US RACK, Inc Falcon Drive, Madera, CA

Transcription

1 US RACK, Inc Falcon Drive, Madera, CA INSTALLATION AND USE INSTRUCTIONS for Long-John Extension Ladder Rack WARNING: Do NOT attempt to install or use this rack without following all instructions. SPECIFICATIONS and SAFE LOADING REQUIREMENTS The Long-John Extension Ladder Rack is designed to carry ladders or other rigid items not exceeding 250 lbs. of distributed weight on pickup trucks. It is not designed to carry loads on unimproved or poorly maintained roads. It is not designed to carry loads where a weight of over 125 lbs. is concentrated on either the front or rear portion of the rack or where more than 75 lbs. rests on any horizontal arm. Excessive loads can pry the rack away from the bedrail lip. Watch this carefully to prevent damage or injury. U.S. Rack does NOT warrant truck bed rails or other truck parts against damage caused by the weight of excessive loads being applied to them when the rack is installed on a vehicle. U.S. Rack is not responsible for injury or property damage resulting from the rack being improperly installed or loads being improperly tied down. If you cannot install and use this rack in accordance with all specifications and instructions, do not install or use this rack. Call customer service at BE SAFE: Carrying any load can be hazardous. All loads must be tied securely to the rack to prevent them from vibrating or sliding forward, backward, or laterally or being blown off or broken by the wind. Make sure all parts of loads are securely tied down against unexpected winds or shocks and vibrations caused by unexpected road hazards such as potholes. Each day and each time you install or load the rack inspect to ensure that all connections are tight. U.S. Rack is not responsible for injury or property damage resulting from cargo falling or being blown off a vehicle as a result of being improperly loaded or inadequately secured. Be careful to avoid striking your head on the rack as you pass along the side of your truck. Ensure that loads do not extend more than 6 inches out from the side of the truck body. Loads extending beyond the rear bumper of the vehicle must be designated with a red flag (daylight) or red light (darkness) in accordance with the applicable state vehicle code. Do not allow any part of the rack or load to interfere with the driver s clear view in any direction or to interfere with the clear visibility of lights. INVENTORY Your safety is paramount. Because manufacturing and shipping mistakes can occur, before assembling the rack, inventory and inspect all parts. Visually check each part to ensure it corresponds to the inventory list and photo and check all welds for signs of cracking or weakness. If you do not have all the correct parts, if the rack you received does not appear to fit your model truck, or if any parts appear to be defective; STOP and do NOT install the rack. Contact customer service at to replace missing or defective parts or answer questions on installation. Inventory the box to ensure all of the below parts shown in Figures 1 and 2 are present: A. U-Frame (x1) B. Tower (x2) C. Connector Tube (x1) D. Extension Tube (x2) E. Front cross-tube (x1) F. Middle cross-tube (x1) G. Rear cross-tube (x1) H. Clamp Top (x2) I. Clamp Bottom (x2) J. Foot Tube (x1) K. C-Clamp (x1) L. Roller Assembly [Roller (x1), end caps (x2), axel inserts (x2), right end clip, left end clip]

2 ADDITIONAL SMALL PARTS: 3/8-16 x 3.5 button-head cap screws (x4); 3/8-16 x 3 button-head cap screws (x1); 3/8-16 x 2.5 button-head cap screws (x4); 3/8-16 x 2.0 button-head cap screws (x8); 3/8-16 x.75 button-head cap screws (x1); 3/8-16 nylon lock-nuts (x13); Metal flat washers (x17); Black nylon washers (x17); Allen wrench (x1) K B H I C L A J D E F G Figure 1 Figure 2 ASSEMBLY Read ALL instructions BEFORE you do anything! After inventorying parts and before installing the rack, it is necessary to assemble a few of the parts. 1. MEASURE TRUCK: Before doing anything else see figure 3, below, and then measure your truck with a tape measure. Step up into your truck bed and measure the vertical distance from the top of the wheel well to the top of the bedrail. Next measure from the middle of the front bedrail (headrail) to the top of the cab. Add both measurements to tell you how high the top of the cab is above your wheel wells. This combined distance will be referred to as X. 2. ORIENT THE U-FRAME and ATTACH THE C-BRACKET: Locate the U-Frame (A) and C-bracket (K). Lay the U-Frame on the ground with the legs pointing away from you and with the side of the Frame with the hole in it on your left side. Place the C-bracket on the U-Frame on the right side at least 24 away from the end of the U- Frame containing the hole. The open side of the C-bracket should point downward. Insert the 3/8-16 x 3/8 x 3 button head hex cap screw with nylon washer down through the open hole and twist it into the threads on the bottom of the bracket. The bottom of the screw should be pointing towards you with open side of the C-bracket facing downward. Tighten the screw with the Allen wrench and notice that as you continue to tighten it, the bracket will no longer slide on the U-Frame. The screw needs only be modestly tightened for now; later it must be tightened so the bracket cannot slide. 3. ORIENT TOWERS: Locate both Towers (B) and place them also on the ground. Orient each Tower so that the long leg points toward and aligns with the legs of the U-Frame. Also ensure that the pointed ends of the short arms of the each Tower point toward each other. 4. CONNECT FRAMES: Insert the legs of U-Frame all the way into the bottom of each of Tower. 5. MEASURE FRAMES: Now slide the Tower out until the distance from the bottom of the U-Frame to the top of each Tower is equal to X plus 4 additional inches. Since the bottom of the rack will sit atop the wheel well, X plus 4 inches will ensure that the top of the rack will be 4 inches above the roof of the cab. 6. MARK and DRILL U-FRAME: Notice that there is a hole pre-drilled in the bottom of each Tower. Mark the U-Frame through the center of each hole with a pencil. Separate each Tower from the U-Frame and use a 3/8 bit to drill a hole straight through each leg of the U-Frame at the marks. See Fig. 4, below. 7. ASSEMBLE U-FRAME WITH CLAMPS: Locate the top (H) and bottom (I) of each clamp. Orient them as shown in Figure 5 and connect them using 3/8-16 x 3.5 button head cap-screws with black nylon

3 washers above the metal flat washers. Turn each screw just a few turns into the threaded nut. Again orient the U-Frame and Towers on the ground as described in paragraphs 2 and 3 without sliding them together. Next slide the clamp assemblies onto the bottom of each Tower with the projecting parts of the clamp facing skyward. Slide each assembly about half way up the Tower, and then tighten the cap screws enough so the assembly will not slide. Slide the legs of the U-Frame back into the bottom of the Towers. Align the holes in the U-Frame, and each Tower and insert a 3/8-16 x 2.0 cap screw with nylon washer through each hole and tighten firmly with a metal washer and nylon lock nut. 8. ATTACH EXTENSION TUBES TO CROSS-TUBES: Locate the two Extension Tubes (D) and Front and Rear Cross-tubes (E and G). Align the holes in the Front and Rear cross-tubes with the two holes at the end of each Extension tube. Attach cross-tubes to the Extension tubes with 3/8-16 x 2 screws with a nylon washer on head end and a metal washer and nylon lock nut on the other. 9. ATTACH MIDDLE CROSS-BAR AND CONNECTOR TUBE: Locate the Middle cross-bar (F) and the Connector tube (C). Slide the Connector tube through the hole in the Middle cross-bar and tighten the ¾ button head set-screw to keep it in place. Ensure that the head of the set-screw faces downward and the holes in the Connector tube face at right angles to the length of the screw. Fig. 3 Clamp Top Clamp Bottom Predrilled Holes must Align Fig. 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 INSTALLATION 10. PLACE ASSEMBLY: Pick up the assembly you have just put together and place it into the bed of the truck against the passenger side bedrail. Rest the bottom of the U-frame on top of the wheel well as shown in Figures 7, 7A, and 7B. Decide about how far behind the cab you want to locate the rack, and then slide the C-bracket forward or back until the screw projecting from the C-bracket rests on top of the highest point of the wheel well, but ensure that the C-bracket is at least 24 inches away from the end of the U-frame with the hole in it. If you have a tool box, ensure that the square hole in the bottom of the U-Frame is to the rear of the wheel well. If you have no tool box and want to move the rack forward, turn the U-Frame around so the square hole is forward of the wheel well. In any event adjust the location of the U-Frame so that the top of the wheel well is below some point in the

4 first 12 inches of the U-Frame and at least 24 inches away from the end of the U-Frame with the predrilled hole in it. Loosen the screw and adjust the location of the C-Clamp so that it is directly above the center of the wheel well. Where the bottom of the screw contacts the top center of the wheel well is where you will mark your hole to drill. However, do not drill yet. Instead, loosen the screw so that it barely projects below the bottom of the C-bracket and so that the bottom of the U-frame is resting directly on the wheel well. 11. CLAMP TO BEDRAIL: Unthread the cap-screws holding the top and bottom of the clamp assemblies together. Slide the top portion of the clamp assembly up and rest it on top of the bedrail. Slide the bottom portion of the clamp assembly up and insert the vertical portion of the clamp assembly behind the lip of the bedrail. Now rethread the screws into the assembly, and using the Allen wrench tighten the screws lightly to draw the top and bottom together, as shown in Photo 6. Tighten only enough to keep parts from falling over. 12. CUT BEDLINER: If you have an over-the-rail bedliner, you must access the area behind the inside lip of the bedrail to ensure the area is clear of obstructions and to allow the bottom portion of the clamp assembly to slide up behind the lip of the bedrail. The lip of the bedrail will probably extend down from the top about 1-1/2. Cut a horizontal slit in bedliner just below the bottom of the lip long enough so you may slip your fingers up inside and feel if it is clear. If it is too tight, you may need to also cut some vertical slits down from the ends of the horizontal slit to provide more access. To avoid excessive cutting you may wish to first remove the bedliner and examine the bedrail before doing any cutting. 13. PLUMB AND LEVEL: After lightly securing the rack to the bedrail with the clamps you must plumb and level the rack. To do this, first use a level to ensure that the legs of the tower frame are perpendicular to the ground as seen from the REAR of the truck. To ensure that the tower frames are perpendicular as seen from the SIDE of the truck, do NOT use the level. Rather, use a tape measure to check the distance from the bottom of the U-Frame to the top of the bedrail. When vertical measurements at each end of the U-Frame are the same, the rack can be considered level. When you are sure that the rack is located at the right place on the wheel well and remains plumb and level, tighten both clamp assemblies firmly to the bedrail. 14. DRILL AND FIX CLAMPS: Figure 5 shows where holes are pre-drilled in the clamp top. Mark the Tower Frames with a pencil through the center of each hole. Drill a 3/8 hole at each mark from one side halfway through the tube. Remove the drill and continue to drill from the opposite side until you are able to drill all the way through both sides. CAUTION: When drilling, ensure that you do not push the rack out of alignment. You may wish to begin drilling a smaller pilot hole to drill more easily. When making the hole you will have to drill through both the Tower Frame and the leg of the U-Frame within it. After drilling, insert a 3/8-16 x 2.5 cap screw with black nylon washer through each hole and tighten firmly with a metal washer and a nylon lock nut. Mark truck bed at these locations Figure 7 Figure 8

5 Figure 7A Figure 7B 15. DRILL FLOOR OF BED: Unscrew clamp bottoms and remove the entire rack from the truck. Next remove the screw passing through the bottom of the Tower on the side of the rack where you wish to place the Foot Tube. Locate the Foot Tube and insert it up into the square hole in the bottom of the U-Frame. Next re-attach the entire rack at the same location in the truck as it was before but let the Foot tube hang down and rest on the floor of the bed as shown in Figure 8, above. Align the holes in the bottom of the Tower with the ones you made in the U-Frame, but do not attempt to put in the screw. Ensuring again that the rack is located so it is plumb and level with the C-bracket directly over the top of the wheel well, mark the sheet metal of the truck at the bottom of the screw in the C- bracket. Also mark the center of the hole in the bottom of the Foot-tube. Also mark the Foot-Tube through the opening where the hole was previously drilled to attach the Tower to the U-Frame. Remove the rack again and drill a 3/8 hole at each mark. CAUTION: DO NOT drill directly through any threaded holes. This will destroy the threads. Before drilling any holes in the bed of the truck, check under the bed to ensure there are no tanks, wires, lines, or other obstructions below. After drilling the hole in the Foot Tube, re-insert the cap screw with washers and nut you had removed. Re-install the rack adjust the C-Clamp if necessary and screw a 3/8-16 x 3 button-head cap screw with black nylon washer into the hole in the C-Clamp and down through the hole in the wheel well. Insert a 3/8-16 x 2 screw into the bottom of the Foot Tube as in Figure 9. If you do not intend to frequently remove the rack or for further security, screw a nylon lock nut with metal washer on bottom side of bed to both screws. To prevent the Foot Tube from wobbling you may also drill another hole in the Foot Tube through the pre-drilled hole at the bottom of the U-Frame and insert a 2 screw with washers and nut. 16. INSERT END TUBES: After reinstalling and firmly clamping the rack to the truck, locate the extension tubes with front and rear cross bars attached. Insert square ends of the extension tubes into the Tower Frames as in Figure 4. Continue to slide the tubes in until the ends of extension tubes start to emerge from other side. 17. ATTACH CONNECTOR TUBE: Place the Connector Tube with Middle cross-tube between the angled ends of the Towers so that the angles at each end of the Towers are parallel with the angled end of the Connector tube. When pressed together the parts should seem to form a nearly continuous tube. Now slide the Extension Tubes together until they pass into the ends of the Connector Tube and until the holes in the Connector Tube, Towers, and Extension Tubes, all align. Connect them all using 3/8-16 X 2.5 cap screws with washers and nuts in the manner previously described. 18. ATTACH ROLLER: If you purchased a roller, locate the Roller (L) and remaining parts. Place axel inserts into the ends of the roller and attach to Rear Cross-Tube by sliding the rectangular shaped hole at the end of each axel down over the vertical bars of the rear Extension Tube, so the roller hangs down just below the tube. 19. LOAD RACK: To load the rack, lean ladder against roller and push forward, as in Figure 11. Do not place more than a total of 150 lbs on this rack and do not load more than 75 lbs at any time on either the front or the rear Cross-bar. Ensure all loads are fully secured and tied down to this rack. Check all screws periodically to ensure the rack is fully secure.

6 Hole Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 WARRANTY U.S. Rack products are warranted for a period of one year against all structural defects in materials and workmanship provided that they are assembled, installed, and used in accordance with all manufacturer s specifications and instructions. U.S. Rack cannot warrant the powder-coating on its products. Normal use of any powder-coated rack and exposure to weather can result in scratching of the surface, exposing metal below; therefore, maintenance on your rack will be required. To prevent rust, spot paint any scratches or breaks in the surface with a high quality metal paint. Merchandize must be returned in the original box and packaging. See return policies and procedures at