What do you mean exactly that the racks are overbuilt? Im also quite new to bikes and racks, so if you could explain in greater detail the issues you had with installing the front rack I would appreciate it
What I mean by "overbuilt" is that they are heavy and will carry a good load. I think they are rated for 25/50 pounds front/rear, but I have had much more on them for short distances. I am trying to figure out the best way to explain the mounting/brake issues. There are two mounting points on each side fo the fork: one at the dropout, and one mid-way up the fork. I have found that in nearly every case, the lateral distance (front to rear of the bike) between these two mounting points is too far apart (on the rack). This results in the rack being tiped forward. It is easily fixced by bending the lower mounting post on the rack. However, the rack itself still sits far enough back such that if you are running cantilever or roller-cam brakes, the rack interferes with them. You will have to move the mid-fork mount forward with a bracket (and bend the lower mounting point even further back). The moving of the top shelf forward on the newer front racks does not help much except for side-pull and center-pull brakes because the rack shoulders are still too far back. This can all be done, but it is a PIA. The rear rack is no problem.
Here is my '85 Schwinn Siera:
The mounting point that frequently needs to be bent is at the bottom by the axle nut. You then have to move the mid-point forward like this:
