Rear rack mounts ripped out - drill through bottom tube?

[buzzvert]

My salvage Buddy 125 (hereafter referred to as the Incredibuddy) came fresh from the dumpster missing the mounts for the rear rack, ripped clean from the top of the mount tubes. My thinking is that I can drill holes in the bottom tube, and run long bolts through the rack mount tubes to secure. I'll likely use some sort of angled bushing on the bottom of the long bolt. Hypothetically.

Anyone else dealt with rack mount damage? Do you think drilling those holes is a bad idea from a frame strength standpoint? Picture illustrates cockamamy idea.

[sc00ter]

I found those expand inserts for the inside of tubes at the hardware store. I did a thread (or responded) about this very issue, as its been covered before. Anyways, I think I was supposed to check the size of said inserts but never got around to it. I know I had to hammer them in and they worked great. If I swing by the guys house who I sold my Buddy to I'll try to get some pictures. But this has been covered before, just can't recall title of thread.

[eggsalad]

The whole tube is gone? Or just the threaded insert? Either way, just fab it up and weld it on. Can't take half an hour.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-M8 ... /204281864

[buzzvert]

The whole tube is gone? Or just the threaded insert? Either way, just fab it up and weld it on. Can't take half an hour.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-M8 ... /204281864

Finally, an excuse to buy a welder and learn how to weld! But yes, I was sort of trying to avoid the correct route and doing something that would work without taking the tupperware off and involving other people. I agree that's the best solution- just one I can't execute right now w/o access to welding gear and people, etc.

[DeeDee]

Use a piece of fuel injection tube, a long bolt and an inverted acorn nut.
Run the bolt through the acorn nut, so it pops through the domed end. Run it down on the bolt and back it off a couple of times to cut the threads. Now flip the nut around, so the dome will drive itself into the fuel line as you tighten it. The nut will force itself into the fuel line. This will be real strong, and flex a bit.
We drilled Ryans through the bottom and used a long piece of all thread. The all thread eventually broke.

[tenders]

Here’s what I did for a similar problem:
* wrap some sandpaper around a dowel and rough up the inside of the tube as best as possible
* stuff a plastic grocery bag about 3/4 of the way down the tube as a cork
* wax a bolt of proper size (M8 in my case) with paste car wax as a release agent
* fill the tube with slow-hardening liquid epoxy (20+ minutes working time), ideally thickened with silica or chopped fiberglass strands for additional strength
* place the waxed bolt carefully into the liquid epoxy so that the epoxy cures around the threads
* break the bolt free of the epoxy once it has entirely cured (24 hours or longer)
* mount the rack - that bolt will hold nicely in such a long, threaded sleeve of epoxy

[buzzvert]

These are fantastic ideas. Thanks all.

[sc00ter]

I was gonna weld in new nuts in the tube but didn't wan't to take everything apart. The fuel tank was in the way/to close. You have the whole rear end stripped like the picture? That should make it easy.