L-track (Airline Track) Install
L-Track (Airline Track) Install in a Sprinter Van
Background
L-track, also known as logistical track, is a versatile tie down system of aluminum rails and fittings to secure cargo. It is used in aircraft to restrain cargo or seats, and is also widely used in the ground transportation industry. There are a variety of fittings that make them perfect for use in a van. We have L-track installed along the length of one wall and on both rear doors to hold gear. We will show you the proper way to install L-track in your van.
Choosing the Right L-Track
L-track comes in several grades. Some L-track is Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified for use in aircraft. Some are Department of Transportation (DOT) approved for use in passenger vehicles to act as seat or wheelchair restraints. The L-track we are using are not FAA or DOT approved. The sole purpose of ours is to restrain gear inside in our van.
Beyond the ratings, L-track comes in several different styles. There is standard L-track, flanged, and angled L-track. We used flanged L-track on our passenger-side as the wall panel neatly tucks behind the flange as seen above. It can also work well recessed into a floor. Angled L-track looks nice when surface-mounted, and was our first choice for use on both rear doors of the van. Choose what style works best for your application.
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Parts required:
- L-track of your choice
- We used 12″ tracks for our rear doors with end caps
- We used flanged L-track along the wall
- Stainless Steel tapered mounting bolts
- Fittings of your choice
- Ring Fittings work great with straps
- Stud Fittings are threaded for bolting things up
- Double Stud Fittings have high load ratings for power-sports gear
Fasteners/Plusnuts:
- 1/4-20 Plusnuts
- Plusnut Tool
Other:
- Paint to prevent rust after drilling
Tools required:
- Drill with 11/32″ or 23/64″ bit (for the Plusnuts)
- A Step-Bit makes drilling easier
- Center punch
- Stop collar set
- Screw Driver to tighten mounting screws
- Magnet to capture drill shavings
L-track and Mounting Hardware
Plan the L-Track Placement
Begin by examining the area where you plan to install L-track. The aluminum track will need to sit flat on the surface and there needs to be sufficient room behind the wall for the depth of the plusnut. When tightened, a plusnut expands behind the wall and provides a threaded connection. A 1/4-20 plusnut has 1,215 lbs of pull-out resistance in sheetmetal.
For the purposes of this write-up, we will be installing 12″ sections of L-track on the rear doors. End caps will provide a finished edge. 1/4-20 plusnuts will provide anchor points in the body and will be retained with 1/4-20 bolts. A couple of ring anchors will aid in securing gear.
Mark and Drill
Begin by lining up the L-track in position and marking ONE of the holes. We use a center punch to put a depression in the sheetmetal to aid in drilling. Drill the mounting hole with increasingly larger bits. We use a magnet to collect the drilling swarf to prevent rust. It’s a good idea to use a stop collar to prevent the drill bit from piercing the outside skin of the van. Step bits play nice in sheetmetal, so you may want to consider using one as you work the hole up in size. (Larger bits can twist and distort thin sheetmetal.).
Finish the hole size with a 23/64″ bit. We used an 11/32″ bit (equivalent to 22/64″ because it’s what we had). Don’t drill the hole too large because plusnuts in an enlarged hole may spin and never sufficiently tighten. With the hole drilled, paint the bare metal to prevent future rust.
Installing the Plusnut
With the hole drilled and painted, place the plusnut into the hole. The 11/32″ hole required tapping the plusnut lightly with a rubber mallet to seat it. This tight fit helps ensure the plusnut won’t become a “spinner” on you.
We used free tool that consists of a bolt, washer and a spacer to set the plusnut. (You can see how it’s used in the video linked at the bottom of this article.) We can no longer find this tool online, so you may need a plusnut/rivnut setting tool. Set the plusnut firmly in the sheetmetal.
A Warning about Drilling Precision
When using plusnuts, it is imperative that each plusnut align precisely with the pre-drilled holes in the track. That’s why we drill and set a plusnut on one end first. AFTER bolting up one end, we add a second hole and plusnut along the track, bolt it down, that way the track is aligned on the wall. This makes it easy to precisely mark the remaining holes without the track unknowingly getting moved or misaligned.
Final L-Track Alignment
You now have one plusnut set in the body. Push a 1/4-20 tapered bolt through the pre-drilled hole in the L-track and thread it into the plusnut. Now that one side is secure, you align the L-track in the desired position and mark the second hole. For the purposes of this install, we only used two bolts per L-track. (It’s only 12″ long.) If you were installing a longer track, once you have two plusnuts securing the L-track you can confidently mark and drill the rest of your mounting holes.
Follow the same procedures as before to drill, paint and install the plusnut. Secure with the bolt and the L-track is now installed.
In our final step, line up the end cap with the L-track and mark the single-screw mounting hole. You will now drill a small hole and use a sheetmetal screw to hold the end cap in place.
Purchasing L-track
We recommend two places for purchasing L-Track and attachments. One is US Cargo Control and the other is Amazon. While we do make a small commission from Amazon purchases, we always encourage people to shop around for the best deal. For the 12″ L-track, end caps and screws we went with US Cargo Control. (We are not in any way affiliated or sponsored by them.) For the longer section of L-Track the free Amazon Prime shipping may make it cheaper.
Our door-mounted L-track is used to hold a propane hot water when we are taking showers. Thanks for following along and good luck with your build!
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I ordered the rivnut tool and rivnuts from your link. It seems the mandrel is too short. Is there a way to adjust it so it will work?
Are you installing the plusnuts into sheetmetal or something thicker? Unless they shipped the wrong one it should work. Can you describe what you’re experiencing?
Hi Ken,
We had the same issue as Michael… The rivnuts you used don’t fit with that red rivnut tool. Like he said above they are too long to thread. Only the ones that they ship with the tool which don’t seem nearly as strong. I thought i found that hand tool in eBay in one of your links but now I can’t find it. Any support you can offer would be great. Thanks!
Thanks for letting me know…I’ll pull the plusnut tool off the page. What solution have you found to set them? The first set of plus nuts I bought came with a little spacer tool to set them. Those don’t seem to be available any longer. -Ken
What type of drill bit did you use for the L-Track? Did you do it with a hand drill? If so, how did you keep it straight? Thanks .
Hi Ray,
I used standard drill bits, nothing special. If you’re looking to install longer sections that are not pre-drilled and countersunk, you can watch this video I did a couple of years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGw0KxQvdX0
The photo that has L-Track and Mounting Hardware had the L-Track and hardware on grey coin shaped coated plywood. Do you have a product source for that plywood?
Hi Jason,
This is a product I adhered directly to plywood. Full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmfWGvHsDjI
Take care! -Ken
Hi! Do you have a diagram of where the holes are to install L strict to a 2017 Mercedes Sprinter Wall? We have some tracks up but want to install more but birch wood is up and I have no idea where holes are located for rivnuts.
Hi, the L-track can be installed pretty much anywhere you need it, as long as it can sit flat against the body.
Hello
First of all thank you for the very informative post on installing L track. Very helpful.
It appears that US Cargo is out of the 12″ pieces until 2022. Do you have an alternate source you can recommend? Or how about buying a longer piece and just cutting it?
Thank you and happy holidays
Mark
Amazon has some 12″ US Cargo track in stock–it’s showing a Dec 1-3 delivery date at my home. https://amzn.to/3nLrrQm
Happy Holidays to you as well!
Very nice tutorial, thanks!
Do the panels sit under the lip of the L track?
Thanks
Yes, the L-track holds the upper portion of the lower wall panel and also retains the lower portion of the upper panel with no fasteners.