scooterworks reviews wrote:
on 5/11/2011 Great options, bad for Stella 4T
I purchased this item based on the other review and it sounded like a crazy awesome rear rack. But installing it on my brand new Stella 4T was a nightmare.
It ships with three holes to mount, two for the bolts near the gas tank and one where the seat post simply slides through. My Stella had two extra bolts on either side of the seat post, and the seat post itself was 2x larger than the hole it was meant to go through.
After hours of dremel work and drilling extra holes it fits, but now the seat no longer clips down onto the post. Every single bolt needed to be replaced as none of the current bolts were long enough. You also need a few washers to raise the back, as the body slopes away and doesn't cooperate well with the racks bind plate.
Other than the installation nightmare, it's a great rack. Lots of space and can hold a reasonable amount of weight. Just make sure you know what you are getting into when you purchase it.
I don't mind getting longer screws, but I don't have the tools or the desire to drill larger holes into chromed parts.
Sounds to me like this guy installed it wrong. Judging by his review, he enlarged the hole for the seat latch post so that the post extended through the rack mounting plate, rather than unscrewing the post, and screwing it back in on top of the plate after it is mounted. That's why he couldn't get his seat to latch.
You could probably do what I did to adapt a 2T Stella folding rear rack to my 4T. All you have to do is hacksaw the mounting plate off just north of the seat post hole, clean up the saw cut with a file and put some clear fingernail polish (lacquer) on the cut to prevent corrosion, and drill two new holes on either side of the latch post to accept the bolts.
Worked like a charm, and -- as the plate is just mild steel -- the only tools you need are a hacksaw with a sharp blade, a file, and a drill. Here is a pic:
