SmartBar and Roadsafe recovery points

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Got my SB fitted this week along with Coil Rites on the back. A bit disappointed, I had ordered the SB with another antenna mount on the right to match the one on the left. When I picked it up, just the left one was fitted. There are 2 pads in the bar on each side that look like they take rivnuts for the bracket so emailed SB for details, no reply. Has anyone fitted rivnuts into these pads? The left side certain looks like rivnuts.

Got the white SB and whilst it's not an exact match to the white, it's ok, and the wife thinks it looks great so that's a good test for me!

Fitting the RS recovery points (RR-PRA150 -the yellow ones) I found a problem where they fouled on a reinforcing doubler on the chassis. So needed to space them with 1 large washer on the lower 12mm bolts and 2 on the upper ones. The SB does not occupy the same area on the chassis as the recovery points unlike that of other bars I believe. So they don't sit flush on the chassis due to this doubler at the bottom.

Tonight fitted the FAMPARC whip to the SB and put the antenna analyser on it. Got some work to do there on the grounding of the antenna base. Now on the search for some 25mm or so tinned braid. So any other amateurs that have this same fit, been keen to know how you went getting the feed impedance right on a SB.

Geoff

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Fitting the RS recovery points (RR-PRA150 -the yellow ones) I found a problem where they fouled on a reinforcing doubler on the chassis. So needed to space them with 1 large washer on the lower 12mm bolts and 2 on the upper ones. The SB does not occupy the same area on the chassis as the recovery points unlike that of other bars I believe. So they don't sit flush on the chassis due to this doubler at the bottom.

Not sitting flush compromises the strength of the points and could cause the bolts to shear under load. I've been through all this with the same points and my TJM bar and have been able to get RoadSafe to modify the design of the points to suit. It's been a long road but all being well will have them fitted in the next week or so.

Not having a Smartbar I can't picture how the points interact with the bar mounts. Perhaps if you could take a picture and post it here it would help to clarify the problem.

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Interesting that you have had dealings with RS. I have too after I found this problem and their suggestion was to space them. They told me of the TJM fault where they had to remove part of the material on the point to allow it to be fitted with the TJM. The subsequent testing now has them with a WWL of 3250 kg, down from the original 5000kg as a result of the reworking of the point. Mine are stamped with this new WWL.

The washers I used are 45mm x 2.5mm which covers more than all the bottom mounting area of the point, but not quite all the top mounting area. These were what I had on hand.

Still waiting to hear from them about mine. As for fitting with a SB, it would be the same as it you had no bar at all as there is no SB part on this section of the chassis.

Geoff

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

SmartBar and Roadsafe recovery points

Interesting that you have had dealings with RS. I have too after I found this problem and their suggestion was to space them. They told me of the TJM fault where they had to remove part of the material on the point to allow it to be fitted with the TJM.

The reason for removing part of the material on the upper end of the point was so it didn't overlap one of the washers on the TJM bar mount, AFAIK ARB bars don't cause the same issue. I'm surprised they said to space them as that goes against the advice I received (albeit mine was from TJM). There's a couple of Recovery Point threads kicking around in the 150 section and the issue has been well covered there.

Before he was banished Jasen was our resident SmartBar guru and this is how he did his :-
< admin note: he chose to leave the forum, he was not banished. >
<fido666 note: To clarify, he was banned for 6 months and chose to leave as he felt this was unfair>



As you can see he too used spacers.

The subsequent testing now has them with a WWL of 3250 kg, down from the original 5000kg as a result of the reworking of the point. Mine are stamped with this new WWL.

So you already have the redesigned ones? I'm still waiting on mine but should have them next week, I was supposed to be first cab off the rank since it's my points and my vehicle that were used in the redesign. That reduction in the WLL is something I haven't been made aware of. Who would have thought removing a small chunk of metal would cause such a reduction.

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Good pictures, shows the offending doubler at the bottom very well. Turns out I've done exactly the same. I don't see an issue with the shear limit this way.

I ordered mine from Autobarn in Mornington and they got them in the same day? RS said they haven't had a SB fit and were going to come down to take some pics. Still waiting.

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

I ordered mine from Autobarn in Mornington and they got them in the same day?

But they are the ones with the flattened edge at the top, like this? :-



My contact at RoadSafe left and I think I got missed, only found out when I sent an enquiry asking for a status.

RS said they haven't had a SB fit and were going to come down to take some pics. Still waiting.

They're only in Braeside, not that far away from Mornington really.

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Yep, looks the same.

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Annoying, that's what I get for being so patient LOL. The pic above is of the prototype test fitted to my Kakadu before they went into destruction testing and mass production.

As for the washers, yes Jasen did it the same way as it turns out.

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Soon as I can figure out how to do pictures, I'll post one

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Ummm, I had these fitted a couple of weeks ago too. Forgot about it. Will post some shots this weekend.

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

But not with a Smartbar I take it MJ?

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Not this week, I had a misting strut and this was changed and the recovery points were changed at the same time. Same as your prototype ones. Removes the washer under the recovery point. I will take a photo when the Prado comes home.

[Vk3zgw Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vk3zgw]

Took some pics this morning.

http://s13.postimg.org/exes3tx8n/RPPRA_150_H13_1.jpg

This shows the new WWL.

http://s22.postimg.org/cykjlfri9/RPPRA_150_H13_2.jpg


Geoff

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

Thanks for the pics Geoff. I notice the part number has also changed, it used to be RPPRA150-F12, the new design has RPPRA150-H13.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Same part No on mine now.