Factory Cargo Bars.

Last week I took delivery of a set of the Factory Cargo Bars for the box of my truck.The set includes two metal cross bars,powder coated with a wrinkle black,mounting hardware and four Yakima Mighty Mounts to attach Yakima gear.Installation was a snap and took all of 15 minutes.At the end of each bar is a crescent shaped bracket that simply sits on top of the sliding D-hooks on the side rails.Two bolts go down through the bracket and cleat and a washer and nut fasten at the bottom

My primary use is to butt my snowblower against when my tri-fold tonneau is folded up.I move one bar under the front section of the tonneau and move the other slightly in front.I push the blower hard against the bar,use ratchet straps to strap it to the cleat at the end of the bar and I'm good to go.Every time it snows I do my yard and then load it up to go to two different family members.I have it off and on about 6 or 7 times per storm so an effective,simple setup is required....Anyone else running a set of these babies?..if so what have been some of your uses?

 

I have one of those expanding bars too. I don't use it very often as I have 6 D-rings in the bed now (4 more in addition to the 2 by the tailgate). I have 4 ratchet straps that I usually cross to hold things down.

I avoid using the plastic rail cleats as I feel they are too flimsy to rely on. I used them once with a ratchet strap and saw how they flexed and twisted the rail system under the tension of the straps. I've also seen reports of the cleats breaking and dropping bikes, etc. They probably work fine for the snow blower, but I don't trust them. I'd rather use my d-rings that are bolted through the bed and into the frame.

 

Would you be able to take some up-close pictures of the bar itself, and the crescent shaped bracket thingy. Also could you measure the cargo bar itself? I mean the width and height, I get that the length is equal to the distance from cleat to cleat.

I saw these on one of the toyota parts websites, but the picture on there is pretty crappy, and the set-up looked flimsy to me. and since I was looking to use them to put a couple of bike trays on, amd since with two of my bikes on there I would almost double the value of the truck, I was a little concerned.

Do you feel that they are of solid construction, and not likely to fold or fail in any way?

Thanks,

 

Hey Mav,I'd be glad to,and as a matter of fact,when I was writing my post,I was thinking that folks might like to see pictures.It may take a little bit,but I'll get 'em up first chance I get......I agree that the factory pic is really crappy.When I saw them,I began scouring the 'Net looking for better pics.Basically,I bought them hoping for the best and wasn't disappointed.One other concern of mine was that they may interfere with my tonneau,because again,the factory pic dosn't show exactly how high they sit.Fortunately,they sit just about flush with the box sides so it all works fine.

As far as durability is concerned,I don't think it's going to be an issue.When I took them out of the box,I was pleasantly surprised at the weight and solid feel.As mentioned,I butted my blower hard against one and pulled it tight with straps and no sign of movement or flex.I too have a couple of Yakima bike trays,and I look forward to trying the mighty mounts out with them.I have a Yakima roof system but this is kind of a cool alternative.....There is no way that a couple of mountain bikes or road bikes would ever come close to bending the bars..........Pics and measurements as soon as I can.

 

Here's a couple of shots of the set-up.The bars themselves are 1.25 " across the top and 1" high.....Incidently,the bars have a 50lb rating on each.All in all a pretty slick system.With a little practice I've gotten fairly good at loosening both wheels and moving them to and fro with the wheel depressed.

 

Hey Squad, How sturdy are those bars? I had the thought to make a mount that would hold a spare tire after I put the lift and the bigger tires on my truck. I have to have a spare tire that matches my tires because of the LSD. So with a larger spare it wont fit underneath. I was thinking of buying those cargo bars and making a spare tire mount on them.

 

Hey SLO,as I said,the bars have 50lb apiece rating on them so I bet it would work...The nice part of that is that you'd still have essentially the whole bed unused.What do ytou suppose the new wheel and tire will weigh?

That set-up would look pretty cool btw....

 

I cant immagine it would way any more than 40-50lbs. And I from the design in my head I would be using both bars to support it, plus it would also rest on the bed. I've seen tailgate replacement's that are tubular steel and hold your spare, but I don't want to take my tailgate off. When I get around to It I'll post some Pics.

 

Lookin' forward to those pics SLO....Good luck.

 

Here's some pics of my blower in the bed using one of the bars.

 

Maverick,

I found this pic in the photo gallery...It appears to be using the bars with bike trays.

 

After having these for some time,I made an obvious discovery today......The bars are the exact same as the tracks in our beds and will accomodate the cleats from the rail system.......I'm continually impressed with the engineering and inginuity of these trucks.

 

i realllyy need a pair of cargo cross bars.. can anyone help? i recently purchased a yakima rack just waiting for the day i can put it in my truck bed to find that the item needed is discontinued.. if anyone can help please will be much appreciated.

 

Did you find a decent replacement for those cargo cross bars? I've got Yakima parts from a previous vehicle and I want to mount them above the bed to lock them in and maintain cargo space. I'm thinking about building my own, given the lack of options.

Thanks

 

The stock 245/75x16 Dungflops are 36 lbs. Go up to a Revo II LT 285/75x16, and the tire alone is 54 lbs. Add even a pot metal wheel, and a bumpy road, and you've got a problem.....