Look what I paid almost nothing for!
 

I was poking around a local mobile home dealership the other day with a buddy of mine when I happened to notice a big 'ole pile of PSP (pierced steel plank) over in one area of the lot. I went back the next day, asked a guy there about it, gave him a $20, and loaded a ten-foot chunk of it onto my roof rack. Took it home and sliced it into pieces that would fit across the front section of my rack.

Attachment 41784

I ground it down all nice and pretty, and then took it to a friend to have it powder coated. I filled his truck up with gas, and he coated them for free. Total investment: $40. Not bad. :)

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Nice find, sand ladders, too

"I ground it down all nice and pretty, and then took it to a friend to have it powder coated. I filled his truck up with gas, and he coated them for free. Total: $40. Not bad."
$20 bucks for the plank and $40 total means $20 worth of gas to fill the tank? I can't fill my lawnmower for $20!

He was driving his 1966 Ford F100. Ten gallon tank that had a quarter tank left. :D

you cut the lock tabs off? i have the same stuff except i cut it into 2 - 5' foot sections

Yep, chopped them right off. I figured any traction these would provide would be negligible, and they stand a really good chance of scratching the roof rack or tearing up a tire if it they're not quite lined up properly.

i put em tab side down. they dig in.

That's the way I'd have put them too. I'm sure they'll work fine in this configuration. Mantec sand tracks don't have them and they work pretty well.

You say you're mounting them to the front of your rack? I've only seen them mounted lengthwise along the sides of the rack, so I'm curious. Got any pics of how you have them mounted?

I'm mounting them to the front floor section. Sort of here:

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I haven't finished the mounting hardware yet, unfortunately. But basically, the idea is this: Bolted to the rack will be essentially a hockey puck with a long bolt sticking through the center. You put one track down, then another hockey puck, then the other track, then a big wing nut to hold them in place. And the same on the other side.