Luggage Rack Installation

[Bob Chadwick]

I was looking at my luggage rack today and noticed that while all the screws are in place, two of the nuts on the bottom are missing. I went behind the seats to check it out and was surprised to find that they screws don't come through here.

Can anyone tell me how those nuts are accessed? It appears that it involves dropping the gas tank.

Bob

 

[Gunther]

Hi
No, you don't need to drop the gas tank. This are some kind of blind nuts. They are installed from the top and when the bolt tightense up, the rubber part mushrooms against the fiberglass.
Also, you can reach the underside of this well nuts by grabbing around the tank, but you don't realy need to.
When I installed my rack, the bolts where a little bit too short to grab the nut, so I had to compress the rubber a tiny little bit by pushing from the bottom around the tank in order for the bolts to start the new well nuts. No problem.
Just get new well nuts and install them from the top if your sure that the metal nut from the rubber well nut is missing.
Good luck. Gunther

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Gunther,

If I read your post right, I will need to remove the rack to places these missing well nuts. Do I need to worry about the existing nuts falling out when I remove the rack to place the new ones. Also, where did you get well nuts as I'm not sure what they are?

Bob

 

[resto75]

You can get the well nuts at home improvement stores like Lowes or Home depot. The nut is usually firmly attached inside the well nut but over time the rubber dries out and gets hard then the nut can come loose.
Just unscrew the rack and take it off. The top of the well nut has a flat rubber washer like top. You can just carefully cut the flat top off with a razor knife and then push the well nut down into the body. It will either fallout on the floor or end up shaking out as you drive.
The new well nut just pushes down into the old hole untill it bottoms out on the flat head, then all you have to do is screw the rack back down into the new well nuts.

Roy

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Thanks guys.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the old rack. It appears structurally sound, just has some rust on it. Would you replace it, rechrome it or just paint it black. Or could it be ppwder coated (excuse the newbie, but what exactly is powdercoating. I only know about it because it has been mentioned here).

Bob

 

[resto75]

I bought a stainless rack to replace my pitted chrome rack. Be aware that not all racks are the same. There are six hole and eight hole but not all six hole or eight hole racks have exactly the same spacing.
Best thing is to very accuratly measure the spacing on your old rack and compare it to the spacing on the new one if you get a replacement.

Rechroming the old one will cost you more then a new one, but at least you know the holes will line up. I would forget the black paint or powdercoating but that is up to you.

Roy