Tour Pak Luggage Rack Install Help...

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Mar 6, 2011 | 07:12 PM

#11

Unome

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Joined: Sep 2006

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From: Ellenwood, GA - The Ghetto Part

Masking tape is good advice or you can use the blue painters tape. As stated, measure many times before you drill first hole.

I also put a small amount of silicone caulk in the holes the bolts go in as well as a bead of caulk around the bolt & washer on inside of tour pack. Just a little extra against possible leakage.

Mar 6, 2011 | 07:13 PM

#12

usmc3468

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Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 453

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From: Greenwood, Indiana

Thanks for the info............. I am going in

Mar 6, 2011 | 07:24 PM

#13

peddler

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Joined: Oct 2006

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From: North East

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew4jan

I put a piece of tape in the center of the tour pack and then determined the distance between the mounting holes closest to the back rest, divided by 2 and wrote that number down. I then measured and deternined the centerline of the tour pack lid and then drew a straight line on that piece of tape. Using a small carpenter's square drew a straight line on each side on masking tape that I had approximated where the holes would be drilled using the first distance I wrote down. I then put the rack on, centering the holes closest to the back rest and determined their position that I was comfortable with, drew around those mounts and drilled the holes on the centerline position.

Next I losely attached the rack, traced around the back mounts, removed the rack, determined the center, drilled and attached. All in all about fifteen minutes work and it looks great.

This process will definitely work if the one assumption drew4jan made is true. What assumption would that be you ask? That would be the assumption the rack is symmetrical and the posts are equidistant from the center of the rack. Take my word for it. STARING AT THE RACK AFTER INSTALLATION CAN CAUSE NIGHTMARES. Consider yourself warned. HAHAAHAHA

Mar 6, 2011 | 08:50 PM

#14

bigdumbnoitall00

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Joined: Dec 2007

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i made the wife sit on it and hold it upright for about an hour while i centered it by eye and marked the tape.

Mar 6, 2011 | 09:18 PM

#15

Mr Cujo

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Joined: May 2009

Posts: 827

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From: Covington, Ga.

Take the lid off, walk it to the bench, lay a slice of tape down each side to give you a discernible edge, measure, mark, drill....Breathe before you pass out.

Mar 7, 2011 | 03:07 AM

#16

Expat1

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Joined: Jun 2010

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From: Annemasse (border of Geneva-Switzerland) facing Mt-Blanc.

I fixed mine with only two longitudinal strips of 1" masking tape and I'm 1/4" off center

If I had to do it again (for a friend) I would use 4 strips of 2" wide masking tape to form a " # " plus two sections of a broomstick that you position (tack) inside the rounded recess onto the tape. This way you get rid of the light reflection and centering becomes trivial.

Mar 7, 2011 | 05:22 AM

#17

ddm502001

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Joined: Dec 2008

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From: Mid West

I cheated, I used a seamstress tape(cloth) to measure for the center line and center of the lid, I then measured and marked for the two forward legs of the rack squaring against the center line; once marked I then sat the rack on the lid and rough marked the rear points and verified square, then drilled and set.

I used three tape lines of 2" wide one for center and center line, two for the leg holes. I carpentered for too long, measure a hundred times drill once! Oh and the racks are not really too square, they have little distortions to deal with, mine is bolt centered but the rack itself is off center by 1/8", imagine that!

Mar 7, 2011 | 07:49 AM

#18

drew4jan

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Joined: Apr 2010

Posts: 845

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From: Tucson, AZ

Quote:

Originally Posted by peddler

You are correct and that is an assumption that I made. One other thing, drill pilot holes with a small bit to avoid the larger bit walking and scratching the paint.