I finally got the 83L installed on the LC. I ran into a few unforeseen hurdles getting this thing mounted properly, but I will try to keep this post brief and focus on how to not run into those issues. For starters though, thank you
@PixelMagic for all of the info on this. I have been a Pelican guy for so long now, it's nice to see another company showing up and putting out quality alternatives. Before I get into the logistics of this install, here's a few post-install pictures (The FDE Pelican is a drill-through of an old Storm IM31 that has been beat to death. Plan to properly install a Protector in that location, but this worked for test fitting). Scroll past them for details specific to actual install.
Ok, so now onto the pertinent details of this install. I nerded out on this so hard, even breaking out my CAD software while awaiting the case, but it all boils down to one critical measurement. The distance between Rail 1 and Rail 5. That measurement is 39-3/8". Nevermind that spacing is inconsistent between rails, nevermind that the space between Rail 1 and the trailing edge of the forward fairing is different than the distance between Rail 5 and the leading edge of the rear fairing. 39-3/8" is all that matters:
Which leaves you with two options:
In hindsight, I wish I had made alterations to install IAW the yellow line above. I did not because I believed that the carriage bolts might impact the bottom of the case. This is because the bottom of the case has indentations that provide and additional 1/8-1/4" of space for the carriage bolts to travel up, and my measurements were only giving me about 1/16" of space. After final install, however, I found that measurement to be 1/8", which is not concerning:
Either way, you are either going to slightly overhang the front or rear fairing depending on the mounting slots you use. My biggest concern with my current setup is headwind and leveraging forces on a mount that has most of the weight floating forward of the rail. I did a test drive up to around 70mph today with weather creating 30-40mph winds. I did not experience anything concerning, but my engineer brain will probably drive me to change to the other slots at some point.
For the mounts, you will need to use 3/8" x 3/4" stainless steel carriage bolts. I opted for nylon threaded lock nuts and stainless flat washers. You could probably use lock washers, but the threads are already flush with standard lock nuts so you would likely need to use low profile lock nuts or standard nuts if you go that route. I torqued everything down to 10 lb-ft with blue thread locker, I am not concerned.
Because the OEM rails are slotted for 7/16" hardware, and the rugged mounts are slotted for 1/4" hardware (supplied), you need to alter the slots by grinding them to accept 3/8" hardware. This size will purchase in the OEM rail slots and the threads/necks of the bolts will pass through the mount slots. Make the expansion toward the front and back of the mounts since the measurement from front mount slot to rear mount slot comes in at 1/8 - 1/4" shy of the critical 39-3/8" rail distance. This will close that gap to a negligible amount.
Once I was able to pass the neck through the mount slots, I masked and sprayed the exposed steel with some Rustoleum. They will be hidden, so I was not too worried about color match and used what I had available in my garage.
One final look at my mounting locations. Front:
Back:
Initial impressions: Like I said, I got it up to around 70mph in some crummy weather. The OEM roof rack is pretty silent for me in a very windy location (OBX), but it does generate some noise at higher speeds. Honestly, I think the windshield is louder than the rack. There was a subtle increase in noise with the headwind, but nothing beyond what I consider reasonable when weighed against all of the other LC noise makers. Most importantly, it does not create drag that I can feel. At only 8" that isn't too surprising, but nice to have confirmed. I love the gas struts on the case, but they do push the lid to 90 degrees, which makes reaching the lid for closure difficult. I think the box is of excellent quality, but it is a little bit of a softer material than my Pelican protectors. That isn't to say that it is inferior, only that it will likely scratch much easier (not something I worry about since I put these types of cases through the things they were made to do). I strongly recommend giving them consideration.
For my fellow military/veterans. It is pretty well known that Pelican offers a 15% discount through IDme. ROAM does a 10% discount through GOVX. These things are still expensive, but 10% on $600 worth of kit is pretty rad IMO. I will update if anything changes or if I run into a situation where I feel like my mounting points should be absolutely avoided. Happy trails.
-DubDub
