Monster Tower Cargo Rack Install

[KSmith]

Here are a few pics after the install.

[brain_rinse]

Looks great! Do you think it would be possible to shorten the bar (3rd pic) and move the clamp closer to the outside of the tower?

[KSmith]

Looks great! Do you think it would be possible to shorten the bar (3rd pic) and move the clamp closer to the outside of the tower?

Possible yes, and actually something I am going to be tinkering with. The bar shown is the adjustable bar that comes with the bimini. It is made from a 7/8 OD tube and 3/4 OD tube that slides inside the larger tube and has the spring loaded button to allow it to extend to several sizes. It is in the shortest length as shown.

What I have done is order a couple ball hinge end caps with the straight configuration and two ball hinge end caps with the 90 angle. I have a bunch of 7/8 tubing so when they arrive I am going to cut a shorter length of tubing and use the new end caps to make my own non-adjustable bars. I could use part of the existing bars but I didn't want to ruin them. But if one wanted to they could use the two 90 degree end caps and the 7/8 tubing section, just toss the 3/4 tubing and end cap sections, cut down the existing 7/8 to length and put the two new end caps on.

I should add that on my install the rear bars extend in toward the center of the more than wolfmans as I installed the bimini higher. By installing it higher The mounts needed to be moved in until I can get the parts to make shorter bars. If the bimini is installed with more space between the tower top and bimini then it wouldn't be a severe. I played with different heights. One set of heights was to allow me to mount the double bullet speakers cans I have under the cross bar (a typical speaker mounting) but I decided I liked it better higher so I could stand up more under it and also I made sure when I have surf and wake boards in the Rowsell swivel racks they could swivel all the way in without impacting the bimini. The stock bimini was lower and when it was being used the racks couldn't swivel fully as they would hit the bimini and straps. I had the same issue with this bimini when I had it mounted lower, so I moved it up until I had clearance to swivel the loaded racks fully.

Anyway, depending on how the bimini is mounted will effect the length or the bars required and angles to mount them unless one tinkers with it.

[brain_rinse]

Cool, looking forward to seeing how it goes for you. If you could get those supports closer to vertical I think it would be a much cleaner looking setup.

[moombadaze]

Great looking top


is it just me, in pic 3 does it looks like there is a crack in the tower

[KSmith]

Great looking top


is it just me, in pic 3 does it looks like there is a crack in the tower

If you are talking about the vertical line between the welds to the right, that is where the top section bolts to the left side. The tower is 3 pieces, two sides and the top center section that bolt together.

[moombadaze]

yep thats was what I saw.

[viking]

Nice job - think it turned out great. Too bad Monster doesn't offer a "add-on" kit to do just that! I would think it'd be a hot seller?

[KSmith]

Nice job - think it turned out great. Too bad Monster doesn't offer a "add-on" kit to do just that! I would think it'd be a hot seller?

I exchanged some emails with Monster. Not sure they had any real interested but I thought I'd toss the concept their way just the same. They did ask for some pictures so I sent them some. That was the last I heard out of them. Oh well... I tired.

[KSmith]

Hey Todd,

You will need 4 of these speaker clamps size 1 7/8.
http://www.bulletlines.com/wakeboard...amp-p/1142.htm

Our towers are 1 5/8 BUT the 1 5/8 clamps did not fit well as they were a tad too small. The 1 7/8 are too big BUT some self-stick non-slip pads from Lowes (or probably Home Depot) cut to fit the inside of the hinge worked great. I cut the non-slip pad I put on mine a bit large, peeled the tape off, stuck them onto the inside of the clamps and used a bare utility knife blade to trim.

Next you will need 4 new Ball and Socket Hinges which will replace 4 that come with the top.

Taco Marine F13-0241/244BN-1 7/8" 7/8" Flat deck hinge w/pin-lanyard


I got mine here:
http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/14447-...-flat-7-8.html

Make sure you use the following

G. Deck Hinge Flat, 7/8" 6471353 F13-0241/244BN1 In Stock $21.99


That is all the major parts you need to not have to drill holes in the tower.

I mounted my cargo top higher than Drew so if you look at the pictures at https://forum.moomba.com/showt...t=10144&page=6 Post #51 middle picture you'll see the rear support bars at laid down toward the center of the tower at a pretty steep angle. To address that I also bought two 90 degree and two straight Ball end caps and used some 7/8 polished aluminum tubing I had laying around to make shorter rear supprt bars. I could have used the 7/8 tubes and the 90 degree end caps off the support bars from Monster but I would have had to cut the 7/8 tubing and then the rear support bars as sent from Monster, which are adjustable, would have been ruined, but it would have some a few bucks. Instead of ruining the original rear support bars I built new shorter ones, which I cut the 7/8 tubing to 4 inches. I do not have pictures of this as I just did it and then it is going to rain so I button it up. It'' take some this weekend and add to the original install thread from Drew like I have been.

I bought the 90 degree and the straight Ball end caps from here:
http://www.marinepartdepot.com/newststdehi.html

But I see they do not have the 90 degree Ball end caps listed anymore. But If you wanted to shorten the rear support bars and you wanted to use the Monster supplied parts (the 90 degreeBall ends and 7/8 tubing) from the original rear support bars all you would need are two 7/8 Straight Ball end caps like these MPD_8801Regular from MarinePartDepot.

If you need the 90 degree Ball end caps you can get them at the same west marine link as above but use part number B. 90° Top Cap Side Mount, 7/8" 6471304 F11-0180-1 In Stock $24.99

Yeah, they are way more expensive at west marine than the clearance at the other site. I paid top dollar as the clearance wasn't going on when I bought them. Anyway...

NOTE: DO NOT order the MPD_8803 ball hinges show at MarinePartDepot as they are too big to mount on the speaker clamps. Good price but they won't work.

Next I also decided I did not want to use the last 2 Ball Hinges from Monster that get screwed into the cargo top frame, these two hinges are the cargo top hinges for the rear support bars to hook into. So... I ordered 2 Slide mount ball hinges from
http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/14447-...-flat-7-8.html

F. Stainless Steel Jaw Slide - 1" 6471346 F12-0300-1 In Stock $27.99

To Be Continued: