www.iFourWinns.com

Last year, when I installed my top, I used the standard side mounts that came with the top and had a couple of screws snap on me. So this year, I was planning to change to the quick release style and add a small wedge piece in between the bracket and hull to make it more of a 90 degree angle. Some of you have mentioned the ball/socket style, but I haven't seen this up close and wonder if it's a better option. Could someone post a pic of this style?

My top also had quite a bit of sway while under way (closed) and I'm looking to make it a little more solid. Any recommendations?

Here's what I have now:


Here's what I'm thinking about upgrading to:
Shim:


Side Mount:

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

If you look at the Ebay listing in the other Bimini thread, you'll see the ball and socket type end in one of the photos. It doesn't look like it would help you, the plane is some 90 degrees from that of a side mounting like you have now, being designed for mounting on horizontal surface.

I imagine your screws/ pins snapped due to fatigue caused by contant movement/ vibration.

I vastly reduced the sway on mine by re- riveting the end couplings properly to the tubes and filling the gaps between tubes and bores of the end couplings with an adhesive. As standard they are quite a sloppy fit and the poorly set rivets don't help at all. If you decide to do this, unless you have arms like Popeye, invest in/ borrow a lazy longs or compressed air type riveter !

Graham

Ok, you lost me there. Are you referring to where the end fittings are?

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Yes, where the ends of the tubes fit into the couplings ( like the one in your photo; you can just see the rivet head or bolt head on the RHS; there are "bolt" and "rivet" types available). The ID of the end fitting is bigger than the OD of the tubes that fit in there. Additionally, on mine, the rivets were set tight in the holes drilled in the tubes, but loose in the end fittings; some of the holes in the end fittings had worn to be quite oval due to all the rocking backwards and forwards. I think whoever manufactured the frame used an air riveter and hadn't pushed the rivet heads up against the fittings when the rivets were set.

My only concern with taking out all the slop was that it wouldn't fit the boat anymore; but it did!

The baseplate of the sidemount you showed looks like the ones at at the rear of my frame which on mine take a hinge type joint; the fit of the part that clips into the baseplate is good, I'd imagine what you showed will be more robust than what you have now.

Graham

I have the rear quick releases already and that point seems to work out well, along with the short legs I made for trailering.

I think the wedge may help some to get the fitting to be at a 90 degree angle. I want to avoid the added stress that seems to be at the connection point today.

That's a small threaded hex bolt on the fitting. What did you use fill the gap in the fitting around the pole?

Also, on the back side I have some oversized stainless steel washers to help distribute the load, is this what is typically used?

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Stopped in at the dealer and saw the side mount below. Haven't seen this one before, or a place to order from. Also I'm not sure if this is better than the Quick Release model or not.

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

I have an '07 H220 with the same factory mounts shown and sheared off the thumb screws last season.

I have drilled out the factory mounts and bimini top to accept 5/16" stainless shoulder bolts and hope this will correct the problem.

Time will tell...

To fill the gaps I used some 2 component toughened adhesive, I can't remember the type I'm afraid ( I was given it by a customer, they use it to mount brackets to plastic bus seat backs, so it's immune to vandalism!). Epoxy would probably have been as good ( with the advantage that heat could be applied to break the bond later, if required)

Graham

Got the new side mounts installed last week and went out for a trial run today. There was significantly less sway that what we had before. We had to practically stir up the lake ourselves in order to test it over wakes , but it seemed to work out well.

_________________
-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX