Have bought off car boot, looks good condition but no instructions. I need to know what looks like small plastic dumbells are for on the end of 2 straps. For me to have confidence in using it I need to know I have set it up right.Knowing what the dumbell things are for means I am a stage further on how to set it up. I could upload fotos to website if helps
Thanks for any help.
A photo would help, as may any markings such as maker or model number.
The dumbbell things go inside the car next to the hatch/boot seal, holding the strap which then goes outside. They're an alternative to hooks.
Here it is... no ID marks on it
Got you, never thought about the side strapping... Thanks. I presume the red straps for going around the bike(s) If they are I would have expected them further down the tubing.
bike carrier
swivel watsits, but on the top hooks I would have expected them !!
PDFs on their website ...
Nah, looks like dumbbells over the top of the bootlid and inside it (hence the swivels on those tapes for alignment) then hooks to side & bottom (bottom of bumper on mine).
The dumbbells look like a top idea, far more secure than hooks for the top. I probably overtighten mine (hooks only) for fear of them popping off so think I might make and fit some dumbbells.
If you've not had a rack before, watch out for the exhaust gasses melting the tyre on a long trip if too close.
and of course everything needs to be clear of the number plate and all the lights unless you use a lighting board
Good point, I've always used one cos I don't think you can have bikes on the back without obscuring something and plod can be very fussy about the details at times.
I saw one on the M3 with offside rear lights and most of nearside lights completely obscured. I hope he got pulled off the road and not allowed to continue until the vehicle was made roadworthy. Such behaviour is deliberately antisocial.
In message , fred writes
Some racks mount high enough up, and the lights/plate are low enough so as to not need one. But generally, yes you tend to need a lighting board
Seems more like it over the top but would have to take the dumbells off to thread the strap through. Now I'm getting there I am concerned about pressure on the trim on the car. See Pic
In article , Justine Time writes
I take it that is a hatchback with the hinge point above the glass?
If you open the hatch fully can you slide the strap/dumbbell in from the side at the top? It doesn't absolutely have to line up with the frame.
you will lift the carrier as high as possible[1], that might make the trim deformation on top of the back window acceptable. Also, is that trim nice and compliant or 'OMG, this will break if I touch it' type stuff. Maybe give it a trial fit to see how it looks and post another pic or two.
[1] not great for stability or wind resistance but worth a try.
No, I would need to take the dumbells off to thread through
See what you mean, not been on the car yet to try.
Also, is that
It's pretty rigid, factory fitted but it's the weight of the bikes. Would be 1 adults 2 childs Maybe give it a trial fit to see how it looks and post another
If you ever see a blue micra with 3 bikes on the back (or trailing on the road) and rearly worried looking person.... it's me.
Ok, swap the hook tapes to the top and put the dumbbells to the side. Most of these carriers use hooks all round so there's no loss. Btw, I notice yours seem to be bare metal, might be an ideas to wrap multiple layers of pvc tape round them to protect the paintwork on the attachment points.
Give us a look at it fitted but unladen and more suggestions may flow.
I'll wave . . . . . from a distance :-)
Hard to tell from the picture but don't the straps with the dumbells just unthread from the adjustment buckles?
I can't see anything to spread the load where the framework will rest on the car body. The tube ends will have the paint off to bare metal before you have driven out of the drive...
which bit of tube will be rubbing against the car?
The bits with the bits of foam padding on (sticking up in the photo) rest against the car. The bikes rest on the arms pointing down to the ground. The bit of tube connecting those arms that bends round shouldn't be resting on the car at all.
but yes as the OP says in another post, I'd be worried about any tops straps putting any force on the plastic spoiler.
Ah right, I must admit to struggling to work out how it fitted to a car. Those padded arms seem awfully long and with the bikes on arms the other side there is going to be a hefty moment in the thing. One adult and two kids bikes won't be very light either.
There may well be a gap between the spoiler and the boot lid. So remove straps from adjustment buckles, thread through the top boot lid seal from the inside, through gap between spoiler and boot lid then under the spoiler and down to the buckles.
With all that lot on the back of a small car I suspect a light board will be required. Is there the a standard towing electrics socket on the back of the car? If not one will need to be fitted. That might be very simple, buy Nissan part (socket on bracket with plug on flying lead), bolt to provided position on body, thread cable to already existing socket in the wiring harness). Or it might need a new rear bumper and hacking into the vehicle wiring with the addition of indicator beeper/driver and or warning light to the dash. May even require a tow ball to be fitted.
The OP might be discovering why it was cheap at a car boot... Faff to fit, light board & towing electrics required.
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