Grease your arms!

[IanE]

I've just had to cough up £63 to replace the longest of the arms on my VW T5 bike rack. This was because the thread on the arm had seized up with rust and I broke it in my attempts to free it up. It was the arm I used the least, hence the rust problem.

I have mentioned this within other related posts, but I thought I ought to highlight it as it could well be an issue for others.

Thanks to advice received here I have applied copper grease to all my bike rack arms and will keep an eye on them from now on - you might want to do the same

Photo below to try to illustrate the thread in question.

Cheers

Ian


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bigmac77]

For those thinking of doing this maintenance, any grease will do and as the bike rack sits on your vehicles all year round getting coated with salt in the winter and rain water I'd recommend doing it regularly.

 

[Dave650]

I have taken the two I don't intend to use off and they are in the garage. Will keepthe other two greased.

 

[Spartan]

For future reference, I have just found that it is probably cheaper to purchase the "Tommy Nuts" separately with some stainless steel threaded rod/bar and make up your own replacements (using alu. parts saved from the originals) and, hopefully, never have to worry about corrosion again ...

 

[WelshGas]

Just spray with ACF50.

 

[RonB]

Just spray with ACF50.

Is this the same product that you recommended be sprayed onto roof strut mechanism to prevent any corrosion? I have the odd bit of discolouration and one or two slightly corroded bolts/fixings, etc. I seem to recall this being posted at some point in the past but can't find the thread.

Thanks,

Ron

 

[WelshGas]

Is this the same product that you recommended be sprayed onto roof strut mechanism to prevent any corrosion? I have the odd bit of discolouration and one or two slightly corroded bolts/fixings, etc. I seem to recall this being posted at some point in the past but can't find the thread.

Thanks,

Ron

Used by the Aviation Industry.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/acf-50.htm

 

[WelshGas]

Used by the Aviation Industry.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/acf-50.htm

I would just soak a cloth and wipe it on to avoid getting it on the canvas.

 

[RonB]

I would just soak a cloth and wipe it on to avoid getting it on the canvas.

Looks good, thanks, will give it a go.

Ron

 

[Detritus]

Urgh, have just run into this issue on the T6 rack - going away tomorrow so went to put the bikes on the rack last night and they are totally seized! Have managed to get two moving but not the 3rd. Can anyone tell me how you remove it from the rack to replace it? If it involves losing the jaw then I’m going to need to cut through the bolt I think - obvs don’t want to do that until I know how to actually get it off and a new one on!

Thanks,

Jez

 

[Detritus]

Panic resolved, a liberal application of penetrating oil, and then an hour of applying copper grease and slowly working it up and down the thread has got it working enough for this holiday. Lots of rusty swarf cleaned off the thread. Will replace the steel threaded rods with stainless steel as per your recommendation @Spartan when I get home!