Touratech rails on 1150GSA

[vireo]

I've just fitted some - but need a bit of advice. Thing is, they dont seem to fit too well...........or, to be more specific, they fit great until I come to put on the rear brace. The brace appears to be about 3cm shorther than ideal (with the rails/racks firmly fastened to the rear sub-frame). The rails were bought second hand but unused and were marked as being for a 1150GSA.....

Before fitting the brace, the rails are just slightly off plumb (tilting slightly out/negative angle) - by -2 or -3 degrees, at a guess.

I've managed to fit the cross brace, but it took me using a ratchet strap to pull the lower section of the rails towards each other and then fitting the brace. When I secured the brance and then released the strap the rails are now quite a bit off plumb - probably by +4/5 degrees. Its all nice and tight/snug, but I'm worried as to what I had to do to get the system fitted fully

Is this the way thay are supposed to fit?
Am I likely to be straining either the rails, or more worringly, the sub-frame?


Thanks in advance

Vireo

 

[John Armstrong]

I've just fitted some brand new TT rails to my 1100 and the cross brace didin't align up perfectly as the rh cross brace bracket is slightly at the wrong angle. Also, I found the cross brace fitted better if it was forward of the lugs and not behind.

Btw you have removed the BM plastic panniers spacer that has the two bolts at the rear IYSWIM?

I didn't have to use any real force to get the cross brace fitted.

Some more instructions photo's etc here:

http://www.touratech-usa.com/shop/s...ession=touratech:569F69E71631d1E362wph11E5D64

 

[vireo]

I've just fitted some brand new TT rails to my 1100 and the cross brace didin't align up perfectly as the rh cross brace bracket is slightly at the wrong angle. Also, I found the cross brace fitted better if it was forward of the lugs and not behind.

Btw you have removed the BM plastic panniers spacer that has the two bolts at the rear IYSWIM?

I didn't have to use any real force to get the cross brace fitted.

Some more instructions photo's etc here:

http://www.touratech-usa.com/shop/s...ession=touratech:569F69E71631d1E362wph11E5D64

John

Thanks. Yeah, I saw those instruction and tried to follow them. I never did figure out what the "holding device" was, but presume something was lost in translation.
All bits from the system rails are long gone.........

V

 

[MikeP]

Did you do the fittings up nice and tight as you mounted the frames, or did you just put a few turns on each thread and then go around doing them all up tight?

If the former, loosen them off and try again.

 

[vireo]

Did you do the fittings up nice and tight as you mounted the frames, or did you just put a few turns on each thread and then go around doing them all up tight?

If the former, loosen them off and try again.

Mike

The latter....

The margin by which the fitting seems to be 'out' well exceeds what might come from tightening the rails fully before trying to fit the cross-brace

Vireo

 

[John Armstrong]

I undid my cross piece after fitting, and refitted it without any undue violence.

Do you know for sure the rear subframe is ok? One test is if someone local has the plastic panniers and you try and see how the rails / panniers fit?

 

[BSD]

Same thing with mine. PatZx12 from here gave me a hand making them fit.
Get the angle right,put it in a clamp..a bit of pounding..some paint flaked off..spray can out..sorted.
Oh and he made me a a nice spacer to fit in where the rear right footpeg bolts onto the frames.

 

[John Armstrong]

Oh and he made me a a nice spacer to fit in where the rear right footpeg bolts onto the frames.

I just used some penny washers

 

[Stewart H]

Mine needed a little encouragement in certain directions too.

Stewart

 

[vireo]

I undid my cross piece after fitting, and refitted it without any undue violence.

Do you know for sure the rear subframe is ok? One test is if someone local has the plastic panniers and you try and see how the rails / panniers fit?

John
Thanks. I did wonder of the sub-frame could be 'out'. I've only just taken off the system panniers recently, so the upper mounts are fine. So too should be the footrest mounts, (as they are needed for the system boxes) but there is perhaps a larger margin for error. That said, in order to have that symptoms I'm seeing, the footrest mounts would need to be pulled out, and not pushed in (ie as if they suffered in a fall), so thats unlikely.

It does rather sound as if the experience of others is mixed. I guess that I could take the rails off and use a 'persuader' on the tabs a-la BSD, but I dont have a vice suitable to hold them, and they would need a fair bit of persuading!

V

 

[John Armstrong]

Sounds like the bike's ok, could it tbe the rails themseleves were used unitentionally as crash bars on the previous bike?

 

[vireo]

Sounds like the bike's ok, could it tbe the rails themseleves were used unitentionally as crash bars on the previous bike?

Were brand new, never fitted....