Forums > Kitesurfing General

Hydrofoil on car roof racks

Reply
Created by lynxmo0 > 9 months ago, 28 Dec 2016
lynxmo0
WA, 57 posts
28 Dec 2016 8:31PM
Thumbs Up

Hi all,

Looking for advice.

I bought a foil a few weeks ago but I have been unable to disassemble it; the wing is just stuck in the mast. Anyway, that is not the reason why I'm posting this. I'm going on a kite/camping trip this week-end with the family and I was thinking about mounting the foil on the board and fix the board to the roof rack upside down just like any surf board. As the car will be full of camping gear and I can't disasemble it, there won't be enough room in the car.

I believe the mast and foil should be strong enough to resit the air pressure as it is designed to support heavy weight under water. However, I have never seen anyone doing this before. Has anyone here tried? Are there any safety risks or regulation (in WA) related to this?

Thanks.

kernal
WA, 541 posts
28 Dec 2016 8:51PM
Thumbs Up





dyyylan
72 posts
29 Dec 2016 12:42AM
Thumbs Up

theres a guy here that sticks his foil fish on top of his mini like that. looks absolutely retarded but seems to work fine.

im not sure id drive too fast with it, since it is literally a wing designed to generate lift. if its upside down it'd be lifting into the roof of the car, but i dont think id trust it with speed

Plummet
4862 posts
29 Dec 2016 1:57AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
lynxmo0 said..
Hi all,

Looking for advice.

I bought a foil a few weeks ago but I have been unable to disassemble it; the wing is just stuck in the mast. Anyway, that is not the reason why I'm posting this. I'm going on a kite/camping trip this week-end with the family and I was thinking about mounting the foil on the board and fix the board to the roof rack upside down just like any surf board. As the car will be full of camping gear and I can't disasemble it, there won't be enough room in the car.

I believe the mast and foil should be strong enough to resit the air pressure as it is designed to support heavy weight under water. However, I have never seen anyone doing this before. Has anyone here tried? Are there any safety risks or regulation (in WA) related to this?

Thanks.


Never done it before but in theory it will work until you drive into a car parking building and tear it off!....

Plummet
4862 posts
29 Dec 2016 1:58AM
Thumbs Up

the bigger issue is the seized mast. Fix it right now before its completely locked in there.

RAL INN
SA, 2895 posts
29 Dec 2016 6:05AM
Thumbs Up

Yes it works and foil will take it. If upside down will push down
But for really long distance the noise may be an issue and vibration is not the friend of alloy

RAL INN
SA, 2895 posts
29 Dec 2016 6:06AM
Thumbs Up

Don't drive under the Montague bridge

jamesperth
WA, 611 posts
29 Dec 2016 7:46AM
Thumbs Up

Be careful with those stuck threads. Lots of reports about stripped bolts and masts needing to be cut down on the forums ( including me). Lots of penetrating oil, heat and patience required.

lynxmo0
WA, 57 posts
29 Dec 2016 9:57AM
Thumbs Up

Thanks everyone!


Select to expand quote
jamesperth said..
Be careful with those stuck threads. Lots of reports about stripped bolts and masts needing to be cut down on the forums ( including me). Lots of penetrating oil, heat and patience required.


Hmm. Yeah, it is really a pain. Any additional/more detailed advice or technique would be welcome.

RAL INN
SA, 2895 posts
29 Dec 2016 2:26PM
Thumbs Up

All the pain involved
First drill heads of bolt off so as to leave a centred hole to align next drill.
So if 8mm bolts drill head off with 8mm drill.
Then in a pedestal drill with mast alignment perfect drill with say a 3mm cobalt drill bit at slowest speed and hardest pressure you can.
The rules for pilot holes are 1/3rd the dia of the hole you want which is the tapping size hole for 8mm. Don't get into going up in small stages as you have more risk of seizure of the drill bit then it's all over.
Now if you get to here and are left with just the stainless thread left in the Alloy and can prise it out then run a tap through and good to go.
Of course it may not go so easily and you just say F"ck it and cut the offending bit off and redrill and tap and have a 70 odd mm shorter mast

Gorgo
VIC, 5098 posts
29 Dec 2016 4:35PM
Thumbs Up

You should post a picture of the foil so we know what we're talking about. I managed to free up some locked bolts with boiling water.

loftsofwind
QLD, 226 posts
29 Dec 2016 6:14PM
Thumbs Up

Pin it through the maccas drive thru for an easy disassemble.

lynxmo0
WA, 57 posts
29 Dec 2016 4:28PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
loftsofwind said..
Pin it through the maccas drive thru for an easy disassemble.


haha... I'll give it a try!

eppo
WA, 9688 posts
29 Dec 2016 4:56PM
Thumbs Up

My mate got them off (as I had stripped the hex key heads off two bolts, using a socket wrench with star heads..., carefully hammered in the right size... if that's what they are called? No idea can't even put a shelf up hence why I took it to him. He said he had three other options but the first one worked so they probably include some of the above.

daggy
WA, 528 posts
29 Dec 2016 6:40PM
Thumbs Up

Just wrap the foil part in basic card board and duct tape so its not creating any lift while you're driving.

glasstraxx
WA, 321 posts
29 Dec 2016 11:27PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
lynxmo0 said..
Hi all,

Looking for advice.

I bought a foil a few weeks ago but I have been unable to disassemble it; the wing is just stuck in the mast. Anyway, that is not the reason why I'm posting this. I'm going on a kite/camping trip this week-end with the family and I was thinking about mounting the foil on the board and fix the board to the roof rack upside down just like any surf board. As the car will be full of camping gear and I can't disasemble it, there won't be enough room in the car.

I believe the mast and foil should be strong enough to resit the air pressure as it is designed to support heavy weight under water. However, I have never seen anyone doing this before. Has anyone here tried? Are there any safety risks or regulation (in WA) related to this?

Thanks.



dont worry about the foil just bring the twinny for some front roll mega loops

jamesperth
WA, 611 posts
30 Dec 2016 11:52AM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
lynxmo0 said...
Thanks everyone!


jamesperth said..
Be careful with those stuck threads. Lots of reports about stripped bolts and masts needing to be cut down on the forums ( including me). Lots of penetrating oil, heat and patience required.


Hmm. Yeah, it is really a pain. Any additional/more detailed advice or technique would be welcome.




Drilling is one option but to be honest it's your last resort. Once you drill your are committed to that course of action and it's too late to turn back.

I found good info on other forums and YouTube but basically soak the area in penetrating oil like wd40 for 24 hours. Boiling Also sounds good. Heat can help as the metals will expand at differnt rates - you can buy cheap butane gas camping torches from Bunnings. So use heat and your penetrating oil together. Also tapping the head of the bolt with a punch can work to break the salt / corrosion bond (hit vertically with a punch down in the direction of the shaft, not across ). One option is the weld a nut on top of the bolt and undo it with a spanner. Be careful which size Allen key you use because metric and imperial are very similar in some sizes. Try and avoid stripping the head if it's not too late.

if it's too late then try and drill the head off only, and if you can gets the wings or fuse off leaving the remnants of the bolt sitting proud you can try and use vice grips on the remaining stub to get it out. Worst case is to cut the mast and retap.

Gorgo
VIC, 5098 posts
30 Dec 2016 3:02PM
Thumbs Up

I would be careful with applying heat with a torch or welding stuff. If you're talking about bolts through the board then any excessive heat is going to melt the board.

jamesperth
WA, 611 posts
30 Dec 2016 12:52PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Gorgo said...
I would be careful with applying heat with a torch or welding stuff. If you're talking about bolts through the board then any excessive heat is going to melt the board.


Yeah don't melt or burn anything. I'm was envisioning the mast / fuselage join or the wings which is where mine locked up. Just the aluminium bits

Don't burn yourself either, nor spray wd40 into the flame.



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Kitesurfing General


"Hydrofoil on car roof racks" started by lynxmo0