alloy or steel tray

[chunderlicious]

looking at a new cruiser and just wondering what people prefer, powder coated steel or aluminium trays.

it wont be getting chopped or anything, but it will be a work ute and occasional tourer.

whats the go with timber trays? are they better or worse for something?

thanx, i know nothing about standard type trays as ive always had stylesides or tube trays

[Thommo 73]

my guys fit a lot of trays at work and the alloy ones damage to easy tranish sitting in the yard waiting to go on the car and if your using it for work anytime you put metal things in there they will gouge. steel dosnt.
wood floors are for looks or cheaper to replace.

i'd go the steel tray, alloy are too much trouble and you can weld to them when they break

[Gwagensteve]

I have an alloy tray on my 1.0 sierra and it's a PITA. Gouges, rattly, and majr fatigue problems.

Only good thing is I've shortened it twice (18" in all) with no welding by pulling planks out. It will be being replaced with a steel tray.

Steve.

[Shadow]

ive got an alloy tray on my work hilux (2wd) and i have no problems with it.

doesnt rattle, is quite strong (got the stronger reinforced tray sides)

and its going to be quite a bit lighter than a steel tray.

Also havent had any issues with damaging it, but then, i dont throw stuff at it?


that said, I prefer the look of a colour coded steel tray with timber bottom.

[thehanko]

I used to have an alloy tray. it had dents in the floor and 1 crack, the sides if they have any play rubs and wears its self away. but no paint to scratch.

I now have a steel tray. no cracks and it doesnt seem to wear like the alloy tray where it rubs. the biggest issue is the paint on it srcatches super easy - i assume powder coating would be better, but when it scratches it rusts and stains the paint etc and looks like crap.

I pulled the tray off and cleaned it all up and it looked a million bucks, but then you scratch it and it all begins again.

I prefer the look of steel trays, but the alloy ones with the black strip look pretty nice too.

[Spartacus]

dude.

You saw the big drag line we put in the work ute from dragging mike's trailer off it.
steel Vs alloy = steel won teh funnay

BUT

Id still be getting an alloy tray.
IMO steel is overkill for work duties.

Slap a toolbox on, rubber floormat and she'll be apples for work or play

[chunderlicious]

ok i should add, im a roofer, so the only real thing getting thrown in the back will be an aluminium ladder. i also prefer the look of the colour coded steel but im worried about rust. ill only have the car for its 5 years then get another, BUT the demo cruisers they have done have a tray and they are rusting quite bad IMHO only surface rust but still staning rust none the less.

so steel seems to be the general consensus? now just gotta decide on bullbar and sidesteps.... genuine or not.. lol

[Thommo 73]

i can help with that choice, once again my guys spend all day fitting genuine parts (and some non gen stuff)
what model are you looking at? whinch/no winch bla bla bla

[Shadow]

ive got a genuine toyota winch bar on my cruiser.

trouble is, you cant fit a winch to it, without getting an engineering shop to make you a winch cradle.

Toyota in thier infinite wisdom decided not to make a cradle, just punched the holes in the front of the bar and that makes it a winch bar.

[tweak'e]

back to trays for a sec.......

hot dipped galv tray is best for a work vehicles. painted trays rust really fast and cost the same as galv.
alloy is ok if you don't use it for anything much.

trouble with alloy to get the strength you have to make it bigger. that removes a fair bit of load space. that can be a big problem if your trying to keep the load foreword as much as possible.

i know one guy who lost a load because the sides flex to much, another that went through a couple of trays as they just bent like a banana, another one flexed so much it rubbed the paint off the cab. they can't handle the weight and strapping loads on.

the flat alloy panel decks are very slippery. i see some really nice ones that have very fine ribbed alloy floors. they grip quiet well. all good until you drop something and damage it.
wooden floors are good, can be a bit slippery depending on what its made from. most importantly they are easily replaced.

[cleanskin]

if your worried about rust why dont u get a hot dipped one and paint it yourself? never rust and look schmick!

I had an ally tray on an old ute and hated it too light when no gear was in the back...

[love ke70]

my tray is 2.6x1.8
steel, hot dipped and powdercoated
changed from the mangled aluminium one.
aluminium one, throw a tyre in it, they bend in the centre really easy
the joins pop apart
you hit them with something and they fold like paper
you catch the ladder rack on a tree, the whole thing cracks where it bends.
when i pulled mine apart, where all the bolts went through each section, if you look under one you will see there about 50 little bolts.
when i gutted mine, nearly everyone of those the area around the hole just fell out coz of fatigue and cracking.
my steel tray may weigh an extra 220kg over the aluminium one, but its worth it

[chunderlicious]

its a new car... the last thing i want to do is paint a new $55G car.

im looking at the cruiser GXL (i want the power windows and alloys etc. that cost alot more when added to the workmate) and the GX is 1G cheaper, so i added the L.

i want a winch, and toyota have a winch as an extra (superwinch 9000 for $2500) which im not going to get fitted as that is alot too much for that winch. i also want the brush gaurds and side steps as i dont want to hurt the car again because of the cost.

im finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that im going to be offroading a car that is worth so much and it kind of scares me that i might hurt it. im not getting lockers because they will just encourage me to go harder.

so genuine or arb

[Shadow]

my tray is 2.6x1.8
steel, hot dipped and powdercoated
changed from the mangled aluminium one.
aluminium one, throw a tyre in it, they bend in the centre really easy
the joins pop apart
you hit them with something and they fold like paper
you catch the ladder rack on a tree, the whole thing cracks where it bends.
when i pulled mine apart, where all the bolts went through each section, if you look under one you will see there about 50 little bolts.
when i gutted mine, nearly everyone of those the area around the hole just fell out coz of fatigue and cracking.
my steel tray may weigh an extra 220kg over the aluminium one, but its worth it

where did you get your alloy tray? Some kid making them in the park out of coke cans?

Your either full of crap, or got the dodgiest alloy tray in australia.

[mhgill]

Alloy tray FTW!!!

Steel is way to heavy!!

You wont bend or gouge an alloy tray with any tool a roofer needs.

[love ke70]

my tray is 2.6x1.8
steel, hot dipped and powdercoated
changed from the mangled aluminium one.
aluminium one, throw a tyre in it, they bend in the centre really easy
the joins pop apart
you hit them with something and they fold like paper
you catch the ladder rack on a tree, the whole thing cracks where it bends.
when i pulled mine apart, where all the bolts went through each section, if you look under one you will see there about 50 little bolts.
when i gutted mine, nearly everyone of those the area around the hole just fell out coz of fatigue and cracking.
my steel tray may weigh an extra 220kg over the aluminium one, but its worth it

where did you get your alloy tray? Some kid making them in the park out of coke cans?

Your either full of crap, or got the dodgiest alloy tray in australia.

ill get pics of the damage, i still ahve it in peices, still waiting for ally prices to go back before selling it for scrap.
the ute was owned by a tyre mob before i bought it, but i did alot of the damage.
dropped a 10kg box not even 2 metres onto the back and it put such a bow in it, it sprung the joins and they never would close back up.

im not lying, it crumpled when i hit a tree with it.
the ladder bar snapped on all 4 uprights and just wobbled around in place after that when i caught an ear on a tree
it was very brittle, i wont use one again, i really dislike aluminium for something thats likely to cop a flogging, like a tray

[Thommo 73]

i would say gen. alloy if you weren't having a winch but seen as you want a winch i would go arb steel stuff 2 reasons.
1. arb make most for the gen. stuff anyway (in steel)
2. gen stuff isnt finished as nice as arb stuff cause it's made to a price.

and the gen. gal. trays are nice and wont rust (if they do you have toyota warrenty and they will replace it hehehehhe)

get the salesman to organize the extra's, some times they'll get arb stuff cheaper and then if anything goes wrong with any of it it's the dealers problem

[money_killer]

steel tray u need some weight in the rear when 4wding.

[DUDELUX]

i have an alloy tray on my lux, i dont run dropsides and i took 600mm off the back of it, its not a work ute but i havent had any probs yet. yes it is light, so ive got a tool box and my spare on there to help, the only other thing i noticed is the alloy tie down rails has bowed after time from tieing down stuff.
if its a work ute 1st and play ute 2nd IMO get an alloy tray with steel tie down rails, put a decent tool box on there and bobs ya auntie