Maxtrax vs TRED vs Tracmats vs X-Trax vs X-Jack

WMDunkin

Adventurer
Maxtrax vs TRED vs Tracmats vs X-Trax vs X-Jack? Which one is the best? Looking for mainly sand use and light to mild recovery. Thoughts on each and pros and cons?

Maxtrax
photo_1019062346.jpg


TRED
401a5073-f876-4f25-f23d-e38d14dcb2c7.jpg


Tracmats
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X-Trax Series II
XTrax_II_2.JPG


X-Jack
XJack_2.jpg
 

RttH

Member
I can only speak for the Maxtrax. I have used them in sand and snow. On my way home one evening a Honda Accord had slipped off the road in a snow storm and I was able to help him out with the Maxtrax and it saved me from pulling out straps, etc... and pulling him out. On another occasion I pulled over during a snow storm to film a bull moose crossing the road and inadvertently put my self in a ditch and with full lockers and Maxtrax was able to get myself out. So I think highly of Maxtrax! The Tred appears similar but Maxtrax looks better (handles, quality, etc...). hope that helps.
 

Jonathan Hanson

Supporting Sponsor
A Maxtrax recovery in sand can sometimes be accomplished in about two minutes from stuck to free. Minimum time to deploy the X-Jack is probably five times that - and you still should have something to put under the tires. That's if the device can lift the vehicle enough to overcome suspension droop (which it often won't), and if you don't accidentally kill it against the exhaust or a sharp bit of chassis.

The TRED is a copy of the Maxtrax.

The waffle boards are cheap.

Personally I've had too many failures with flexible or articulated sand mats to rely on them, but I have no experience with the X-Trax.
 

WMDunkin

Adventurer
Yeah I like the x-jack simply because that is my "fear" with my WRX, high centering. But I think to use that with a ramp system I think would be best. I have found the TRED ramps the cheapest so far, unless tractor supply has something cheaper. Also how would a chain link fence (or something similar) work?
 

Fzzt

Observer
Some long strips of carpet are a cheap alternative. I used to hear from 'the good ol boy' network that chain link fence does work, but it's got to unwieldy to handle/recover and if something doesn't catch right and it wraps around the wheel/axle...
My opinion, after watching some hands on demo's and putting my hands on the maxtrax and feeling their quality I went with them. Better to buy it once than chase the low cost options until you find something that won't break or let you down!
That was before The Tred so I haven't seen them yet.
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:sombrero: These are super useful and carry/pack just like a couple of lunchs-

Sandtracks711044.jpg


Sandtracks711040.jpg


They have a REQUIREMENT for positive/successful/QUICK/NO EFFORT use, in sand/graveL/snow and that is---

A very high (NUMERICAL) crawl ratio and AN auto tranny--they are STUPENDOUS, BUT NOT WITH A STICK TRANNY AND "normal" CRAWL RATIO !

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
 

WMDunkin

Adventurer
:sombrero: These are super useful and carry/pack just like a couple of lunchs-

Sandtracks711044.jpg


Sandtracks711040.jpg


They have a REQUIREMENT for positive/successful/QUICK/NO EFFORT use, in sand/graveL/snow and that is---

A very high (NUMERICAL) crawl ratio and AN auto tranny--they are STUPENDOUS, BUT NOT WITH A STICK TRANNY AND "normal" CRAWL RATIO !

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

So my wrx in manual without any kind of low ranger would not do well with these?
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:sombrero: :sombrero: Heh Heh, well the "Ironman" in a dunebuggy could beat most "locked Rock Crawlers" across the Rubicon--the driver can make a liar outta old abe-


So my wrx in manual without any kind of low ranger would not do well with these?

The trouble with a stick and not to high a crawl ratio--is the quick/unforgiving torque of the tires on these flexible treads--they are easy to "bunchup"

The auto/w torque converter can EASE the tires into motion, gently, without tread disturbance and the greater the low range/diff. ratios and 1st gear ratio--the better this system operates ! !

I hope you can dig what I'm getting at ?

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
 

WMDunkin

Adventurer
:sombrero: :sombrero: Heh Heh, well the "Ironman" in a dunebuggy could beat most "locked Rock Crawlers" across the Rubicon--the driver can make a liar outta old abe-




The trouble with a stick and not to high a crawl ratio--is the quick/unforgiving torque of the tires on these flexible treads--they are easy to "bunchup"

The auto/w torque converter can EASE the tires into motion, gently, without tread disturbance and the greater the low range/diff. ratios and 1st gear ratio--the better this system operates ! !

I hope you can dig what I'm getting at ?

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO


Yeah I gotcha that is why I am thinking the x-jack would help. So I could "prep" the ground to be driven out on.
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:sombrero: WOW, that must be some tough driving sand-

I'm afraid I don't know anything about driving in that kinda sand, just U.S., beach/desert and mountain shale/sand-

Not being a dune racer, or Baja racer--I don't use tire spin to get through sand/snow, just slow tire torque and varied airdowns and that includes climbing some sand hills--not that EGYPT type sand though-

Very good traction tires/VERY SLOW CONTROLLED torque and my little 5500lb jeep has no trouble and those X-TraXs have saved me several times!

Heh Heh, the best sand/snow tires I ever had, was 35 years ago and they were "C" range Winston "Fun & Mud" 33" tires -ina 6000lb Dodge Ramcharger-those were the days-

If you encounter a narrow ravine, that can be spanned by one of those solid traction units (MaxTrack/TRED)--you can drive overit anyway, with cross control/lockers --of course if it's between big rocks-you will need a "bridge"-

It's a jungle out there

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
 

LR Max

Local Oaf
Actually last week I encountered a situation where the left side of the trail was muddy. Despite having lockers and mud tires aired down, I couldn't make it up. A friend towed me but if I was by myself, traction mats would've looked quite attractive. Throw em in the mud right in the spot I had trouble at, just needed to get 10 feet further and I would've been home free.

Same trip, I had trouble climbing a rock ledge. A bridging ladder might have allowed me to go out up it. Dunno for sure as I didn't have one. Rode a winch cable instead. A Bridging ladder would've been a lot easier to deal with than the winch.
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:sombrero: Heh Heh, yeah Frenchie-the only trouble with those tires was TREAD WEAR--and sidewall strength, man they weren't for hiways-


Try to keep it simple. I am a simple person and get lost with big words. I will take 10, 50 or 100 words to get my point across, but they generally understand what I am saying.

Think of carpet as like at the beach the skim boards (the ones you toss out, run and jump on to skim over water. They slide over the top. Lay a piece of carpet on the sand add the power to the top of it and it slides along the top of the sand.

Now for a experiment; you probably done this or something like this already in your life. Dig a 12" hole in your yard however deep you want (6" should be enough). Put a piece of fabric over the hole (cheep piece of plastic tarp or what ever you have soft and flexible 24" X 36"). Now put some of the dirt over the hole where the hole was. The fabric will pull into hole with dirt.

Now that you got your hands dirty (do not wipe them on your clothed, this makes the laundry person upset) you are not through getting dirty.

Pull the fabric out of the hole, put dirt additional around the edges of the fabric. Now put the same amount of dirt over the hole again. You can even put more and the fabric and dirt will not sink into the hole.

Now that you have thought about working hard, and started sweating, you can wipe off your forehead and dry your hands on your clothes as you kept them out of the dirt.

Back to the carpet! Most people will toss the carpet on top of the sand, and try and drive over it. This kicks out and was a waste of time! If you had put some sand (couple of inches deep) on top of the carpet to anchor it down, you would have much less chance of it kicking out! A couple of inches of sand should not stop a vehicle but get it to hold the carpet down.

What makes the maxtrax and sand ladders work is the sinking into the sand with the rough surface allowing then not to slide out when the tire starts to spin on them. They also distribute the weight over a grater area.

Before you go - know! Read the Sand -
There are many types of sand and soundness to it.

Wet sand can be very firm, like hard dirt. Dry leeward dune sand can be almost like quicksand.

Learning to read the soundness of the sand will make the driving in it much easier. You will be able to adjust you driving to the conditions. Look and get a feel for indications of the consistency of the sand compaction. For dunes watch for the windward and leeward sides of the hills. The windward sides are generally more gradual slope, this can be identified ripples in the sand or a smooth surface. They generally are firmer surface and less chance of sinking in deep. The leeward side of hills are generally much softer and have a slip degree of about 31 degrees.

The mixed grain sized sand is generally firmer then all of one size. The smaller size grains of sand work down into the area between the larger size grains. This then will stabilize the larger grains of sand and make it firmer like a decomposed granite soil (dirt).

Sand of the same grain size will be softer what ever size that is. This can be all round 2 pound beach rock of the same size or grains as small as .005". This will be very unstable and you will sink in. The size dose not make the difference, just that they are the same size.

Sand Dunes will have a windward side (the direction the wind generally blows from), this is firmer then the other side. The other side is the leeward side (the side of the dune protected from the prevailing wind).

Windward side is a generally a gradual slope firmer packed sand. You can see ripples in this sand (similar to when the tide goes out on a beach) or it may be smooth. This is generally easy to drive on as the wind has helped to compact the sand together.

Leeward side is the softer side where the wind can no longer hold the grains of sand in the air and deposit them. As the winds blow up the dune hill the sand drops near the top. This in conjunction with the rolling sand get to the top of a hill and drop. The slope angle is close to 31 degrees, as that is all the sand can support on itself. At the top of the slop you drop a grain of sand and it can start a sand slide all of the way to the bottom.

Dunes are formed into ridges from a prevailing wind direction. They will generally be all in a direction do to the prevailing wind. As the seasons change and winds change the dune can change the windward and leeward sides switch. At the time right after a switch you can be fooled by the looks of the dunes. The ripples will be on top of the soft leeward sand, and the now leeward side may be firm. It may be only a thin crust that is firmer over the soft old leeward sand. The longer the winds stay in the new direction the sides of the dune will conform to the traditional firm and soft sides.

Driving in the dunes it is better to stay where the ripple are and off of existing tracks as they tend to be softer. Driving in existing tracks will steer your vehicle in the direction they are going. Crossing existing tracks will be bumpier for the vehicle and you.

If you are traversing a large set of dunes try and follow the valleys. The valleys are generally firmer and less chance to get stuck. You can ascend to the windward side of a dune to see where you are going as needed.

As the video shows they were in a mix of soft sand and rock outcrops. This limits lowering your tires as the side walls with the sharp rocks do not play well together.

The photo of the strap and vehicles pointing towards each other lets me feel less confident in what they did. With all of the room to turn around it looks as if they were going to hook up the vehicles and pull the stuck vehicle out in reverse. It is not best to put the strain on the reverse gear and the front axle.

JIMBO, "Heh Heh, the best sand/snow tires I ever had, was 35 years ago and they were "C" range Winston "Fun & Mud" 33" tires -in a 6000lb Dodge Ramcharger-those were the days-"
I had these tires also, as well as the Armstrong True-Trax 31X10.5 X 15 Bias ply tires. We had the big tires and we were the BIG DOGS back then. That was a few years ago.

Some good straight dope my friend-

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
 

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