AllOutdoor Review – ActionTrax Traction Boards for your Vehicle Kit

If you’re an off-road enthusiast, then you know that getting good traction is key to a successful ride. ActionTrax Traction Boards provide a simple yet effective solution for a safe recovery. In this review, we’ll talk about the features of these boards, and why recovery boards are such an important piece of equipment for any off-roader.  Opposed to other methods…

Do you even off-road?

If you’re an off-road enthusiast, then you know that getting good traction is key to a successful ride. That’s where ActionTrax Traction Boards come in – they provide additional traction on the terrain for your tires.

The recovery boards are also angled so that they provide maximum contact with the ground, giving you more traction when you need it most. Plus, they’re made from tough, high-density plastic that can withstand all kinds of abuse.

ActionTrax Traction Boards

The biggest advantage of the ActionTrax Traction Boards is their multi-purpose design. Unlike other brands, they are flexible which allows them to flex over and around terrain features (opposed to just being a rigid ramp). While you cannot really use them to “bridge” an obstacle without stacking them, they are less likely to break in the more common use cases.

The sawtooth ends help when digging in sand and snow, and also allow you to more securely plant the boards in the ground under the tire.

ActionTrax comes in a variety of color options. I always go with bright orange as I think it makes them easier to find if they get buried. I used to have awesome color-matched desert tan MaxTrax and I cannot tell you how much time I spent hunting for them in soft sand.

Another great feature of the ActionTrax Traction Boards is their durability. They’re made from a tough, high-density, 100% US-made Dupont polymer that can withstand all kinds of abuse. And because they’re designed to be used with off-road vehicles, they can take a beating (just make sure you don’t “spin out” on them – something you should avoid with any traction board).

Technical Specifications

ActionTrax traction recovery boards are 44.5″ long and 12.875″ wide with a pair weighing under 20lbs, and around 4″ thick when stacked.

• Length: 44.5″
• Width: 12.875″
• Standard height (pair): 3.5″
• Metal Tooth height (pair): 4.25″
• Standard weight (pair): 16 lbs
• Metal Tooth weight (pair): 18 lbs

Quick Link System

While 44.5″ ought to be enough for most situations, there are times you might need to cover more area (any icy patch on a trail for example). The Actiontrax recovery tracks have two slots on either end that allow you to thread large zip ties (they sell ones they dub “X-Treme” Zip Ties) or flex cuffs. You can then link two ActionTrax boards together giving you a longer runway.

Remember, once you get a vehicle moving, you want it to keep moving. Having a way to provide traction over a longer distance allows you to attain traction and keep it over sand, snow, and most rugged terrains. They’ve even been used as a hasty boat ramp (though you need a bunch to make this happen).

Metal Tooth Version

The standard ActionTrax recovery board is a plain purpose-designed Dupont polymer, including the teeth. ActionTrax also sells an “X-Treme” version that comes with pre-installed metal teeth on the first four rows of lugs on both ends.

These metal studs are made with simple stainless steel bolts you can find at most hardware stores. This is a much more effective solution than some kind of proprietary replacement lug and offers supreme traction.

Plus the metal studs are much more aggressive cleats than other boards offer – enough so that you can damage your tread if you spin your tires.

Repairing the Recovery Boards

If you screw up and have excessive wheel spin and destroy the nylon teeth, you’ll find the boards extremely easy to repair. You repair burnt teeth by drilling out the damaged lug with a 1/4 drill bit from the backside. You can clean up any plastic remnants with a sharp tool. Then, just run a 1/4″ bolt (that is 3/4″ long) through the hole.

While you can use any hardware, nylock nuts and washers are recommended. I’d recommend stainless steel bolts as well since the recovery boards are likely always exposed to the environment.

Recovery Boards Feature List

• Aggressive sawtooth design on the ends with a ramp shape allowing for easy insertion between tire and ground
• Ninety-four lugs on the body provide traction in any direction
• Body has six larger hand holds (big enough for gloves) that make digging, carrying, and positioning easy
• “Keyhole” cutouts on the ends that provide a mounting point (they accommodate my original MaxTrax mounts
• Ability to add metal “teeth” in any of the lug positions using off the shelf hardware
• Optional six-foot nylon webbing leashes can be added allowing you to find the traction board if they get buried
• 100% made in the US using a proprietary material rated to 50,000lbs GVW and a two-year warranty (ActionTrax unconditionally guarantees against breaking)
• Three reinforced beams along the long axis for additional support
• Additional slots at each end allow you to link multiple ActionTrax using heavy zip ties/flex cuffs

Getting good traction is key to a successful off-road ride, but it can be hard to achieve that without the right equipment.

ActionTrax Traction Boards are the perfect way to make sure your tires always have the best grip on the terrain. With their unique design and durable construction, these boards will help you stay on track no matter what kind of surface you’re riding on. Plus they make for an easy repair in the field with common hardware.  So, if you’re looking for a way to get better traction on your next off-roading adventure, check out ActionTrax Traction Boards!

Pick up a set of ActionTrax Traction Boards and see the difference they make on your next off-road adventure when you need traction. The standard version is around $270 and the “X-Treme” metal tooth version is $350 (prices are for a pair).  Visit https://usactiontrax.com/ to learn more.

Doc Rader

Tom is a former Navy Corpsman that spent some time bumbling around the deserts of Iraq with a Marine Recon unit, kicking in tent flaps and harassing sheep. Before that, he was a paramedic somewhere in DFW, also doing some Executive Protection work between shifts. Now that those exciting days are behind him, he has embraced his inner “Warrior Hippie,” and assaults 14er in his sandals, and engages in rucking adventure challenges while consuming copious water. To fund these adventures, he writes all manner of content (having also held editor positions at several publications) and teaches wilderness medicine and off-road skills. He hopes that his posts will help you find the gear that will survive whatever you can throw at it (and the training to use it). Learn from his mistakes--he is known (in certain circles) for his curse...ahem, ability...to find the breaking point of anything. You can follow him at https://linktr.ee/docrader.