Mounting ARB TRED Pro recovery boards to the Hammer Built tailgate accessory arm

[edernest]

I recently added Hammer Built's tailgate reinforcement system to my Bronco in an attempt to fix some serious noise and vibration issues I've been struggling with for about a year now (long story that ended with a full dealer replacement of my tailgate that still didn't resolve the issue). I'm happy to say that it appears that the reinforcement stiffened up the entire tailgate significantly and I'm no longer hearing any noises when driving over the many potholes in the roads near my home, so I think I've finally nailed it.

As a bonus, I've been working on some ideas for using the newly available space on my tailgate that's provided by the Hammer Built support accessory arm. Initially I thought I might want to use it for gas or water Rotopax like I've seen others doing, but reconsidered when I remembered how much of a pain it is to haul my ARB TRED Pro recovery boards around inside my vehicle (so much so that I've left them behind on several occasions). Mounting them outside the vehicle would not only free up space inside the vehicle, but would also eliminate the risk of having mud/sand/snow to clean up inside after use.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the latest version of Hammer Built's accessory arm includes four square cutouts that support carriage bolts and perfectly align with the mount holes provided in the ARB recovery boards. I was also pleasantly surprised that the Hammer Built limiting tailgate strut, which prevents the tailgate from opening much past 90 degrees, also prevents all four of my recovery boards from impacting either the bumper or the tail light.

ARB provides several mount points on their recovery boards which allows options when attaching them to the Hammer Built accessory arm. The bolts can either be attached to the middle of the boards (better stability with reduced departure angle) or in a higher position (slightly reduced stability with virtually no impact on departure angle). I attempted some non-scientific measurements of both options and I think I will likely transport them in the lower position but move them higher before travelling off road. Below are some rough measurements of both options. Ford advertises a factory departure angle of 37 degrees for Sasquatch four door Broncos, so I would estimate that the lower position reduces that to the mid 20s.

Note: I typically remove rear mud flaps (RokBlokz) when off roading

So far I'm very happy with this setup and looking forward to being able to bring my recovery boards on more of my off road journeys. Going forward, installation will require removing the spare tire in order to install or remove the carriage bolts (1/2" bolts 5" length, plus washers and wing nuts for anyone wondering) though that only takes a minute or so and won't deter me from using them. Future plans include sourcing better hardware, maybe stainless bolts and knob style nut instead of wing nuts, and figuring out how I want to secure the boards to my vehicle. Additionally I plan to relocate my GMRS antenna from the A pillar where I have it currently to the tailgate (Hammer Built sells an acessory mount for this as well). All in all, very happy with the products that I got from Hammer Built and my new found mounting options.

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[Doc TOC]

Good use of the mount and nice write up.
I liked the superimposed protractor visual aid.

If you don't mind keeping the bolts installed (and not taking off the tire), run a thin nut onto the bolt against the arm plate with some Loctite. Don't over torque the nut - it's just holding a 2 ounce bolt.

If you can't find a thin nut locally, grind down a regular nut to 1/2 its thickness. Technically, you only need 1.5 threads to secure the bolt to the arm. The wing nut threads hold the boards to the arm plate - the thin nut adds nothing to that bolt torque pull.

Maybe use a fender washer (Home Depot SKU 206178) instead of the SAE washers. It will give the wing nut more surface for holding. A thin nylon washer between the boards and metal washer will reduce marring and "trail locking" the wing nut onto the bolt.

 

[edernest]

Good use of the mount and nice write up.
I liked the superimposed protractor visual aid.

If you don't mind keeping the bolts installed (and not taking off the tire), run a thin nut onto the bolt against the arm plate with some Loctite. Don't over torque the nut - it's just holding a 2 ounce bolt.

If you can't find a thin nut locally, grind down a regular nut to 1/2 its thickness. Technically, you only need 1.5 threads to secure the bolt to the arm. The wing nut threads hold the boards to the arm plate - the thin nut adds nothing to that bolt torque pull.

Maybe use a fender washer (Home Depot SKU 206178) instead of the SAE washers. It will give the wing nut more surface for holding. A thin nylon washer between the boards and metal washer will reduce marring and "trail locking" the wing nut onto the bolt.

Appreciate all the ideas. It would be nice to just leave the bolts in place. I might try to downsize a bit on bolt length if I end up doing that since 4” would be plenty enough still for all four boards.

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