This seems good reasoning to me. Don't want incipient stresses fatiguing
body panels into cracks after n000 miles.
VW would have likely even looked at actual relative strains - that is
calculated them - dats what engineers do.

Clive

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Lee" <gary2a@TELUSPLANET.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2002 1:39 AM
Subject: Re: swing away tire carrier

> Bill,
> It certainly would be a lot easier to build the latch on the door, like
the
> Ortec.  The OEM VW carrier has the latch attached in the same place as
where
> I did mine.  Here's why I did it that way, and why I speculate VW did as
> well.  The VW carrier is clamped tightly at the latch, as is mine, for
> strength. A rigid connection designed to restrict movement in two planes.
I
> expect that there is a certain amount of flexing/twisting in the body
shell,
> so there is a small amount of movement between the vertical and horizontal
> door jams.  However, I would expect that there is more movement between
the
> vertical door jamb and the actual door.  To this end it is better to have
> all attachment points on the same structure, either the door alone or body
> alone.
> Does this make sense?  Let me know what you think.
>
> Gary
> http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/vanagonrack.htm
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill Kasper" <dragonlist@ipmts.ucsc.edu>
> To: "Gary Lee" <gary2a@telusplanet.net>
> Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 3:54 PM
> Subject: Re: swing away tire carrier
>
>
> > no worries, you've done a great thing.  one other thought i had was to
> > do the latching in the beauty strip on the door rather than next to the
> > light.  there's quite a lot of splash down there during rains, and
> > unless the drilling was sealed up really well it might rust faster than
> > a bolted plate to the beauty strip on the hatch; also easier to replace
> > a hatch than that piece of sheetmetal between the license hatch and the
> > tail light, i would think.
> >
> > keep up the outstanding work.  i don't know if i would buy one (i have
> > a custom underfront carrier for my tire which works fine), but i know
> > many, many syncro owners who have been looking.  keep us apprised.
> >
> > best,
> > bill
>