on your 1st generation FJ Side Rack

While it has become common practice to mount a powertank onto the 1st generation MPAC FJ Side Rack, there have been a small number of side racks (less than 1%) that have cracked due to the stress of the application. We have found that the likely cause of the failures are related to poor hardware choices and gross overloading of the Side Rack. We have the following suggestions to hopefully avoid these failures.

1) Hardware must include very large washers for the backside of the rack. The washer needs to cover several holes in the grid (not just the hole the bolt is inserted into). It is our recommendation that the MPAC quickfist mounts would make an ideal backing for the powertank mount.  If you choose this route, two QF mounts should be used with 3 bolts in on each side.

2) The powertank mount needs to be mounted as high as possible so the frame of the MPAC rack can help support the weight.

3) The base of the powertank needs a non-slip surface to rest on...skateboard tape is perfect for this application and can be found at any hardware store.

4) DO NOT overload the rack! The rack is rated for 25-30 pounds, a powertank alone weighs 30 pounds filled. Adding a 10 pound fire extinguisher and a 3 pound maglight will bring the total weight to 43 pounds..that is too much!

5) We highly recommend the purchase or upgrade to a new HD Rack. See FJ products for details

Springtails warranty policy: We will cover defective MPAC products for 6 months from purchase that fail under reasonable use. Warranty will not cover any rack that has been damage due to gross overloading or inadequate hardware.

For items that are not covered by warranty, Springtail will offer the customer the chance to replace the part at (or below) our cost. This policy is for the lifetime of the product.