I parked next to a truck today and a guy was loading his truck and strapping down to some retractable rings in his stake pockets. Looked interesting and useful..

Anyone ever use these before?

So I Google searched them and Amazon has them for pretty cheap, you can get a set of 6 for about $60 with free shipping...

Amazon.com: Keeper 05654 Bull Ring Anchor Point, Universal Fit, 1,000 lbs Break Strength, 2 Pack: Automotive

I see the reviews are decent but are these things actually as useful as it makes them to look, I have never thought to myself I wish I could tie down here, but I am sure I could use them if I had them..

 

I have seen some on some trucks. I do not know what brand they were. To me they seemed flimsy. I do not have any real experience using them. Just playing with them on someone else's truck. Do not know if he bought cheap ones. maybe the ones you have listed are more sturdy..

 

I had a set for the past few years. Recently one of them cracked at the bottom where it attaches to the top plate and was useless. I do use them a lot but there is no way I have had close 1,000lbs attached to one so no idea why it cracked. I'll probably buy a new set since I liked them so much. I liked they retracted and made the rails smooth for sliding items over them. Only downside (beside durability) is the snow and ice can plug them up making it difficult to pull the ring up if it was retracted.

 

I have them and would buy again.
They were far and away the strongest I could find when I was shopping about 4 years ago. Most are pretty flimsy, or pot metal. These feel solid.
Definitely strong enough for securing tarps and typical loads.
I secure my motorcyles with them as well. My dirtbikes, I attach straight to the rings, one strap to each end of handlebar, 2 straps total. No issues yet.
I even secure my BMW R1200RT using them (we take the scooter with us on long road trips with the trailer), but I use at least 4 straps and 4 rings to distribute the load. And try to sneak at least one strap to more secure rings mounted to bottom or sides of bed just in case. Having her fall over would be major $$$.

 

There are many kinds and they all work pretty much the same. Eventually they will jam or get stuck. But oh well.

They are a good investment if you need them. I run a hauling business and thought about them, but we never had a "need." Our ratchet straps just hook to the lip of the stake pocket itself. Saved $50 that way.

 

I've had a pair in my pickup for about 9 years now. I purchased my set from Ford for around $26 and I thought that was a bit pricey. Turns out that I use them all the time. They are especially handy when you are tying down with a rope vs. straps.

 

I have the Bull rings and like the utility when I need them, and the retractibility when I don't. Seemed well made, though the (hidden) base seemed a bit cheap. Strong enough, though, and a good place to save a bit (since base is hidden).
I'd buy again.

 

I have had the ones shown in the first post for over four years, and they are great. Only issue I've ever had is they tend to pop up when driving on rough surfaces after lubing them (I shoot them with a shot of silicone spray every few months to keep them from sticking). A quick tap and back down they go all nice and hidden until I need them.

 

Those must be some bumps!

 

I just ordered up (3) sets of these
Amazon.com: ProGrip 850760 Black Stainless Steel Retractable Anchor Point Bull Ring - Pair: Automotive

They look identical to the other ones I posted, anything to save a few bucks

Just an FYI, I see a set of these at my local hardware store. These brag about having a 1000lb rating which may be true, but it says in small pring the average truck has a sheet metal rating of 450lbs, and not to exceed that haha..

 

Got mine from O'reilly Auto parts but I think most auto part stores have one kind or another. I wanted the all chrome ones for looks.

 

Have you ever noticed how much the beds on these trucks shake on rough roads?

 

i bought a set before but for some odd reason when i removed my covers the holes are not centered in the stake pocket, anyone else have this problem??

 

I have the bull ring anchors and use them all the time. Mostly to secure gas cans after filling them up so they stay up right for the ride home.

 

I had this problem also with only 2 of the 6 holes lining up, so I have 4 retractable rings sitting in the shelf of my garage. Did you manage to get around the problem. Would switching the bed rails help or is there an aftermarket rail cover that does line up with the holes?