OK to all the alum welding gurus/tower masterminds here is my issue. My tower, the rat cage by wake designs has been a GREAT tower for me. It is very solid and I feel that it has zero issues esp due to the HUGE amounts of stress I have put it through. (If you have to ask see here. http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...&postcount=638)
Well I dont' have any pics of the damage, but I can describe it.
If you see the first pic I have attached to this post you see two bolts. Well these allan head bolts screw into the "Male" version of the other side of the tube. The threaded inserts have broken. I'm sure this is due to the way the tower was designed and due to the tower moving and vibrating over time they broke, On both sides. Now there is still about 3/4 of an inch of the male part inside the female tube and it's really hard for me to pull the tower apart enough to even see the damage.
What should I do? I would prefer not to buy a new tower, as I see this being an issue, plus I would have to rewire the entire tower for my NVS's. Also I would have to make sure the tower fit in my curren location on the boat, as well as other issues. Do you feel a good weld job, as in weld the two joints on each side together would hold? or what? I'm thinking about buying a new boat in the next few years, so this weighs in as well.
Thanks all.
Where the red arrow is where you can pull the male end out. That weld is not a weld to weld it all togehter, rather a weld holding the male threaded end. Make sense? I'll get some pics of the damage and post up tomorrow from the airport.
Well I dont' have any pics of the damage, but I can describe it.
If you see the first pic I have attached to this post you see two bolts. Well these allan head bolts screw into the "Male" version of the other side of the tube. The threaded inserts have broken. I'm sure this is due to the way the tower was designed and due to the tower moving and vibrating over time they broke, On both sides. Now there is still about 3/4 of an inch of the male part inside the female tube and it's really hard for me to pull the tower apart enough to even see the damage.
What should I do? I would prefer not to buy a new tower, as I see this being an issue, plus I would have to rewire the entire tower for my NVS's. Also I would have to make sure the tower fit in my curren location on the boat, as well as other issues. Do you feel a good weld job, as in weld the two joints on each side together would hold? or what? I'm thinking about buying a new boat in the next few years, so this weighs in as well.
Thanks all.
Where the red arrow is where you can pull the male end out. That weld is not a weld to weld it all togehter, rather a weld holding the male threaded end. Make sense? I'll get some pics of the damage and post up tomorrow from the airport.
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