Alu-Cab Awning Frontrunner Bracket Install

MetalDog

Observer
Will post some more pics when it's all put together this weekend. The bolts on the long leg are about 4 inches long and go all the way through the rack via 2 drilled holes. i sort of messed up the 1st one by trying to do a small hole and then expanding it. The 2nd hole I just drilled with a bit through the mount hole so it lined up perfectly.

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MetalDog

Observer
Got the awning installed. Also added the two extra legs for the sidewall kit while at it. Dang, pretty heavy now! Thanks Tom@ Adventure Ready for spending part of your Sunday helping me get this up and running.

Almost forgot, I replaced the four long bolts with Grade 10 bolts and Grade 8 nuts to replace the stainless steel ones that came with the kit.
 

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rickc

Adventurer
The Canadian term for those brackets is "skookum". They also look really expensive but I'm sure very necessary. Does the awning have drop-down poles too?
 

MetalDog

Observer
The Canadian term for those brackets is "skookum". They also look really expensive but I'm sure very necessary. Does the awning have drop-down poles too?

It has a single dropdown, but it doesn't need it unless its in 20 MPH+ winds. I actually added the awning room since these pictures, that adds two more legs to support the weight of the canvas. Brackets are pretty solid.
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
Almost forgot, I replaced the four long bolts with Grade 10 bolts and Grade 8 nuts to replace the stainless steel ones that came with the kit.

I'm not sure I would have made that change.

Grades 8/10 are harder - all about increasing tensile strength, which I'm not sure are needed in this application. Moreover, the photo of the bolts looks like they're black-oxide finish, which I've found to be fairly corrosion prone for exterior applications, even in steel. Driving those bolts into an aluminum bracket (even an anodized one) seems like a recipe for galvanic corrosion. One of the reasons so many applications use stainless bolts into aluminum pieces is that stainless steel and commercial aluminum grades have a very similar corrosion index and tend not to react with each other.

Just FYI
 

MetalDog

Observer
I'm not sure I would have made that change.

Grades 8/10 are harder - all about increasing tensile strength, which I'm not sure are needed in this application. Moreover, the photo of the bolts looks like they're black-oxide finish, which I've found to be fairly corrosion prone for exterior applications, even in steel. Driving those bolts into an aluminum bracket (even an anodized one) seems like a recipe for galvanic corrosion. One of the reasons so many applications use stainless bolts into aluminum pieces is that stainless steel and commercial aluminum grades have a very similar corrosion index and tend not to react with each other.

Just FYI

Good to know, thanks! Im here in the PNW, so lots of rain. Will keep a careful eye on it.
 

rickc

Adventurer
Herbie's right; those black bolts will start corroding really quickly and at the very least look ugly, at worst damage your aluminum parts. Stainless everywhere, especially when bolting to aluminum platforms, cross bars or brackets. What was wrong with the stainless bolts?
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
Herbie's right; those black bolts will start corroding really quickly and at the very least look ugly, at worst damage your aluminum parts. Stainless everywhere, especially when bolting to aluminum platforms, cross bars or brackets.

Also super important: Anti-Seize!

A little dab'll do ya', as they say, but leaving off the anti-seize will make you curse your maker if you get everything really tight and then need to un-do them later.
 

MetalDog

Observer
Also super important: Anti-Seize!

A little dab'll do ya', as they say, but leaving off the anti-seize will make you curse your maker if you get everything really tight and then need to un-do them later.

Thank you, will take care of it this weekend!
 

MetalDog

Observer
Little update on the Alu-Cab shadow awning install on my Frontrunner roof rack. After about a week I noticed some loud and consistent squeaking from two slats that were to the left and right of the front awning mount.

Due to the way Frontrunner slats are are mounted (via a bolt from the bottom, and not all the way through the side rail)... the weight of the awning pulls the top of sidewall outwards, creating a loud creaking noise and possible sheer point.

My buddy who is an aeronautical engineer took a look at it, and recommended additional brackets be added to support the Alu-Cab bracket. Since he’s also a welder lol, he decided to build a support bracket on the Alu-Cab mount side and the far mount side. Loud squeaking noise gone and the bracket won’t budge no matter how much force you put on it.
 

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MetalDog

Observer
Little update on the Alu-Cab shadow awning install on my Frontrunner roof rack. After about a week I noticed some loud and consistent squeaking from two slats that were to the left and right of the front awning mount.

Due to the way Frontrunner slats are are mounted (via a bolt from the bottom, and not all the way through the side rail)... the weight of the awning pulls the top of sidewall outwards, creating a loud creaking noise and possible sheer point.

My buddy who is an aeronautical engineer took a look at it, and recommended additional brackets be added to support the Alu-Cab bracket. Since he’s also a welder lol, he decided to build a support bracket on the Alu-Cab mount side and the far mount side. Loud squeaking noise gone and the bracket won’t budge no matter how much force you put on it.


Found out from Rin today that I installed the front mount incorrectly lol. Apparently, you are supposed to put one of the front mount bolts through a slat. I've attached a pic. Weird that they didn't make the front mount wide enough to bolt through two slats instead of just one.
 

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