Screws to hang mtb

Treesner

Active member
Hey guys I was going to hang these from my ceiling to hang my Mtb bike with straps.
I’ve got self taping screws holding down a 1/2 ply stud then 1/8 ply finish wood

wondering if screws into the wood would be strong enough or would it be stronger to do self taping metal screw through the wood and the metal of the van?
 

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erik.wahlstrom

Well-known member
The bike is likely going to swing around a lot. Screws will eventually work their way out. The hooks sold to hold bikes from a stud are typically 1/4” with at least 2” of thread. Likely they’ll pull out the first bumpy road to drive.
 

Treesner

Active member
The bike is likely going to swing around a lot. Screws will eventually work their way out. The hooks sold to hold bikes from a stud are typically 1/4” with at least 2” of thread. Likely they’ll pull out the first bumpy road to drive.
so you’re saying I need to put rivnuts in the roof metal beam instead of screws?
 
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billintomahawk

Guest
If your system supports your weight hanging on it(so to speak) your problems are solved.

bill in tomahawk
 

Outlookela

Active member
Riv nuts strong enough in pure tension. Is the what they attached to strong enough? If bike swings and transmits rotational torque to rivnut then I could see that breaking. Maybe rivet a piece of 1/8" steel plate - say 2" wide by 16" long to the underside of rib. then rivnut into the doubled thickness of steel. Then make sure the bike cannot swing and torque the riv nut.
 

Shawn182

Well-known member
Not a chance on wood screws lasting, RivNuts into the roof ribs would be the ideal way to go but if you are right on a metal rib beefy self drilling screws right through the wood into the metal rib would be the direction I would go.
 

marklg

Well-known member
You really have to consider dynamic (moving) loads here. The bikes are going to be swinging as you travel, wiggling whatever fasteners you have into thin sheet metal or weak wood till they eventually come loose. What do you do when something won't come out with straight force? You wiggle it till it does.

I think you need something strong that attaches firmly to the roof and then the supports for the bikes attach to that and can swing freely, so minimal swinging or vibrational forces get to the fasteners on the roof.

I did something similar in my garage for a bike hanger. A thick piece of wood is attached to the studs above and the flat top is against the ceiling, spreading any twisting loads over a wide area. Then the hangers, which freely let the bikes swing, are attached below. That way the fasteners into what would be the roof in your case only see the load of the bike weight, which they can take, not the swinging loads, which will slowly wiggle them till they pull out.

Bike_Hanger.jpg

Regards,

Mark
 

220629

Well-known member
I'll be a dissenting voice.

Why do the loads need to swing? Use bungee cords or other stabilization. I wouldn't want anything swinging around inside a van.

Enough self tapping screws can work. Bolt the 2 hole strap to a small sheet metal plate. Use enough fasteners and some adhesive sealant to keep the parts secure. I've used sheet metal screws into van sheet metal to fasten various hardware including the ledger boards for our loft beds. Everything has held together just fine.

vic
 

Treesner

Active member
I don’t think it’s going to be swinging (that would be super annoying). I was planning on strapping it against the wall so they don’t move
 
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billintomahawk

Guest
Why not set it up so the rear wheel is on the ground taking the weight or sitting in a raised cradle?

b
 
I found 1/4 -20 rivnuts not very strong in tension, i recently picked up some pre-bulb shank nuts that are a cross between a rivnut and a molly nut. They seem much stronger.
 

220629

Well-known member
I found 1/4 -20 rivnuts not very strong in tension, i recently picked up some pre-bulb shank nuts that are a cross between a rivnut and a molly nut. They seem much stronger.
You bring up a good point in general. The spacing of the strap holes shown is very close together. That concentrates the stresses to a small area of the body metal. Whether a bulb type expansion fastener is used or not, I would recommend using a metal plate to allow 4 ea. fasteners spaced out or if a round plate is preferred maybe 3 ea. in a triangle configuration.

Metal cover plates for electrical boxes, etc. will often work as a metal plate.

Something like this.


It's probably too much to hope for the countersunk holes to align with your strap holes for a flat head machine screw attachment.

:2cents: vic
 

Treesner

Active member
Ok so screwing loops to the ceiling didn’t seem strong enough and I didn’t have small enough rivnuts to try that out but I did have a bunch of e track I never installed. Unfortunately it meant ripping down all the walls to set the rivnuts in dialed but seems like this should work. Well run a second e track just below the bottom bracket and add some straps down there as well to hold them in tight. Will need to figure out some kind of hanging blanket or little pieces of leather where the bikes get pulled into the wall
 

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Treesner

Active member
I found 1/4 -20 rivnuts not very strong in tension, i recently picked up some pre-bulb shank nuts that are a cross between a rivnut and a molly nut. They seem much stronger.
Wow look way stronger on the backside. Just harder to install?


would these work in wood too? Rivnut designs don’t seem like they would work in wood
 

220629

Well-known member
... but I did have a bunch of e track I never installed. ...Will need to figure out some kind of hanging blanket or little pieces of leather where the bikes get pulled into the wall
L-track is a great solution. (You used L-track. E-track would be fine also.) It also provides attachment points for other uses.

I've used EPDM roof membrane as a cushion for quite a few things. Scraps can often be found around flat roof replacement projects.

vic
 
Wow look way stronger on the backside. Just harder to install?


would these work in wood too? Rivnut designs don’t seem like they would work in wood
Yes, but you need to get the ones with a 1/4 shank prior to the bulb. I bought a small bag of each which should last me awhile.
 

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