Author Topic: Engineer small job S/E suburbs Melbourne (Read 8308 times)

feisty · « **on:** January 30, 2015, 10:04:26 AM »

My wife and I are both keen XC mountain bike riders.

I have found a rack that hold our bikes safely without them falling off (unlike the last one!!). This was used successfully for the past month whilst screwed to the aluminium lid rails of the pioneer argyle hard floor camper.

The problem being that the screws came loose and managed to elongate the screw holes by about 10mm (it was a very off road trip).

I really need an engineered solution to attaching the small fork plates to the camper most likely through welding to the aluminium rails.

Does anyone know of a firm that does small engineering jobs like this.

Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Bad Scott · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2015, 10:12:38 AM »

Can you Bolt it? as opposed to using screws.

feisty · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2015, 10:23:13 AM »

Not really. Maybe with some kind of a captive nut. Thought about monster rivets..... the rack and mount has to tolerate a lot trying to hold the bikes in place on corrugated roads etc. Plus I want the old holes welded up.

Bird · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2015, 10:27:24 AM »

what bout getting a length of box section welded under the rear, sliding antoehr towbar tongue in there and mounting a MacRac style bike rack??

that's what we use, and have had success with it.

Bad Scott · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2015, 10:31:16 AM »

Quote from: feisty on January 30, 2015, 10:23:13 AM

Not really. Maybe with some kind of a captive nut. Thought about monster rivets..... the rack and mount has to tolerate a lot trying to hold the bikes in place on corrugated roads etc. Plus I want the old holes welded up.

Pics speak a thousand words

feisty · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2015, 11:22:29 AM »

Yeah I know. Wasn't expecting such prompt service. Will put some up in 30. Thanks bird. Maybe an option

feisty · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2015, 12:50:38 PM »

Ok here's what I have. The rack is sitting slightly forward of where it was mounted. Note elongation of screw holes where the self tappers have gone in chew mode....

Was wanting to fill the holes and then mount the two fork plates on a piece of plate and then mount that to the alloy tubes.

Or I could do as bird suggested with the tow hitch carrier and use the rack I use for the road bikes:

What do you think?

Bird · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2015, 01:02:58 PM »

roof of the cruiser looks empty... get one of them trendy roofracks you see all the pretend triathletes have on their Volvo/bmw/audi's and mount them up there.

feisty · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2015, 01:10:59 PM »

Thanks bird but I'm likely to forget when I'm on a track somewhere and it will end in tears...... plus I try to keep crap off my roof, spoils the handling...
And that's where the RTT sometimes lives

austastar · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2015, 01:19:13 PM »

Hi,
how solid is that tie-down rail on either side of the camper?

I'm thinking a plank across the camper top ratchet strapped to those. Bolt the holders into the wood. Grooves under the wood to aid location.

Yeah, may be a bit agricultural.

cheers

BTMNDR · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2015, 01:20:41 PM »

Feisty,

Check yer PMs. My brother's a fitter & turner by trade, specialises in motorbike & miniature railway work. I've sent you his number.

GGV8Cruza · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2015, 01:25:51 PM »

I would keep them on the trailer with the hitches you have. I would get a piece of 2mm or so thick aluminium bent up with a down turn over the front for a bit of strength. I would return the piece 300mm to the top of the trailer and use heavy duty rivets to hold it to the rails. Then bolt the bike racks to this with good nyloc nuts and large washers.

I have similar mounts on the Omeo and have them tech screwed down to a metal SHS. So far so good

GG

Bird · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2015, 01:35:08 PM »

those brackets for the forks you used are supposed to be bolted in 4 spots.
there would be a Shit loads of stress and flex going through those mounts... having only 1 bolted/riveted/anythinged was not going to work....
the runners you bolted them to look like they are about .5 mm box section, they wouldn't support anything with the forces going through the forks specially when the trailer is bouncing around offroad....

Mrs smith · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2015, 02:54:51 PM »

Is there any reason why you can't use coach head bolts and bolt just the fork mount bracket through the floor with the coach head inside so as not too look to ugly or create a trip hazard ?

feisty · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:06:45 PM »

Quote from: BTMNDR on January 30, 2015, 01:20:41 PM

Feisty,

Check yer PMs. My brother's a fitter & turner by trade, specialises in motorbike & miniature railway work. I've sent you his number.

Thanks btmndr just want I wanted to hear (might be good to know when I finally get around to turning the old boxer into a cafe racer too!).

Quote from: Bird on January 30, 2015, 01:35:08 PM

those brackets for the forks you used are supposed to be bolted in 4 spots.
there would be a **** loads of stress and flex going through those mounts... having only 1 bolted/riveted/anythinged was not going to work....
the runners you bolted them to look like they are about .5 mm box section, they wouldn't support anything with the forces going through the forks specially when the trailer is bouncing around offroad....

Totally agree! I had to tie them down as they were bouncing around constantly. There has to be a better way than my pathetic attempt which probably would have been fine on road but not off.

feisty · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:08:05 PM »

Quote from: GGV8Cruza on January 30, 2015, 01:25:51 PM

I would keep them on the trailer with the hitches you have. I would get a piece of 2mm or so thick aluminium bent up with a down turn over the front for a bit of strength. I would return the piece 300mm to the top of the trailer and use heavy duty rivets to hold it to the rails. Then bolt the bike racks to this with good nyloc nuts and large washers.

I have similar mounts on the Omeo and have them tech screwed down to a metal SHS. So far so good

GG

Thanks GG

That sound about what I had in mind. Do you have a photo?

feisty · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:11:56 PM »

Quote from: austastar on January 30, 2015, 01:19:13 PM

Hi,
how solid is that tie-down rail on either side of the camper?

I'm thinking a plank across the camper top ratchet strapped to those. Bolt the holders into the wood. Grooves under the wood to aid location.

Yeah, may be a bit agricultural.

cheers

I thought about a timber solution as it would absorb some of the stress but by the time I tie down the timber and then tie down the bikes it is getting a little messy. Thanks for the suggestion though

fuji · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:12:27 PM »

I would like to have a look one day Fiesty. I am searching on option to take our three MTN bikes on the CT which is hard floor.
Wayne

GGV8Cruza · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:13:59 PM »

Quote from: feisty on January 30, 2015, 05:08:05 PM

Thanks GG

That sound about what I had in mind. Do you have a photo?

Post #138 in this thread. Mine is a little different as I have steel for mounting

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=19631.125

GG

feisty · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:15:58 PM »

Thanks

Yep steel would make it soooo much easier. Nice setup btw

GGV8Cruza · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:17:19 PM »

I would also be staying away from the rear mount For off road work. Everyone I have ever seen moves around so much. I would be scared or arriving to camp and have no bikes attached.

GG

feisty · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:23:10 PM »

Quote from: fuji on January 30, 2015, 05:12:27 PM

I would like to have a look one day Fiesty. I am searching on option to take our three MTN bikes on the CT which is hard floor.
Wayne

No problems mate. Drop in anytime. I am in baysie which I think is in your patch.

GeoffA · « **Reply #22 on:** January 30, 2015, 05:26:07 PM »

Leave the bikes at home.

4wd26 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 30, 2015, 06:53:45 PM »

you look to have at least 4 or more long square sections that go length ways to the camper
horizontally across the camper attach alloy (2.5mm plate) 100mm width (or at least 25mm wider each side then the fork plates) then 2 or 3 screws rivets to attach into each long section

this creates the structure to mount your plate section (front fork holders) some thing similar for the rear

try to mount the fork plates "over" one of the box sections 2 holes either side

for ease of fitment these can be mounted first off trailer

just my opinion

idlegossip · « **Reply #24 on:** January 30, 2015, 07:50:29 PM »

Hi Feisty,

Just a question but did you use proper metal screws when you attached it?

As 4wd26 suggested, go to an aluminium centre and get yourself a length of "L" angle 50mm x 75mm (or something similar that suits) x 3 or 4mm thick. Screw or rivet.it in through the either side of of those supports bars to create a flat section big enough to mount the fork plates onto through all 4 mounting holes with either rivets or metal screws.

Hope that makes sense.

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Author Topic: Engineer small job S/E suburbs Melbourne (Read 8308 times)