It has pulled loose. First, a loud bang, then the head of the screw protruded so the car could not travel.

Fixes anyone?

I removed my old one after it broke when a couple rivets pulled up, and replaced all the rivets with stainless screws. It was quite a project because it's a bitch trying to get the nut on the back of the screw, using a small wrench taped to the end of a long batten, slid inside your beam, and it takes two people to do it. It took me and my daughter about 3 hours each, on two afternoons, to get them all done.

If you only have to do a few rivets, just drill them out and replace with screws asap, before they pull all the way out and the track breaks, or you might lose your traveler car balls...

Mine are machine screws and that's what I'll replace them with.

It's worth mentioning this is the first failure I've had and the boat is five years old.

I through bolted two, four inch (4") long stainless steel in the center,
and added one inch (1") long s.s screws 'drill & tap' between the existing rivets. I had to deepen the countersink for the bolts.
I coated the s.s. with loctite, but there are better coatings for dissimilar metals.

"I through bolted two, four inch (4") long stainless steel in the center"

There's an idea! It would be a lot easier for one person working alone.

Chris, are you coming to KPRR?

If you're going to do that (I wouldn't) make sure you cut to exact length and fit a couple of spacer tubes to prevent the beam crushing.

I was planning on using the tubes, like the internal downhaul.

Any other concerns?

Ever consider a long thin backing plate. If you drilled and tapped the entire plate using the rail as a guide all the holes would line up.

Yes.

Unless I hear a compelling argument against the through bolt, I'll do that.

The whole reason to thru bolt is to be able to do solo. Add compression tubes and now you have a 2 man job again lining up things through the tube ends.
Plus you have double the holes in the beam and fasteners under the beam to now catch on stuff.

Matt,

On all the new boats we deliver there are screws in the middle of the track to prevent this from happening. How do you fasten the screws?

Gill

I like Orphans idea.

Karl,
The thought was to make it long enough so you could easily get each end in place(maybe a set screw at the very end of the beam)then the screws futher inside the beams would be easy. If you used stainless with some thin issolation material glued to the beam on the contact side before you started you would not have to worry about dissimilar metals.

Not to hijack my own thread, but do any of these techniques make the beam stiffer?

Orphan- I get it, I wasn't being a dick, its probably the easiest, and strongest solution.

Pete- I doubt any of these would have a significant impact on rigidity one way or another. I don't like the through bolting just because you're making another spot for corrosion and electrolysis to go to work. Plus having one more thing for lines, sheets, and bungee to potentially get caught on, and it only happens at the worst time....

Karl,
I did not take it that way I was trying to expand on the idea. Is there a reason why no one uses a cross bar with an integrated track? Like the tornado.

AHPC beams are basically a Tornado shape, and have the track moulded in.

I scored a Tiger rear beam that I'll be using if I ever do a home build, which is similar.

I noticed mine was pulling up slightly in the center so I replaced the middle 4-5 (maybe 6) rivets with SS flat head bolts with lock nuts. It was difficult but I used a socket wrench with a bit of paper in the socket to hold the nut out a little since the bolts I got were too short. this was, of course then taped to the end of the tiller ext. make sure you do that far one first. Glad I did this after I saw Timbo's trav at tradwinds (though his went on the end of the trav)