allow it to sit flat. This may not be necessary if you don't have a spray in bedliner.
I bought the track and cleats here: L Track Tie Down - Airline Track Cargo Tie Down Rails & L Track Straps ($35 per 6' length, cleats are $3-5 each depending on type)
I fastened it into the factory mounting holes using stainless steel M6x1.00 flat head screws, 20mm long. McMaster P/N 93395A360 ($7.99 for a pack of 25)
Note that the track sections sold by US Cargo controls are pre-drilled on 4" centers. It worked out for me that one hole on each rail matched up, the rest had to be marked, drilled and countersunk. I'm looking into other sources for the track that offer it un-drilled, which would look much cleaner without the unused holes. I'd also like to see about getting the rails anodized black, although they don't look bad in bare aluminum I think.
To mark where I needed to drill holes I used my lathe to turn the heads off of some M6x1.25 screws, and sharpened the end to a point. Screw these into the mounting holes, then hold the rail in place and tap the rail over each point to mark where the holes need to be drilled. I also made myself a couple of jigs in case I end up making more of these.
Normal tie-down loop fitting:
Threaded fitting:
I used 3 6' sections of L-track. The side rails need an inch trimmed off, and the front is cut down to 56 3/4". The slot for the front rail is barely narrower than the l-track, so I used a chamfer bit to chamfer the edge and allow it to sit flat. This may not be necessary if you don't have a spray in bedliner.
I bought the track and cleats here: L Track Tie Down - Airline Track Cargo Tie Down Rails & L Track Straps ($35 per 6' length, cleats are $3-5 each depending on type)
I fastened it into the factory mounting holes using stainless steel M6x1.00 flat head screws, 20mm long. McMaster P/N 93395A360 ($7.99 for a pack of 25)
Note that the track sections sold by US Cargo controls are pre-drilled on 4" centers. It worked out for me that one hole on each rail matched up, the rest had to be marked, drilled and countersunk. I'm looking into other sources for the track that offer it un-drilled, which would look much cleaner without the unused holes. I'd also like to see about getting the rails anodized black, although they don't look bad in bare aluminum I think.
To mark where I needed to drill holes I used my lathe to turn the heads off of some M6x1.25 screws, and sharpened the end to a point. Screw these into the mounting holes, then hold the rail in place and tap the rail over each point to mark where the holes need to be drilled. I also made myself a couple of jigs in case I end up making more of these.
Normal tie-down loop fitting:
Threaded fitting:
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