Pretty Clever
05-27-2004, 02:53 PM
#1
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Pretty Clever
If I may say so my self!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From day one we have not been happy with the cuddy door on the 36 outlaw.
It looks nice but the design of the slide system left a lot to be desired. It was always loose and making noise as you went over a wave which really drives me nuts. In the last year I had tightened the screws a few times, but the overall design did not allow the door to really be tight and it had up and down play.
Well, while on a poker run this last weekend the wife noticed that the door was very hard to open. On futher inspection I noticed a small section of plastic had busted off right at the bottom where a screw went through it and that was causing the problem.
Now, once and for all it was time to eliminate this problem. Sunday I took the door and the top and bottom rails out to see what could be done. There had to be a better mouse trap!
I am in the bearing business and a large part of our business now is with Linear bearings. I checked and much to my surprise there was a profile linear rail system the was the exact same height at the stock system used by Baja and the width was narrow enough to fit into the space I had to work with.
I measured the rail lengths, and ordered two rails and two linear bearing blocks for each rail and had them the next day. Went to Lowe's Hardware and purchased all the necessary screws and got two 1/2 aluminum angle iron sections. I cut these to the width of the door and mounted one on the front bottom and the other on the back bottom. They perfectly covered the damaged area of the door and gave me a place to put the screws through that went into the top of the bearing blocks. Mounted both rails, attached the bottom section in place and then VERY carefully drilled holes in the top of the door to run the screws through into the top bearing blocks.
There was no shimming needed what so ever. Everything fit perfectly and you can now grab this door with both hands and it does not move at all!
The down side is it added about ten pounds of weight to the boat over the stock system. It is also steel which I will have to watch closely to make sure it does not try to rust. It slides easy open and closed, but is naturally a little stiffer to move than when stock.
But to look at it it fits and looks stock. I did not even have to adjust the latch for the lock!
The door is rock soild now.
Total cost $350.00
Total Time: 5 Hours
Results: Priceless!
From day one we have not been happy with the cuddy door on the 36 outlaw.
It looks nice but the design of the slide system left a lot to be desired. It was always loose and making noise as you went over a wave which really drives me nuts. In the last year I had tightened the screws a few times, but the overall design did not allow the door to really be tight and it had up and down play.
Well, while on a poker run this last weekend the wife noticed that the door was very hard to open. On futher inspection I noticed a small section of plastic had busted off right at the bottom where a screw went through it and that was causing the problem.
Now, once and for all it was time to eliminate this problem. Sunday I took the door and the top and bottom rails out to see what could be done. There had to be a better mouse trap!
I am in the bearing business and a large part of our business now is with Linear bearings. I checked and much to my surprise there was a profile linear rail system the was the exact same height at the stock system used by Baja and the width was narrow enough to fit into the space I had to work with.
I measured the rail lengths, and ordered two rails and two linear bearing blocks for each rail and had them the next day. Went to Lowe's Hardware and purchased all the necessary screws and got two 1/2 aluminum angle iron sections. I cut these to the width of the door and mounted one on the front bottom and the other on the back bottom. They perfectly covered the damaged area of the door and gave me a place to put the screws through that went into the top of the bearing blocks. Mounted both rails, attached the bottom section in place and then VERY carefully drilled holes in the top of the door to run the screws through into the top bearing blocks.
There was no shimming needed what so ever. Everything fit perfectly and you can now grab this door with both hands and it does not move at all!
The down side is it added about ten pounds of weight to the boat over the stock system. It is also steel which I will have to watch closely to make sure it does not try to rust. It slides easy open and closed, but is naturally a little stiffer to move than when stock.
But to look at it it fits and looks stock. I did not even have to adjust the latch for the lock!
The door is rock soild now.
Total cost $350.00
Total Time: 5 Hours
Results: Priceless!
05-27-2004, 03:55 PM
#2
Registered
Re: Pretty Clever
good for you. I got tired of the screws comming loose from the cuddy door on my 302 so i put 10,000 lb epoxy around the screws before I put them back in last time.
Cost about $6.
time 15 min
Results priceless
Cost about $6.
time 15 min
Results priceless
05-27-2004, 04:29 PM
#3
Charter Member #34
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Re: Pretty Clever
Ironman,
I wish it was just the screws. Problem was it had about a 1/4 play up and down which would drive you nuts, and it was beating itself to death!
Guess the 10,000 epoxy did the trick!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish it was just the screws. Problem was it had about a 1/4 play up and down which would drive you nuts, and it was beating itself to death!
Guess the 10,000 epoxy did the trick!!!!!!!!!!!!
05-27-2004, 08:40 PM
#4
Registered
Re: Pretty Clever
Yeah I have a curved door though so it would have to have alot of play to even move. I did the same thing to my windshield and I don't think it is ever going to come off.
05-27-2004, 08:41 PM
#5
Registered
Re: Pretty Clever
Yeah I have a curved door though so it would have to have alot of play to even move. I did the same thing to my windshield and I don't think it is ever going to come off.
05-27-2004, 08:41 PM
#6
Registered
Re: Pretty Clever
Yeah I have a curved door though so it would have to have alot of play to even move. I did the same thing to my windshield and I don't think it is ever going to come off.
05-27-2004, 09:07 PM
#7
Re: Pretty Clever
Originally Posted by Ironmanwb
good for you. I got tired of the screws comming loose from the cuddy door on my 302 so i put 10,000 lb epoxy around the screws before I put them back in last time.
Cost about $6.
time 15 min
Results priceless
Cost about $6.
time 15 min
Results priceless
Platinum Member
Glad it worked out for ya!
