(for Toyota Mini-Van (Sienna)) - version 4e
Wherein Mr.
Bill decides (for no particular reason (other than maybe he had nothing
better to do (AND he found a 'bolt-head' on the Toyota that he hadn't
found before))) that he must
re-engineer the (front) hood hang-glider-support rack mechanism.
In order to achieve the following goals:
Anyway - here's some random pictures...
the whole (new (version 4e)) rack in a single picture...
This is a close-up picture of the LEFT hand top-joint between the LEFT upright and the top-cross-bar. The 'pin-sticking-up' is actually a 3/4" diameter (well 18mm (bought this one in Australia)) piece of 'fir' that goes all the way through the cross-bar and into the 'upright' about 6". It has an oversized 'hairpin' through it (INSIDE the CROSSBAR) that keeps it from dropping down into the upright. The small string lacing into the ring and then stainless cable forms the 'X-brace' that makes this rack very very rigid in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the centerline of the car) this REALLY MAKES the rack much much better than the previous rack when driving in a BIG cross-wind...
This is a picture of the bottom-detail of the left-hand vertical support - the bolt you see at the right hand edge of the picture is actually at the LEFT LOWER corner of the windshield - it holds the top of the LEFT fender on the car... that's about ALL this bolt did before I discovered it underneath a rubber-cover. NOW it supports the LEFT vertical support (and there is a similar bolt on the right side of the car. The stainless cable you see heading off to the left of the picture goes to the RIGHT top-joint and it - plus the other cable makes this rack VERY Rigid left to right (something the other (version 3r)) rack was definitely not (rigid left to right)...
this is where the left compression strut (to keep the rack 'upright' when there is no Hang Glider on the rack) meets the cross-bar. the 'clevis-pin' you see at the left of the picture goes all the way through the cross-bar and we use a 'ring-ding' on the bottom. The padding you see, here, is for the left-hand hang-glider - usually Mr. Bill's glider. (a link to Mr. Bill's glider's web-page is here) .
Here's some pictures of previous version(s) of this rack - and some logic / text as to why these racks were un-suitable!
Version 1: supported from below the 'air-damn' in front - this one was RIGID, but because it was below the air-dam it got trashed when we went through a deep-curb somewhere in Virginia...
Version 2: this one was supported on the hood with the vacuum cups we found on the web (after A LOT of research)... These vacuum cups were very good (and a bit expensive at about $40 each) but they are 'flexible' and we want "some" flex in the rack / system, but not too much...
Version 3: very very similar to version 2 - but this (and it may be very hard to see) version moves the vacuum cups much further 'aft' (and consequently "UP" (Vertical) on the hood to try and find a place on the hood that has much less flex. This really helped but the hood and the vacuum cups together as a 'system' create WAY too much flex and they do not allow the rigidity / resistence to a cross wind that I was so eager to find... Further - there are some top-joint (where the uprights meet the cross-bar) improvements that are impossible to see in this view
last updated: 18:36 p.m. on Monday, 25 June 2007; revID: 1b (in Stuart, Florida)
In order to achieve the following goals:
- make it possible to open the front hood so he can check the oil, battery, fluids, etc.
- make it more structurally sound
(side to side) so that the hang-gliders don't blow-around in a massive
cross-wind - which we always seem to be driving in (but not flying in)
- make the three-support-bunks (the
one on the front-hood-rack and the two on the roof-top more 'in-line'
with each other so that the gliders are more evenly weight-supported
- make the rack easier to put on and
take off the mini-van - less time, gadgets, pins, etc.
- reduce the damage to the paint-job
on the hood - which was begining to show
Anyway - here's some random pictures...
the whole (new (version 4e)) rack in a single picture...
This is a close-up picture of the LEFT hand top-joint between the LEFT upright and the top-cross-bar. The 'pin-sticking-up' is actually a 3/4" diameter (well 18mm (bought this one in Australia)) piece of 'fir' that goes all the way through the cross-bar and into the 'upright' about 6". It has an oversized 'hairpin' through it (INSIDE the CROSSBAR) that keeps it from dropping down into the upright. The small string lacing into the ring and then stainless cable forms the 'X-brace' that makes this rack very very rigid in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the centerline of the car) this REALLY MAKES the rack much much better than the previous rack when driving in a BIG cross-wind...
This is a picture of the bottom-detail of the left-hand vertical support - the bolt you see at the right hand edge of the picture is actually at the LEFT LOWER corner of the windshield - it holds the top of the LEFT fender on the car... that's about ALL this bolt did before I discovered it underneath a rubber-cover. NOW it supports the LEFT vertical support (and there is a similar bolt on the right side of the car. The stainless cable you see heading off to the left of the picture goes to the RIGHT top-joint and it - plus the other cable makes this rack VERY Rigid left to right (something the other (version 3r)) rack was definitely not (rigid left to right)...
this is where the left compression strut (to keep the rack 'upright' when there is no Hang Glider on the rack) meets the cross-bar. the 'clevis-pin' you see at the left of the picture goes all the way through the cross-bar and we use a 'ring-ding' on the bottom. The padding you see, here, is for the left-hand hang-glider - usually Mr. Bill's glider. (a link to Mr. Bill's glider's web-page is here) .
Here's some pictures of previous version(s) of this rack - and some logic / text as to why these racks were un-suitable!
Version 1: supported from below the 'air-damn' in front - this one was RIGID, but because it was below the air-dam it got trashed when we went through a deep-curb somewhere in Virginia...
Version 2: this one was supported on the hood with the vacuum cups we found on the web (after A LOT of research)... These vacuum cups were very good (and a bit expensive at about $40 each) but they are 'flexible' and we want "some" flex in the rack / system, but not too much...
Version 3: very very similar to version 2 - but this (and it may be very hard to see) version moves the vacuum cups much further 'aft' (and consequently "UP" (Vertical) on the hood to try and find a place on the hood that has much less flex. This really helped but the hood and the vacuum cups together as a 'system' create WAY too much flex and they do not allow the rigidity / resistence to a cross wind that I was so eager to find... Further - there are some top-joint (where the uprights meet the cross-bar) improvements that are impossible to see in this view
last updated: 18:36 p.m. on Monday, 25 June 2007; revID: 1b (in Stuart, Florida)