Q. What are your products made of?
A.
All of our products are machined from aircraft-grade T-6 6061 aluminum,
and fasteners are 18-8 stainless steel, with the exception of some of
the Delrin bushings used to control tension on Ball/Socket systems.
After machining, components are anodized or chrome plated, and then
assembled and packaged.
Q. Can I paint my mount?
A.
Strictly-speaking it could be done, but we don't recommend it.
Anodizing or plating is the best choice for finishing aluminum, and
many of the components have mating surfaces that would eventually cause
paint to chip or peel in normal use. Many of our products come in
several colors. Your best choice would be to choose from them.
Q. Should I use thread-locking compound on my mounting screws?
A.
Yes, we consider the use of thread-locking compound a good idea on
Fairing Mounts and Control Mounts. Locktite (Blue) or equivalent is the
right choice. Follow the enclosed instructions, and be certain to apply
even and proper torque when replacing nuts and bolts as indicated in
your maintenance manual.
Q. I
bought a new machine and I'd like to move my mount to it. Do you offer
replacement parts to help me adapt my mount to a new machine?
A.
Absolutely. We support our products for as long as you own them, and
there are hundreds of possible combinations of mounts, stems, and
mounting plates. Give us a call (with your existing mount information
in hand) and we'd be happy to help you get it sorted out.
Q. I bought a new device and I need a different mounting plate to get it to work with my existing mount.
A.
As above, we support our products for as long as you own them, and
there are hundreds of possible combinations of mounts, stems, and
mounting plates. Give us a call (with your existing mount information
in hand) and we'd be happy to help you get it sorted out.
Q. I'm pretty handy with tools. Can I drill my mount myself to adapt it to a new device?
A.
Certainly you can do that, and aluminum drills relatively easily,
providing you take a few precautions. Measure and mark out your hole
locations carefully, and use a pin-punch to mark the plate to help the
drill stay centered in the proper location. Use a sharp drill bit, and
a small amount of light oil (3-in-1 works well) to lubricate the bit.
Be careful clamping the plate in a vice as you can easily mar the
anodized finish if you are not careful. We suggest you chamfer the hole
so slightly to ease the installation of screws. Note that you will be
removing the anodized finish from the locations you drill, but aluminum
is relatively non-corrosive, and in normal (non-marine) applications
this should not cause problems.
Q. I want to mount a device on my ATV or snowmobile, but I don't see any application information about that. How can I do that?
A.
Most ATVs and snowmobiles utilize 7/8" tubular handlebars, and in that
case, many of our handlebar mount systems
would work perfectly, provided there is at least 1/2" of space , not on
the bend of the bar, to mount the clamp. Some ATVs also utilize
two-bolt control mounting clamps similar to motorcycles, and our
control-mount systems can be utilized there as well. We'd be happy to
help you find the correct combination of our products for your application, please
contact us with the year, make and model of your machine, and any pertinent
measurements (handlebar diameter, steering stem diameter, location or
style of controls, etc) that might help us determine the best solution
for you.
Q. I have a boat and your products look perfect for holding my GPS, radio, personal music player. Do your products work in marine applications?
A.
In most cases, yes, they work extremely well, although there are a few
special considerations for marine applications. Please contact us for assistance.
Q. Is there a weight limit for your mounts?
A.
Yes, in most cases the maximum load is 2.0 lbs. which will allow most
of the larger GPS and video camera units with batteries. Some mount
systems such as fairing and expansion nut mounts have a lower
recommended capacity, approximately 1.25 lbs. If you have any doubt
just give us a call and we will help.
Q. Can I put more than one item on the mount at the same time? For instance a cell phone and a radar detector.
A.Sure, we make two different solutions for that problem. If both devices can mount at the same angle, then a wide top plate
will work fine. If you are mounting a cell phone which would need to be
a an angle to see the display and a radar detector that needs to be
level with the road, a double top kit.
Q. What holds the accessories on the top of the mount?
A.
The kits all come with marine grade Velcro (hook and loop fastener)
material. This works very well for small flat devices that need to be
removed often. (radar detector, cell phones, toll transponders, change
holders, garage door openers and small hand-held GPS). Larger GPS
systems have several cradles to choose from that will mount to our GPS
top plates and adaptors. All of our standard top plates have a hole
pre-drilled for camera thumb screws.