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Coupes & Convertibles Mazda RX-8 Mazda RX-8
3616 messages, Last post on Apr 22, 2009 at 5:06 AM
You are in the Mazda RX-8 Forum. Your Host is claires
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Replying to: lovlyladielump (Nov 29, 2007 1:49 pm) |
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Replying to: trispec (Oct 13, 2007 4:52 pm) Jim
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Replying to: jimary (Dec 25, 2007 9:44 pm) http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3918 It took a number of times for me to figure out how to make this model work. As Walmart has it pictured, if you try to make it work, you're courting disaster. Here's a step by step. As Walmart has it picture, the weight of the rack will dent the RX-8 trunk lid and the rack will down slip and directly through the top of the plastic bumper. 1) In the Walmart picture, if your zoom in you may be able to see it better, there are two armatures. The armature as pictured, that's resting on the top of the trunk or boot (Brits, love ya) needs to be folded back under so that this first armature rests about an inch from the end of the trunk. This armature position also means that the main top support armature will need to move forward until it rests directly on the edge of the trunk lid and the bottom of the rear window glass. Also the bottom support will move up the back of the trunk so that on the RX-8, the Mazda logo, is covered by the lower support armature. 2) The positioning that above configurations means that the bike will lay much more horizontal following the curve of the RX-8, resulting in much less wind resistance and above the car, NOT behind the car like most bike racks. 3) The critical engineering advantage of the above is that the bike rack will have three points (really six padded points) of contact with the trunk and car rather than the two (or four pads). This adds to the stability and the contact points are at the strongest parts of the car, at the bottom of the rear window, the rear folded edge of the trunk and the spot just behind where the trunk latches inside car. 4) Now here's the most critical little trick of all. The straps shown at the top of the picture need to be wrapped back over the top of the armature that's folded back to the edge of the trunk. These straps need to be pulled tight as possible at all times. This will mean that as the weight of the bikes bounces, the armature be pushing up on the straps which will cause the whole bike rack to be tightened as the straps will being pulling at the top of the trunk lid with each bounce as shown. The back lower support will slip down off the Mazda logo, but the low support will be constantly pulled tighter and tighter as well. The RX-8's tight ride means that the straps configured this way will act as a shock absorber that tightens the load to the trunk as you drive. 5) Be very care when attaching the bikes. Since the bike are weighing down onto the top of the trunk the little arms that you strap the bikes to are not taking the weight as they would if the bikes were hanging more off the back of the car. The bike rack frame takes the full weight. BUT, the arms sticking up, need to act as posts to which the bikes at attached to KEEP the bikes from shifting LEFT and RIGHT. If the bike shift left or right during travel, they can drupe down such that the wheel bolts can scratch the paint. I strongly recommend strapping the bike seat post or below vertical bike frame below the seat, as tightly as possible to armatures sticking up to avoid the left and right shifting of the bikes. 6) Be careful lifting the bikes onto the bike frame. They are above your RX-8's rear window and trunk. Dropping a bike in these circumstance would obviously have a really bad effect on your car. Take you time. Rest between stages. It gets easier each time, but always take your time. Damage, of any kind will ruin the whole bike trip. 7) Check that the straps are tight before, during and after putting the rack and bikes onto the trunk. Also check the straps before, during and after driving the RX-8 fully loaded. Drive a couple of miles and then check the straps. If going on the highway watch the straps in the rear view mirror because they will start flapping a lot when they get loose. 8) Avoid putting anything of weight on the top of the rear bump. The bumper on top is just a thin piece of plastic. There's nothing but air under the top of the bumper. I punched my bike rack's lower support right through. Near disaster. That's what lead to my putting the bike rack over the car rather than the tradition hanging off the back like most configurations. |
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| Thnks for your help with the Walmart rack. I've made it work well on my trunk using most of your ideas. | |
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Can anyone tell me what the best automotive bulbs out there that are available for my Mazda RX8 vehicles? I have night vision problems. Someone told me that SilverStar Ultras were good. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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Replying to: lagniappe1 (Jan 11, 2008 7:34 am) None of the aftermarket "xenon" bulbs will really produce more light than new, OEM style halogen capsules. The only way to get more light is to use higher wattage bulbs (but this would fry the wiring if you don't use relays) or install an aftermarket HID kit. Both of these options are probably not legal. You could add aftermarket driving lights, that would probably be your best, cheapest, and most legal method for getting more light when you are out on the open road. Dennis
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Replying to: dwynne (Jan 15, 2008 11:23 am) Tests done in France have shown that visibility is actually best with slightly yellow tinted light and despite the apparent brightness of blueish light, it scatters and projects far worse than longer wavelengths. So it turns out the old sealed beams and OEM lights are best.* *99% of cars come from the factory with substandard wiring harnesses. Upgrading the wiring to your lights is a good weekend project and will increase your light output greatly. A headlamp operating at 11V can literally be half as bright as 12V, especially with HID designs. People spend all sorts of money on higher output bulbs when the wiring is most likely at fault.
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Replying to: plekto (Jan 15, 2008 1:06 pm) That's an interesting premise, but do you have some data to support that claim? It would seem that if the wire were substandard, the heat generated by the wire's resistance could create a safety issue. I'd be surprised that automotive electrical engineers would over-look this.
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Replying to: maltb (Jan 16, 2008 9:06 am)
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