Loose Tour pak rack
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 721
Likes: 1
From: Buckeye, AZ
Loose Tour pak rack
I just installed a solo tour-pak rack on my '06 Street Glide. There seems to be a lot of play in it forward and back. Is this typical or do I need to adjust something? Thanks.
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 721
Likes: 1
From: Buckeye, AZ
Yes it is a detachable rack. The rack itself is what is loose, there is a little fore and aft movement at the securing points. The rear release points are fully engaged, but if I put a little pressure on the trunk, i.e. lean back against it, it will move. The trunk mounted to the rack is solid.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Yes it is a detachable rack. The rack itself is what is loose, there is a little fore and aft movement at the securing points. The rear release points are fully engaged, but if I put a little pressure on the trunk, i.e. lean back against it, it will move. The trunk mounted to the rack is solid.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,352
Likes: 7
From: Keene, CA
I had a '07 RG with the detachable tourpack. All the pre-'09s have the same problems as it's a poor design and worse execution. The front mounts are steel slots sliding over a steel bushing with a rubber insert in between, and they will wear thru the rubber. The rears will wear thru the bushing. Even worse - the tolerances are huge, as these racks are made all over the world in sub-standard fashion. That results in some tight fits, some very loose ones.
Gilbos sells aluminum replacement bushings, but he still has to make them undersized to fit the narrow-slotted racks. Even if they fit tight initially, a steel rack vibrating on an aluminum bushing wears substantially in not very many miles. So you rotate the bushing and wear it someplace else....
I finally ordered some Delrin plastic stock and turned my own bushings on my lathe - Gilbos' idea but with better material. I also had the rack right there, so they were custom-fit to match. That virtually eliminated the slop, and Delrin is used to make bushings for industrial machinery (replaces bronze and wears much better). I made a set for another guy here on HDF, and he has 10k miles and an accident that destroyed his original tourpack on them - still nice and snug.
Gilbos sells aluminum replacement bushings, but he still has to make them undersized to fit the narrow-slotted racks. Even if they fit tight initially, a steel rack vibrating on an aluminum bushing wears substantially in not very many miles. So you rotate the bushing and wear it someplace else....
I finally ordered some Delrin plastic stock and turned my own bushings on my lathe - Gilbos' idea but with better material. I also had the rack right there, so they were custom-fit to match. That virtually eliminated the slop, and Delrin is used to make bushings for industrial machinery (replaces bronze and wears much better). I made a set for another guy here on HDF, and he has 10k miles and an accident that destroyed his original tourpack on them - still nice and snug.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 721
Likes: 1
From: Buckeye, AZ
I had a '07 RG with the detachable tourpack. All the pre-'09s have the same problems as it's a poor design and worse execution. The front mounts are steel slots sliding over a steel bushing with a rubber insert in between, and they will wear thru the rubber. The rears will wear thru the bushing. Even worse - the tolerances are huge, as these racks are made all over the world in sub-standard fashion. That results in some tight fits, some very loose ones.
Gilbos sells aluminum replacement bushings, but he still has to make them undersized to fit the narrow-slotted racks. Even if they fit tight initially, a steel rack vibrating on an aluminum bushing wears substantially in not very many miles. So you rotate the bushing and wear it someplace else....
I finally ordered some Delrin plastic stock and turned my own bushings on my lathe - Gilbos' idea but with better material. I also had the rack right there, so they were custom-fit to match. That virtually eliminated the slop, and Delrin is used to make bushings for industrial machinery (replaces bronze and wears much better). I made a set for another guy here on HDF, and he has 10k miles and an accident that destroyed his original tourpack on them - still nice and snug.
Gilbos sells aluminum replacement bushings, but he still has to make them undersized to fit the narrow-slotted racks. Even if they fit tight initially, a steel rack vibrating on an aluminum bushing wears substantially in not very many miles. So you rotate the bushing and wear it someplace else....
I finally ordered some Delrin plastic stock and turned my own bushings on my lathe - Gilbos' idea but with better material. I also had the rack right there, so they were custom-fit to match. That virtually eliminated the slop, and Delrin is used to make bushings for industrial machinery (replaces bronze and wears much better). I made a set for another guy here on HDF, and he has 10k miles and an accident that destroyed his original tourpack on them - still nice and snug.
BTW, any interest in making another set of Delrin bushings?
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 721
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From: Buckeye, AZ
Just to update this thread. I swaped out the docking bushings and I still have the movement. I have a sneaking suspicion that that rack is aftermarket and not a genuine HD product (bought this off of Ebay) and that the securing mechanism is just a bit larger than the OEM stuff. I'm going to see if I can purchase just the securing "hinges" from the dealer and see if that makes a difference. If not then I'll probably see the rack on Ebay and buy a Harley one. As it is I can still ride with it, but I'm particular about my bike and this will bother me if left alone. Thanks again for the advice and suggestions.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,352
Likes: 7
From: Keene, CA
Even the "genuine" HD ones have substantial variance. Ride the bike over to the dealer and try another rack on it.
If you have a precision measuring device (dial caliper from HF works fine) and can give me the diameter you need, I can whip you up some delrin ones. Mine were .030 larger than stock, and I did a set for another member that were +.045 or so.
If you have a precision measuring device (dial caliper from HF works fine) and can give me the diameter you need, I can whip you up some delrin ones. Mine were .030 larger than stock, and I did a set for another member that were +.045 or so.
