Adjusting this style of roof rack

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mdf

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#247892 1-Mar-2019 09:31

My uncle gave me a set of old roof racks:

Unfortunately they are about 30mm too long to fit. He was pretty sure that the two halves of the pipe just slid over each other; there wasn't a locking mechanism.

I have tried the obvious to get them to shift:

- Gentle taps

- Moderate taps

- Absoluting whaling on them

- Heating the outside

- Trying to get CRC in the join

- Trying to ratchet them closed with a tie down strop

- Using a two tonne trolley jack and a bar to try and prise them apart

Nothing has worked as yet. Given the trolley jack was bending the supports before the pipe budged, I think it's fair to say the two halves are firmly attached to each other.

Open to any other ideas, but decided I should also see whether anyone else has a similar style roof rack and can confirm whether or not there is a locking mechanism or other trick to getting them apart.

eracode

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#2189229 1-Mar-2019 09:34

What metal are they. Steel? Maybe rusted together?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

mdf

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#2189232 1-Mar-2019 09:37

eracode: What metal are they. Steel? Maybe rusted together?

I'm almost certain galvanized steel and suspect you're right about them being rusted together. Before I do something extreme I wanted to check it was just rust and not something like "oh, there's a hidden pin. Pop that out first".

Coil

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#2189235 1-Mar-2019 09:42

These are typical hoop style roof racks. Yes they did once upon a time slide over each other. 10 years and the galv coating generally expands a little bit and locks them dead solid.

I'll suggest you soak them in diesel or fill the tubes with diesel but failing that they are where they sit. You will bend the tubes before you forcibly slide them, I did that to my bosses old ones when he got a new van..

Cheers

Fred99

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#2189238 1-Mar-2019 09:44

They'd be unstable/dangerous unless there actually was something locking the two telescoped tubes together.

Coil

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#2189240 1-Mar-2019 09:45

Fred99:

They'd be unstable/dangerous unless there actually was something locking the two telescoped tubes together.

No they are not... These are rigid and not floppy... The fact they are telescopic prevents any form of bending. The fact they have non pivotal mounts also prevents them from bending.

BTW, These are the strongest rack style you can get. for gutter mount.

mdf

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#2189241 1-Mar-2019 09:49

Coil:

These are typical hoop style roof racks. Yes they did once upon a time slide over each other. 10 years and the galv coating generally expands a little bit and locks them dead solid.

I'll suggest you soak them in diesel or fill the tubes with diesel but failing that they are where they sit. You will bend the tubes before you forcibly slide them, I did that to my bosses old ones when he got a new van..

Cheers

Hah! Pleased to hear I'm not the first!

Any thoughts on applying a butane torch? I appreciate I'll probably melt off the zinc galvanizing.

richms

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#2189244 1-Mar-2019 09:50

Chances are there was a hole on the outside one that someone has welded to the inner one at the right length. If they are like most people they did an excessivly good job of it before painting it so you will never find it.

Richard rich.ms

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Coil

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#2189247 1-Mar-2019 09:54

mdf:

Coil:

These are typical hoop style roof racks. Yes they did once upon a time slide over each other. 10 years and the galv coating generally expands a little bit and locks them dead solid.

I'll suggest you soak them in diesel or fill the tubes with diesel but failing that they are where they sit. You will bend the tubes before you forcibly slide them, I did that to my bosses old ones when he got a new van..

Cheers

Hah! Pleased to hear I'm not the first!

Any thoughts on applying a butane torch? I appreciate I'll probably melt off the zinc galvanizing.

You literally have nothing to lose. Go for it.
If you want any chance of a usable roof rack, I'd soak them in diesel for a week. Blow torch on diesel soaked roof rack will just burn off slowly so doesn't really matter. I see that mechanical penetration is the only way, heat will just warp and contort the telescopic pole and make it never come free.

Fred99

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#2189257 1-Mar-2019 09:57

Coil:

Fred99:

They'd be unstable/dangerous unless there actually was something locking the two telescoped tubes together.

No they are not... These are rigid and not floppy... The fact they are telescopic prevents any form of bending. The fact they have non pivotal mounts also prevents them from bending.

BTW, These are the strongest rack style you can get. for gutter mount.

I can't agree with that. This is better, with u-bolts retaining the crossbar.

Coil

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#2189259 1-Mar-2019 10:07

Fred99:

Coil:

Fred99:

They'd be unstable/dangerous unless there actually was something locking the two telescoped tubes together.

No they are not... These are rigid and not floppy... The fact they are telescopic prevents any form of bending. The fact they have non pivotal mounts also prevents them from bending.

BTW, These are the strongest rack style you can get. for gutter mount.

I can't agree with that. This is better, with u-bolts retaining the crossbar.

You do know that welds are physically stronger? This rack maybe a little better with a vertical load, But any form of horizontal force will take these things out. When a tradie has 4 ladders and a tube full of conduit, copper earth rods etc it starts to get heavy and the horizontal force when cornering at times will destroy these weakly made racks using pressure to hold together rather than physical connections.

mdf

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#2190041 2-Mar-2019 20:57

Right, these suckers are not moving. I did get to buy a new propane blowtorch though, so it wasn't an entirely wasted endeavour.

Ge0rge

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#2190043 2-Mar-2019 21:00

mdf:
Coil:

These are typical hoop style roof racks. Yes they did once upon a time slide over each other. 10 years and the galv coating generally expands a little bit and locks them dead solid.

I'll suggest you soak them in diesel or fill the tubes with diesel but failing that they are where they sit. You will bend the tubes before you forcibly slide them, I did that to my bosses old ones when he got a new van..

Cheers

Hah! Pleased to hear I'm not the first!

Any thoughts on applying a butane torch? I appreciate I'll probably melt off the zinc galvanizing.

@mdf - if that still won't make them budge, I'd suggest just taking a disc grinder and knocking out the 30mm excess, then sliding a piece of steel inside to act as a splint, and giving it a zap with the welder to secure again.

For some reason, I think you are in Wellington - I'm in the Wairarapa, happy to help if you haven't got access to the right tooling.

mdf

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#2190052 2-Mar-2019 21:19

Cheers @Ge0rge. Yep, you're right I'm in Wellington and "learn to weld" is still very much at the "to do one day" phase. Honestly though I'm not sure they're in a good enough state to spend much more time on. I might ask around and see if anyone has a van that will fit them in their current sizing.

If anyone in Wellington has an old model Toyota Hiace (99 era?) and need some roof racks, I've got some that might fit...

gumboot19

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#2190064 2-Mar-2019 21:53

good old strong roof-racks, seen the odd roof gutter peeled when the owner goes under a low doorway.

Here is my five cents worth:

Heat probably wont work as you are heating the outer and inner tubes at the same time, both will expand at the same rate.

slow movement wont work as there is too much surface area of rust holding things on.

place a block of wood on the concrete and vertically slam the smaller tube end of the rack down as hard as practically possible onto the piece of wood. think of swinging an axe at a piece of firewood you are trying to split.

hopefully the inertia and weight will make things move.