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Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
By:Ian Johnson
Date: 1/31/2011, 7:47 pm
In Response To: Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles (Les Cheeseman)

Hi Les

: 2. Lengths of 1"x1/4" ally at a foot or two may feel
: stiff when you try to bend them by hand
: but in reality it is not stiff or strong and once an axial twist
: has started it rapidly becomes even weaker!
That's true but it's not the cradle's job to prevent axial twist. The tethers do that. The cradles were not the issue - the issue was that the crosswind force exerted so much force on the rack (through the cradles), that it sheered the bolts holding the cross bar to the roof rails. A front tether from the bow down to either side of the car would have all but eliminated this force.

All a cradle really needs to do is to hold the kayak to the crossbars - this doesn't require it to be especially rigid (at least not more than aluminium or plastic would provide).

Regards, Ian

Messages In This Thread

Other: Racks
Paul R -- 1/28/2011, 9:52 am
Re: Other: Racks
Al Edie -- 1/28/2011, 10:39 am
Re: Other: Racks
Bill Hamm -- 1/28/2011, 11:11 am
Re: Other: Racks
Les Cheeseman -- 1/28/2011, 12:04 pm
Re: Other: Racks
Dean -- 1/28/2011, 12:55 pm
Re: Other: Racks
Scott Shurlow -- 1/29/2011, 12:36 pm
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles *PIC*
Ian Johnson -- 1/30/2011, 6:33 pm
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Ian Johnson -- 1/30/2011, 6:36 pm
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Ian Cummins -- 1/30/2011, 10:47 pm
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Niven Paine -- 1/30/2011, 11:06 pm
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Ian Johnson -- 1/31/2011, 1:29 am
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
dave g -- 1/30/2011, 11:16 pm
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Bill Hamm -- 1/31/2011, 12:25 am
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Les Cheeseman -- 1/31/2011, 9:25 am
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Ian Johnson -- 1/31/2011, 7:47 pm
Re: Other: I made aluminium cradles
Bill Hamm -- 2/1/2011, 1:06 am