Has anyone heard of the stock cleat/rail system failing?

I just bought a new to me 07 double cab 4X4 and need to haul around a dirt bike (KTM 450) the cleats say they have a 200 lbs rating. I put the bike in the bed and tied down to them last night. There was a little flex when I moved the bike from side to side. I was a little worried about bumping down a dirt road. Has anyone had or heard of these failing? I'm referring to the adjustable sliding ones on the top of the bed in the front and side rails.

 

Yes they fail. They are not meant to tie down a bike.

Add some d-rings to the front and middle and use them. I don't trust those POS cleats for anything. What happens if you rear end someone and thats all your using.......yup....bike to the back of your skull.

Search "D-ring" and many threads will come up.

Also search the motorcycle threads and some of the guys have come up with very ingenious ways to keep a bike or two secure.

 

Yup, add D-rings to the front bed bolts.

 

these are good too just more expensive than a few d-rings

http://www.ccrsport.com/ccr-sport-bed-buddy-motorcycle-truck-bed-tiedown-rack-p-529.html?zenid=7cc5d84b6fa9f758dcca8c22defaebf5

 

I wouldn't even trust that if I was in an accident. Our beds have no structure at the front.



D-rings get bolted to the frame. Can't go wrong.

 

I put D-rings in the drain holes at the front of the bed. Not attached to the frame but very sturdy.

 

lol

I drilled my drain holes out larger and added another so the crud washes out. My beds always full or dirt and crap.

 

That's actually why I used the drain holes, they were too small to let the water drain out anyways so I figured I'd put them to use! Plus I had a tonneau cover and now a shell now so there's not a lot of water back there.

 

I hear ya, I did it before I found this site and did not want to mess with the bed bolts (also didn't have a large enough torx bit to remove them either). I used a thick, rectangular metal backer plate on the bottom so it would take quite a load to crack the bed. At some point I might move them to the bed bolts but since I got the shell and a trailer, I don't use the bed for heavy hauling anymore.

 

I was using them to hold down the Katana. The thing weighs 480ish but I'd bet each D-ring was seeing 300 lbs or so from partially compressing the front shocks. Right now they don't get used at all, they're under a plywood platform in the bed just rusting away...

 

It's not the cleats I would worry about, it's the rail system. It is definitely the weak point.

 

I use my cleats for tying down tarps and bungie cords but I wouldn't tie anything heavy down with them. I'd do what the others are saying and use D-rings mounted with the bed bolts. The cleats are useful but they do have some limitations.

 

D-Rings