Need help with Flight clips...

[hyndesyte]

I purchased a pair of flight clips from a member last fall and am just now getting to the box and found there are no mounting brackets. The previous owner never had them. Does anyone know how to find mounting brackets? I could not find any on Nautique Parts. Any thoughts on trying to use the rack directly mounted to the tower without the mounting bracket collars? If anyone has any for sale, please email me directly at hyndesyte@yahoo.com.
Thank you for any imput.

[ski4evr]

give NP a call and see if they can help, they have much more than what is on the website

[vortech347]

I purchased a pair of flight clips from a member last fall and am just now getting to the box and found there are no mounting brackets. The previous owner never had them. Does anyone know how to find mounting brackets? I could not find any on Nautique Parts. Any thoughts on trying to use the rack directly mounted to the tower without the mounting bracket collars? If anyone has any for sale, please email me directly at hyndesyte@yahoo.com.
Thank you for any imput.

If you can find them do it that way. I have a FCT2 on my 99 and my Flight Clips are from when they didn't have clamps so I had to drill holes in my tower to mount them. I would much rather have the clamps.

[pzthk6]

A couple of years ago someone on here modified their spinners to have the flight clips. Otherwise the older FCT1 towers were made with mounting holes pre-drilled on the side of the tower to attach the flight clips. They mounted to a flat plate that connected the for and aft tower tubes.

[hyndesyte]

Did you put any type of large washers or plates behind the bolts for support? NP said the mounting brackets are ~$ 350ea.

[vortech347]

If you are asking me about my 99 then the answer is no. I used the supplied hardware that came with the racks.

They just have washers and locking nuts. You have to drill the holes in the tower large enough to fit the socket over the nuts so the holes are close to 3/4" in size.

The flat bar of the flight clips sits flush with the flat tubing of the tower and it's very solid. The tower tubing is plenty thick so no backing plates are needed.

Mine have been installed for 12 years now and I've never tightened them once or had them come loose. They are rock solid.



It's been a long time since I installed them but I believe I marked the holes on the outside and drilled all the way through both sides of the tubing. Then used the holes on the inner side of the tower as guides and used a hole saw to open up the holes for fitting the washers, nuts and a socket inside.

The racks came with covers for the inner holes but I've never put them on. The drilled holes leave little slivers of metal that need to be cleaned up before the covers will snap in and I just haven't bothered with it.

Again, if you can find the clamps for not too much money I would do that. Otherwise, drilling and mounting is not a very hard job.

[Brichter14]

Why not just use longer bolts and not have to drill such huge holes?

[Chexi]

$350 each for the mounting brackets? That is insane. Just get regular after market racks. Or, keep your eyes peeled for another used set of flight clips with the clamps. Or, you could try to contact Don Gergler on Foilform.com and see if he can make you some.

[vortech347]

Why not just use longer bolts and not have to drill such huge holes?

Not a good idea. That would bend the tower tubing over time.

[Andy3535]

Flight Clips

I made my own clips..just measured out and a friend made the clamps on a CNC machine... The racks I formed by hand with a few tools I made in the garage.I made racks for two boats with a material cost of about 200 euros

[Ed Wallace]

Go to EBay and search "Oval Tube Wakeboard Tower Clamp".

These clamps are brand new and are made of solid machined 6061 billet aluminum. They are made for oval tubing and the mounting screws are 1/4 - 20's

Clamps are $10.00 each, and the shipping is $15.00. Maybe if you bought 4 you could combine shipping.

[beach]

I actually bought the nautique clamps because it gets the board a little farther away from the tower. I find I have less issues with the boots on the inner board. They don't clamp on quite fully. I think this is because my tower is powdercoated and the clamps are meant for anodized towers.

[jhersey29]

I actually bought the nautique clamps because it gets the board a little farther away from the tower. I find I have less issues with the boots on the inner board. They don't clamp on quite fully. I think this is because my tower is powdercoated and the clamps are meant for anodized towers.

Stop at the local bike shop and get a bicycle tube 26" x 2.25 or 1.75. The are easy to cut and make great bushings.

[TBrick7]

Hello. I have a 1999 Sport Nautique with the FCT2. I was looking to have someone make the clips and the clamp. The MFG of them went out of business and I can’t find any measurements. Do you have some on the clamps and the clips?