You won’t always have fancy tools to work with, and if you want to create your own homemade traction mats, in this article you are going to find some of the best DIY instructions.
Traction mats are needed for when you are going to take your car out during crazy weather conditions. They can help your car get back on the road and even protect the tires. To make traction mats by yourself, you will need different materials and tools.
Depending on the things you have near and the amount of money you are willing to pay, you can design some pretty effective homemade traction mats.
What Are DIY Traction Mats?
DIY or do-it-yourself traction mats are utilized when vehicles get stuck in the snow, ice, mud, sand, or wet grass. They need to be placed under the tires that are spinning to provide the vehicle with extra friction to pull out and get back on the road.
While many people still have not heard of tire traction mats, they are becoming more and more popular for residential and commercial users alike. Many users think DIY traction mats are better, but this depends on the person and if they prefer trying to make what they think is an improved mousetrap.
Most people that want tire traction mats will purchase them out of convenience because they trust that the product has been tested. Meanwhile, others will try to make their own.
Because of this, there is no right answer to this question, but rather a matter of preferences. If you want to save time then you can buy one, but if you want to go ahead and try to make one by yourself, then give it a try.
Ways To Create A Traction Mat
We did our research, and t seems that the process is not as complicated as you may think. The best part about doing it by yourself is that you can save money while doing so.
You are going to need the following supplies:
- A large piece of plywood, not more than ¾
- Rubber mat (this depends on how much you want to work).
- Nuts, bolts and washers. Not more than ¾ and ½
- Screws (in case you have them).
- Adhesive.
When it comes to tools, we suggest you use the following ones:
- Drill.
- Wrench (whatever size bolt you decide to use).
- Spade drill bit.
- Clamps.
Follow the instructions we show you below:
- Cut your plywood and rubber to the equal size. Choose the size you need, but whichever you pick, you will have to do the process twice for a set of 2.
- Now clamp the plywood and the rubber all together.
- Drill holes from 1 to ½ and then to 2 apart from each other.
- Put the adhesive on the rubber and adhere the plywood.
- It’s time to bolt down the nuts, washers and bolts to both the rubber and plywood.
If you want to do things differently, you can put the screws through the plywood without adding the rubber on top of it. The traction mat you can create with this is going to be effective only for ice.
Find An Old Carpet
Most of us have old carpets at home, and instead of throwing them away, you can always use them to make your own homemade traction mat. If you have a 2×2 carpet, you can use it. All you need to do is get rid of the most damaged areas of the carpet and you will have your homemade traction mat.
Combine Wood And Rubber
Wood and rubber are two of the most used materials in the world. If you choose to use this method, you will have rigidity and good traction, and your car will have no problem when you drive it over uneven roads.
Our suggestion is to go with an old car tire as your rubber due to its durability. If you know someone that has an old tire, you can ask that person to give it to you instead of throwing it away.
You will need:
- Scalpel (to carve up your old tire).
Now you will have to remove the sides until you get a hoop. Do a horizontal cut to open the tire. When your rubber is ready, you are going to have to merge it with a plank.
Keep in mind that the tire’s shape won’t let you bend it straight, meaning that if you wanted to use glue, you will have to cut the tire in smaller pieces and glue them one by one.
We suggest you use bolts instead of glue. With bolts, you won’t have to cut open your tire to try to find the appropriate shape. Lastly, you can use nuts to prevent the composition from damaging.
Use Milk Crates
Not everyone believes that this is an effective way to make a homemade traction mat. All you have to do is cut the milk crates and use plastic ties to connect each piece to the other.
They fold up, so this is definitely a bonus if you don’t want to spend too much money.
Recommendations About Homemade Traction Mats
DIY traction mats don’t cost that much money, but not everyone can make one. Keep in mind that the materials you use have to resist your car’s weight, meaning that the slightest wrong move could damage your vehicle.
Your car’s safety is very important, and this is why we decided to write this article. Don’t rush the process and follow the instructions carefully to prevent accidents from happening.
All of the methods we brought for you today are affordable, and you don’t have to be an expert to be able to make your homemade traction mats. Everything you need can be found at home, and you can even recycle some supplies.
Depending on what you need, you can pick the ideal option for you. We hope you find the information useful. We have other tutorials for you and we are certain you are going to find helpful tips.
