I'm
sure that at one time or another, you've been on a trail ride and
saw something similar to the photo on the right. This particular
tire came dangerously close to landing a small child. I've seen
it plenty of times... tires, cooler, trash, tools, you name it.
Somehow, things need to be secured in the back of our rigs.
In our Project
TJ, we have a huge Tuffy
box that houses all of our tools and spare parts. We removed the
seat in order to fit it in there. But try as I may, I will fill
any amount of space given to me, and this box is no exception. Even
with this massive amount of storage, I still end up having more
stuff in the back of the Jeep when we hit the trails than will fit
inside. Once the box is filled, we start stacking things on top
of the box or next to it, over the wheel wells. With things left
outside, we become vulnerable up front in the event anything becomes
airborne. Even our soft-sided cooler bag can become a potentially
harmful missile, so we needed a way to tie it down, along with some
of the other things we carry.
While we were
at the SEMA Show
last November, we met with the folks from Bloomfield Manufacturing
Co., Inc.. Bloomfield is best known for being the maker of the Hi-Lift
Jack. Among some of the other goodies we'll be showing you in these
pages, was the Slide-N-Lock Tie-Down System. Available in 7, 22,
68, and 93 inch systems, the Slide-N-Lock systems consist of two
6061-T6 rails which bolt into your truck bed and have adjustable
retainer rings. Each tie-down point is rated for a 1,000 pound load.
The rails come in silver or black and adjusting the retainer rings
is a snap. Simply pull out the spring-loaded ring and slide it to
the preset point where you'd like it and lock it into place. Points
are located every 5 inches along the rail.
For our Jeep,
I chose the shortest, 7 inch rails. In retrospect, the 22"
ones probably would have been more advantageous, but I wasn't sure
where I would be mounting them. My original thought was to put them
on top of the wheel wells, so the shorter lenth would have aided
in a solid, flat mount. Going with the Tuffy box route, however,
the 7 inch rails do seem kind of short. Short or not, they are a
wonderful addition to the Jeep and very worth having.
If you have
a full-size truck, the Slide-N-Lock is perfect for mounting in a
truck bed, as well. Because of the load-carrying ability of the
rails, a properly used system can easily be used to tie down ATV's
and motorcycles.
Installation:
Installation is a snap and takes less than a half an hour. You'll
need a drill, Phillips head screw driver or bit, and a 1/2"
wrench.
We chose
the 7" Slide-N-Lock System |
System includes
2 rails, locks, and four 1/4" bolts |
Line up the
rail where you want it and mark the points where you'll drill. |
Drill the
holes. The longer rails have holes every ten inches apart. |
Place the
rail on the mounting surface and push bolts through. Thread
on the nuts and begin tightening the screws. |
Use a wrench
to hold the nut tight while screwing in from the outside. Go
back and forth between the bolts to make sure the rail goes
in evenly. |
The retainer
rings slide in from the edge while you pull the ring out. Find
a locking point, let go of the ring, and it will lock into place. |
The Slide-N-Lock
system works like a charm and was easy to install. The longer
units would work wonderfully in truck beds for ATV's and bikes. |
RESOURCE |
Bloomfield
Manufacturing Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 228
46 W. Spring Street
Bloomfield, IN 47424-0228
Phone: (800) 233-2051
www.hi-lift.com/slide.htm |
|