Can I cut this bit off my rack?

[Mr Tom]

I just fitted some new mudguards as the old ones were so beaten up. I found the wire mounting stay?, not sure what to call it, clashes with my pannier rack. Please see the pics. I can't see what that extra bit on the end of the pannier rack, where it mounts on the frame, is for, is there any reason I can't cut it back? Or would it make more sense to bend the wire a little bit to avoid it? Thinking maybe it's there to make it less likely for the panniers to sag into the back wheel.

[Brucey]

the rack protrusion is to hook some types of pannier hook/elastic to. If you think you might ever use this (very many panniers would use this fitting) then you shouldn't chop it off. Bending the mudguard stays is much the better option I would have said.

cheers

[Vorpal]

Can you post pictures of the whole rack & mudguard? You might find it easier with a different combination?

[Mr Tom]

Here are a couple of pics. The mudguards are SKS, the rack I don't know, I think just got from my LBS

[halfpenny]

The protrusion has no strength implications. You can cut off the end at an angle, and still leave enough to hook a strap.

[Mr Tom]

Yeah it's funny, everything I know about how the universe works told me I could cut it off fine, it makes no sense that cutting it off could affect the strength of the rest of the rack. Somehow though I was nervous, because I thought it must have been there for some reason, otherwise it was just a waste of metal. I think I'll have a go at bending first, it only needs to move away a tiny amount.

[Cowsham]

The protrusion has no strength implications. You can cut off the end at an angle, and still leave enough to hook a strap.

Yes just cut a wee bit off the end. My rack has the stays further up the fixing leg to avoid this problem. It's just a standard halfords rack at about £20.

[peetee]

Moving it away a tiny fraction may only create a rattle as the two items flex on lumps and bumps. I suspect you won’t have enough stay to bend it well out of the way. I would just cable tie the two together to keep them quiet and stop any vibration-induced wear. It will also add a bit of extra stability to the mudguard.

[2_i]

You can put a washer or two under the rack's stay, possibly in combination with a tad longer bolt there.

[keyboardmonkey]

You can put a washer or two under the rack's stay, possibly in combination with a tad longer bolt there.

I did that as a temporary fix (only I've just noticed that I still have an excessive amount of washers there!).

rear view before

rear view after

side view before

side view afrer

... Somehow though I was nervous, because I thought it must have been there for some reason, otherwise it was just a waste of metal. I think I'll have a go at bending first...

If the bending proves a faff just cut away! Now, where did I put my mini hacksaw...?

[Cowsham]

You can put a washer or two under the rack's stay, possibly in combination with a tad longer bolt there.

I did that as a temporary fix (only I've just noticed that I still have an excessive amount of washers there!).

Blackburn EX1 pic A.jpg

Blackburn EX1 pic B.JPG

Blackburn EX1 pic C.jpg

Blackburn EX1 pic D.JPG

... Somehow though I was nervous, because I thought it must have been there for some reason, otherwise it was just a waste of metal. I think I'll have a go at bending first...

If the bending proves a faff just cut away! Now, where did I put my mini hacksaw...?

I'd never do that --- if the chain gets caught on the way down to that smallest sprocket and that long screw it'll be a devil to free again. You can cut a bit off tip and still have plenty to put the bungees hook on. I suppose that's why there's so many washers -- must have run out of them too.

[keyboardmonkey]

You can put a washer or two under the rack's stay, possibly in combination with a tad longer bolt there.

I did that as a temporary fix (only I've just noticed that I still have an excessive amount of washers there!).

Blackburn EX1 pic A.jpg

Blackburn EX1 pic B.JPG

Blackburn EX1 pic C.jpg

Blackburn EX1 pic D.JPG

... Somehow though I was nervous, because I thought it must have been there for some reason, otherwise it was just a waste of metal. I think I'll have a go at bending first...

If the bending proves a faff just cut away! Now, where did I put my mini hacksaw...?

I'd never do that --- if the chain gets caught on the way down to that smallest sprocket and that long screw it'll be a devil to free again. You can cut a bit off tip and still have plenty to put the bungees hook on. I suppose that's why there's so many washers -- must have run out of them too.

Tough crowd. The rubber washer was there as a temporary fix to push the rack stay ends clear of both the mudguard stay and the bottom of the seat stay. The chain cleared the bolt end, but I cut off two (actually four because I did both sides) ends of the rack stay.

How’s this...?

Rear view after, after

[Mr Tom]

Wow, lots of ideas I hadn't thought of! Maybe I'll try cable ties and perhaps a little piece of inner tube between the stay and rack to dampen any movements which do happen. Then see how I get on from there. Thanks for all the tips!

[mercalia]

another possible use should the welding fail you could use some plastic ties to connect them to together. If no loop then you couldnt do that. I do that on my rack matter of course

[alexnharvey]

You could support the higher/forward mounting point from the rack, rather than the dropout and move to a single rear stay instead.