LX450 - Milford Cargo Barrier:
NOTE!!! : I significantly deviated from Milford's instructions during the installation. If you decide to follow my instructions, be sure you know what you are doing!
The shipping cost is so high ($90 to $130 from
California to Washington, depending on the carrier) not because of weight, but
size. The way this barrier is built means it can't be shipped in small boxes
like the "pet barriers" that are so common in the USA.
This is interesting.... Aussie codes, I guess. I took this stuff
off.
"Rated Capacity Single Mass 60 kg". The barrier is crash tested
for one large 60 kg (132 lbs) flying object. This bothers me a bit - I kind of
thought it would be a bigger object.
Because of my suspicious nature and problem following directions,
I decided to install the barrier cautiously. I set it in place to check fit and
clearances, and then started with the rear floor mounts first. Here is the
reason you need a metric tape measure - every dimension is in millimeters. The
location of the first floor mount - 880 mm from the front of the rear sill guard
("skid plate"),
Measure
out 100 mm from the sheet metal of the fender well. Not from the carpet!
The
point located by these measurements was too far outboard for the backing plate
to set correctly under the floor rib, so I moved it inboard by eye until
it looked right. The step drills are great for this kind of work. The small size
is 1/8 to 1/2, and the large is 1/2 to 1 inch. They are NOT cheap, but if you
buy them you will thank yourself every time you drill a perfect hole in sheet
metal. The black thing showing through the large hole is the top of the upper
rear suspension spring mount - there is not much clearance.
Treat
the holes with the provided "Tekote" grease (whatever the hell that is...) and
wiggle the backing plate into the center hole, using the "special tool" to hold
it in place under the floorboard.
The
finished mount, after jiggling parts for 5 minutes. Don't over torque the screws
or you may damage the trim piece. Repeat for the other side.
Install
the barrier temporarily, using the two floor mounts and a bungee cord around the
center seat head rests (to keep the barrier from pinning you to the floor).
Install the adapter piecees onto the upper brackets at a 90 degree angle. These
are intended to clear the rear seat grab handles. At this point I became a
little dubious - this was not looking good...
Place
some masking tape lightly on the headliner. DON'T press it down hard or it will
disfigure the material when you remove it. Swing the two upper mounts into
position and mark the location of the holes with a felt tipped pen. This
represents the absolute maximum forward position the barrier can be mounted -
remember the barrier is being held tight up against the backs of the center
seats.
I
wanted a little room behind the seat backs so that the leather would not chafe
or squeak against the barrier - I shifted the holes back 15 mm from the previous
location. Final position is 73 mm to the rear of the forward handle mount hole.
The Milford instructions tell you to measure from the front screw of the center
grab handle - pretty pointless if you cannot use the front mount position (due
to a sunroof). I checked my hole position according to the instructions, and it
was about 20 mm farther back than the instructions call for. I am glad I didn't
just measure and drill, or the barrier would have been hard up against the
seats! Measure from the face of the rubber window gasket inward and upward 15 mm
and make your final mark.
Now
the fun part! Remove the barrier. Go wash your hands, because they probably have
that Tekote grease on them from that little silver packet. Remove the center and
rear seat belt shoulder harnesses, then the C and D pillar trim and the
outer-most headliner retainer plug (the thing that looks like a plastic
Christmas tree when you are holding it) on each side of the headliner. The idea
is to get some play in the headliner so you can (carefully!) pry it away from
the window to get to the body structure. I used two small pieces of wood to hold
the headliner away from the work area.
Looking
up at the roof structure through the opening you have created. The mark to the
right is that first locating mark - the one to the left that looks like a bullet
hole is the final mount position. (I ran a pilot drill through the trim to mark
the center hole on the structure.) The bracket outer holes are marked on the
steel structure. Put on your safety glasses!
The
holes are drilled. That is the roof sheet metal you can see through the hole.
The instructions _strongly_ suggest you use a drill stop set at 20 mm on your
pilot drill. There is actually a lot of air above the holes, but better safe
than sorry. You don't want to dimple or drill through your roof! No way! The
step drills make this process painless.
The
final mount, after more jiggling and swearing. The gray plastic thingy is a
cover that hides the mount when the barrier is removed. I have doubts about this
- I may eliminate the plastic and bolt the bracket tight to the sheet metal. I
don't see how that plastic will survive without cracking.
The
final product...maybe. The trim is back, the mess is vacuumed up and the carpet
and barrier are in position. The glass hammer is gone (I will never carry kids
back there with the barrier in place) and the data plate is relocated so I can
see past it. One final test - I pushed forward on the barrier, and it shifted as those hokey extensions pivoted in their mounts. The whole thing feels
... shaky.
The
culprit. This thing has to be an afterthought! It just cannot work unless it is
welded solid. The forward force against the barrier will cause the center bolt
to pivot, no matter how tight it is.
The
solution. A little gentle twisting with an adjustable wrench lines things up
nicely. I didn't need those grab handles anyway.... The barrier is now rock
solid.
Detail
of the lower mount - the bar running off to the right is used when the barrier
is shifted to the forward position. I left both in place because I want to see
if I can figure out a way to mount the barrier farther forward in a non-standard
position.
The
barrier works GREAT. Ian and Sarah will be much happier riding back there....
Some final notes:
The gray rectangular hole plugs are for child seat tethers. They rattled badly - I injected a squirt of clear RTV sealant in each corner of each plug.
Milford warns explicitly not to attach anything to the barrier, or the warranty will be voided.
In Australia, Milford offers free replacement of any barrier that is damaged in a crash, so they can use your story on their website. I am not sure if this offer applies to overseas buyers. I contacted the US rep and this is what he said: "I can’t say whether the warranty will apply or not, as Man-A-Fre isn’t officially on board yet, but Milford is pretty generous. Let us hope you don’t need to make a claim. If you do crash though and the barrier does play a role in your salvation, make sure to take some good pictures, as I think they want that as part of the deal for a replacement."
Milford supplies a warning sticker to apply on the hatch near the child safety lock. It warns that death and disaster may result if kids are locked in the rear of the truck. More lawyer talk, but I installed my sticker.
When I get the energy I will see about fabricating mounts so I can move the barrier further forward with the center seats folded.
Milford Cargo Barriers - Australia
Milford Installation FAQ "Installation times are less than two hours, usually just over an hour." HA HA HA HA...yeah, right!