Evan an old monkey can go from soft to hard...

[andyoutandabout]

Hmmm, I just looked back through the fabrication pictures and it appears it would be tricky to remove more material without compromising its structure. An excuse then for a rally to meet up and eyeball Monkey's rear end ....

[Jeff0308]

The hard cases look the part. Bike looks brilliant. Reckon a belly pan would set it off nicely.  Looks better than new . Nice work.

[FJmonkey]

The hard cases look the part. Bike looks brilliant. Reckon a belly pan would set it off nicely.  Looks better than new . Nice work.

I have the pan, 2 in fact, just need to fix some cracks before I put it back on... Thanks ...

[movenon]

Monkey,

If you haven't done so already, you may want to beef up the former signal light brackets that now support the luggage rack. Mine snapped off en route to Alaska and the top case base ended up sitting on the tail section of the FJ for the rest of the ride back home. Made for a nice (not!) groove worn into the tail section. I had the brackets re-welded in place this spring.

Once you get hard luggage, you'll never go back to soft!
http://youtu.be/8C-e96m4730

Zwartie

Yep...what Zwartie said!   

My turn signal brackets both cracked off as well.  Fortunately for me, not on the same trip!  The starboard side cracked off after 17,000+ miles carrying around 110 pounds of gear.  I eventually discovered this and re-welded that tab.  Fast-forward to a month ago and on a wipe-down, I found that the port side tab had also broken off.  That was another 9,000 miles.  I just re-welded that one the other day.

You'd be wise to reinforce those both with a few passes on the MIG before you even mount up the Wingrack.

Just a question before I mount the Wing Rack II rack.  I have the stock FJ tail light brackets off and would like to beef them up as I assume it is a known failer point.  Are they failing at the first bend down from the frame or around the the lower or upper mount holes ?  Sitting here looking at the brackets I am guessing the stress is at that first bend. Thinking I could wire feed a few beads or make a plate to sit inside the channel of the bracket as it is winter and I have the time to fuss with it.
Cheers George

[markmartin]

Looks good Mark.  Welcome to the hard side.

[Bones]

Monkey,

If you haven't done so already, you may want to beef up the former signal light brackets that now support the luggage rack. Mine snapped off en route to Alaska and the top case base ended up sitting on the tail section of the FJ for the rest of the ride back home. Made for a nice (not!) groove worn into the tail section. I had the brackets re-welded in place this spring.

Once you get hard luggage, you'll never go back to soft!
http://youtu.be/8C-e96m4730

Zwartie

Yep...what Zwartie said!   

My turn signal brackets both cracked off as well.  Fortunately for me, not on the same trip!  The starboard side cracked off after 17,000+ miles carrying around 110 pounds of gear.  I eventually discovered this and re-welded that tab.  Fast-forward to a month ago and on a wipe-down, I found that the port side tab had also broken off.  That was another 9,000 miles.  I just re-welded that one the other day.

You'd be wise to reinforce those both with a few passes on the MIG before you even mount up the Wingrack.

Just a question before I mount the Wing Rack II rack.  I have the stock FJ tail light brackets off and would like to beef them up as I assume it is a known failer point.  Are they failing at the first bend down from the frame or around the the lower or upper mount holes ?  Sitting here looking at the brackets I am guessing the stress is at that first bend. Thinking I could wire feed a few beads or make a plate to sit inside the channel of the bracket as it is winter and I have the time to fuss with it.
Cheers George

I don't have hard luggage George, only a gear sack rack, but mine broke off level with the frame

[movenon]

So that's the tab on the rear sub frame not the turn signal bracket.  There is the sub frame tab,  the turn signal bracket and then the GIVI support bracket then to the Wing Rack. What a trip of brackets... Thinking about redesigning that so the information you provided is helpful.

Thanks for the picture.     When Ron first described it I was thinking it was the sub frame tab but when the turn signal bracket was mentioned I became a little uncertain. And maybe the turn signal tab can benefit from a little reinforcement also. Just want to do it before it is installed. Thank you again !
George