Alumi-more! (was Alumi-less)

[daveb]

Originally Posted by Gnarvan

. I'm also wondering when Aluminess added these plastic sliders to their design. My new rear bumper came with them.

Like you, I don't really like the design of the pivot point bolt attatchment.

I was at SMBW when a fellow from Santa Rosa pointed out the problem with threaded swingarm bolts. When I went to pickup my van a week later there was another guy at SMB complaining about the same problem. Like the person I am, I stuck my nose into the conversation and told the guys about how stupid it was for aluminess to use threaded bolts on a swingarm. That was the first time I met Dave from Aluminess But he was nice and actually listened to the issue at hand. Within the month they came out with a threadedless shoulder bolt kit and changed their method of manufacture. No it's not a bushing or bearing, but I have had no trouble with mine to date. I'm not saying the stuff couldn't be made stronger or better. The little slider pieces were already being installed when I showed Dave the bolt problem. That was between 2007-2008 if I remember correctly.

One thing Dave liked was how I constantly use the hitch pin. He figure if more owners used a pin it would help with those who had problems.

I had my bumper re-powder coated and while I was at it had an extra hinge to the spare and 2 extra to the box side. I figured why not heavy it up even though I had never had any trouble and still had the old bone rattling springs. I do put my van through rough terrain so I hpoe the bumper holds up. Aluminess is aware of weight issues and I try to limit my the load to what they are made for...4 cans of fuel and maybe a bit more.

[Zeta]

Ha! Thought it would be hilarious to fill my Rotopax with 4 gallons of water and 4 gallons of diesel. Hopelessly sagged the swing arm and the (new) $2.47 Taiwanese latch will never last.

Gonna totally rebuild the bumper over the winter using a steel substructure and huge, sealed bearings.

Z

[daveb]

I wonder if the EB vs RB makes a difference? Although the longer tail might make more movement maybe its not so harsh. My weight is pushin the limit now, and I don't think I could handle much more vehicle weight. Still it would be better if I could pack more on the back.

[Zeta]

Don't think so. Your swing outs are beefier with the extra support arms and the 33" tires weigh less. With the Rotopax tanks full and the 35" spare, there has to be 180+ lbs on my left swing out. No way Harvey! When I'm done with them, 180 will be doable--I think...

Z


http://www.tomsinclair.net

[aluminess]

Hi Guys,
This is Dave from Aluminess. Here is some information that may answer some of your questions on this thread. We have been in business for 11 years and have thousands of bumpers in the field. The product has been improved over the years with input from our customers. We welcome the feedback as you discover features that improve quality and reliability. Remember fighter jets land on aircraft carriers at full throttle and get stopped by a hook and a cable. Aluminum is not the problem. The problems noted here represent less than a fraction of one percent. 100 percent of the problems we have seen are from damage or lack of maintenance. In the beginning we used machine bolts at the pivot points. If the nylock nut got loose the bolt threads would wear the aluminum and elongate the hole. The issue was rare and the result of not lubricating the joint and allowing the nut to remain loose. Several years ago we replaced the machine bolts with shoulder bolts and added a support bracket to keep the pivot bolt straight even if the nut loosened. Changing to steel bushings or tapered bearings would still require lubrication and possible add rust from moisture. The bearings in your vehicle motor are made from a soft aluminum type material and handle thousands of revolutions per minute, but there is a thin layer of oil to prevent wear. Lubricate the pivot points after washing your vehicle and keep the nuts snug.
Cracks and bends in the swing arm are caused by damage in 2 basic ways. If bent in then someone bumped into you or you may have backed into something. Cracks and pipe bent into the tire area are the result of tire rotation or tire replacement where the spare tire has been over tightened or an impact gun was used. Larger tires or deeper rims put the tire in contact with the pipe before the rim contacts the mounting plate. There is tremendous torque because of the fine threads. Spacers should be used to insure a proper fit.
We stand behind our product 100 percent and will repair or replace any damage at no charge unless it was a vehicle accident.
It is always best to take a problem to the source who can correct it and understands the cause and effect.

[Gnarvan]

Dave

Thanks for chiming in. It's comforting to know I have the newer improved pivot design. I'll have to start adding lubing the swingarms to my maintenance program.

Having worked around airplanes a lot in a previous life I've never bought into the myth that steel is always the stronger material.

[Ford_6L_E350]

Dave,

I hear what you are saying.

But, having to oil the pivot everytime I wash my van would make the tire carrier the most maintenance intensive part on any vehicle I have ever owned. I know engines have soft metal bearings protected by a thin film of oil. And that oil (on most newer vehicles) only needs attention every 5-10,000 miles.

When I rebuilt my Aluminess spare tire carrier, I installed a 1/2" Oilite bushing on both fixed pivots, a 1/2" bolt with no threads on the portion in the bushings, the original plastic spacers drilled out for the bolts, tapped the moveable arms for the bolts and put a nylock nuts on the bolts. Now the operation is smooth and strong and maintenance free. More like what most of us expect from quality products.

Don't get me wrong, I like my Aluminess spare carrier. It just seemed to have the pivots under-engineered. This is coming from a retired engineer with many years designing products made primarily from aluminum.

Mike

[Zeta]

The 35" tire never fit well even after Aluminess sent me a plate to space out and relocate the spare--I have to leave the spare deflated in order to get it on at all. Could be the guys at Les Schwab bent the carrier zapping down the spare during a rotation (free for the life of the tires!), I never thought about that.

I never abused it. Never backed into anything. Just loved it too much.

That said, all my earlier points stand.

Z

[Gnarvan]

Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350

But, having to oil the pivot everytime I wash my van would make the tire carrier the most maintenance intensive part on any vehicle I have ever owned.
Mike

People actually wash their vans??????

Seems like a waste of good water to me.

[Zeta]

Uh oh! Having my tires rotated! Hope Les Schwab doesn't abuse my tire carrier.



Actually I just wanted to try the Tapa photo feature.

Z


http://www.tomsinclair.net