Installing heavy duty roof tracks and platform

[Wiz.au]

I've had a good think about it overnight. I'm not sure I wouldn't end up with 'wavy' track if I tried to squish the sides in. And then the sides would be slightly lower than the base, which is not an issue a plane couldn't fix...

But if I'm going to get the plane out, and there's the possibility it wouldn't come out straight either, I think I am going to just modify the track and install a piece of EDPM foam rubber strip to fill the gap neatly. A cylindrical profile 'cord' with a slot in it (used for edging), on the 'inside'.


I just have to work out a way to cut the track nice and clean. Thinking a router might be the best? Mount the track upside down on the workbench so I can run the router over the flat part of the bottom, and use a fence/guide to keep it all aligned, with a bearing 'trimmer' cutter up against an edge.

Or a circular saw with a fence/guide on it. A table saw would be the best but I don't have one.

I HAVE to have this installed by 17Nov, as I am doing support for a big enduro off-road motorcycle event and need the roof tray to carry all the luggage, quick shades, & fuel jerry cans for the bike riders down into Bendethera. The dual wheel 1200kg trailer has to stay up on the top of the ridge, the track down into the valley is too bad to get it down there and Parks have now banned ALL trailers on that track.

KKNut, didn't you say you still had a bunch of rivets left over I could buy from you? I'm having no luck here. Speciality Fasteners, the biggest place in town, says none of their rivet suppliers can supply stainless sealed blind rivets. Have I got it wrong and yours are alloy?

The RTV Tracks come with SEALED alloy rivets, but yeah, from your info, they won't be long enough.

Going to do a bit more measuring and thinking. But now I realise how you got away with leaving the base of the original bolt heads. I've already ground mine right down to just about roof level on the side I'm working on, and zinc painted them. They can stay that way for a while. I assumed the track would lay flat right on the bottom of the roof channel, I didn't realise there would be a gap under it.

[Wiz.au]

Router mounted upside down in the work table did the job, with a bit of masking tape, a spray of Amour All and a wipe of lithium grease for smooooth sliding.

Fits flat with the roof channel now. I don't even need to use any foam edging, just a run of body moulding adhesive tape will do the job.

And best of all, the marks for drilling the rivet holes are still in the same place too!

But I ran out of body moulding tape and I need to get the longer sealed rivets...or do I now that it sits flush/flat in the roof channel?




Rivets supplied with RTV tracks:

[KKnut]

Ok I’ll look for those rivets when back home, they are alloy. The one you pictured doesn’t look like a sealed rivet seems similar to what I was supplied. I was nervous about your plans to cut down the track but it appears you did ok. If you are using the same Sika adhesive then best to read up on the spacing / gap required for maximum effectiveness. Looks like you’ll have this sorted well before the 17th.

[Wiz.au]

I think I have finally settled on a Rivet, so thanks, but don't worry about it if you haven't already KKNut.

Aluminium sealed rivets have a tensile load strength of about 2000-2250 Newtons, and their shear strength is about half that. I think I can get Stainless Steel rivets, with a stainless steel pin, in a 'Multi-Grip' construction, that seals the broken pin shaft into the rivet head, making it water-tight. These Multi-Grip rivets will work much better on the varying thickness of roof. But most importantly, they have a tensile strength of 4500-5000 Newtons, and even more importantly, a shear strength of 4100 Newtons! This is because the stainless pin head remains in the body of the rivet, both forming a weatherproof seal and increasing shear strength.

I'm going to call my fixing supplier this morning and see if they can get them. They seem to be replacing standard rivets as it means you only have to carry 2-3 sizes, not 10 different sizes, for construction work. Rivtec part number is 'AVSS-0618', 1.0-9.0mm grip range, 10mm wide head. Sounds perfect.

I also believe these are the new rivets that Rhino have supplied me, but in alloy, not stainless.

[KKnut]

Those look quite good actually and no luck finding mine, I’m thinking there wouldn’t have been 18 spare anyway.

[Wiz.au]

No-Go on the Rivetec Stainless MultiGrip rivets from my supplier... Minimum order 1000x pieces!! I didn't even ask "how much?".

But latest development....
I called Rivtec directly to ask if anyone had bought any of that rivet, that maybe I could purchase from another outlet. The sales guy there did a few numbers, tried to sell me 100x pieces for $49.00 +GST, + shipping =>@$65.00. I said that was still probably too much for what I want/need. He then said he could do 60x pieces for $40 shipped, which is their minimum order value. Considering I would have been up for buying probably 10x pieces each of 3x different sizes of sealed stainless rivets, I didn't think there would be much difference at the end of the day, and I could use the 'left overs' for other things too. After all, they suit anything from 1.0mm - 9.0mm grip range.

But I'm not drilling holes until I have rivets in my hand! Just about to rough up the roof and tracks with steel wool, and a metho rub down, but the only metho I have is stuff I've been using to clean & dry my wet tumbled polished metals (so there's no water marks). It's not exactly 'clean' as I constantly re-use it after each wash. I'd better go get some fresh stuff, or some alcohol swabs from the chemist, as I have run out of them too.

Finding brackets hasn't been easy either. I don't like the OCAM industry ones, they have unnecessary 'cover' pieces due to their bad design and the main bracket is only like 2-3mm of metal holding everything!


I have found a place that has advertised Rhino RLTP legs for $23 each.... but I'm not sure they will work without a lot of measuring and spacers, as they are not height or width adjustable like 'ol skool' "L" roof rack brackets were. Out to do more measurements....

[KKnut]

The sad thing is I walked into that wholesaler and the guy just told me to follow him, we found the best ones for the job and he said thanks have a great day!

Do you need any close up photos of the rack installed as I don’t recall using any spacers as such, there were wedges to adjust for roof angle though.