Roof Rack???? FarmerMatt advice pls!

[Ghost]

Ok I layed the 1.5 sqr on the roof length to see how much arch she had expecting a little. WOW! :eek: That sucker sits 3/4" about the front and 1/2" about the rear! How did you bend your main spars to that arch or close? I was thinking of putting one end on a 1" sqr piece and driving on it! I also thought about getting a tourch and heating the middle till she sagged but thought that the heat might transfer to the jeep and melt my headlinner! Was going to post some pictures but the camera is dead. I'll get some batterys and try again tonight!

[MuddyXJ]

I was going to ask about that too. I have a Wilderness rack that covers the whole roof and was going to fab it like Matts but I was thinking about using 3/8" flat stock for the roof and 1" square stock for the uprights. Not sure how that would hold up though. I really won't carry to much gear up there besides the spare, axe, shovel and hi-lift. And I only do one or two trails trips a years.

[brent]

put something under the ends of the tube, stand and jump in the middle of the tube, repeat till it is bent right. "the farmer matt tubing bender"

[ryurabbit]

I have the same question though I just thought once you use nutserts to hold them down it should bend as you mount it to the roof. I was going to mount both rails and then tack weld the uprights were I have them marked. Then use the top piece wich I already fabbed to mount to theuprights and tack them in. The welds should hold and then dismount the piece to be welded in it's entirety. Just my thoughts. Would like to here from you FARMER MATT!:bunny:

[FarmerMatt]

Brent has it right. I suspended the tube between 2 4x4 blocks & started jumping. Now I'm a pretty big boy so it may take a little more jumping for those of you who are size challenged, but it worked for me. Just remeber to not only focus on the middle of the tube, but also all along the tube so that the radius is nice & smooth. You'll be able to gage the radius by comparing it to the roof line after you start. Depending on the thickness of the tube this method will either be easy & work well or it will kill you feet & knee's. ;) I wouldn't use the rigs roof line to bend tube. The roofs sheet metal would more than likely bend before the tube does. The proper way to do it would be to take the tube to a shop that has a roller bender such as the neat little tool Beezil just picked up & have them bend the radius into the tube for you, but I'm cheap & lazy. The real trick would be to figue out what radius is needed.

Matt

[Ghost]

Ok, so the suport one end and drive on top of was not tooo far off! LOL!

[ROCKWGN]

Hey, Farmer Matt, hope you get your cotton sowed. What is the gauge of the material you used for your rack? Roof support square tubing and round roof rack tubing?
Thanks,
Sean M.

[FarmerMatt]

The main rails are 120 wall along with the rub rails. The top rails are 60 wall. If I were to do it againg I would lighten it up to 90 wall.

Matt

[bill hitchcock]

hey farmer matt do you have a page on the internet for your xj?

[FarmerMatt]

Not really a page, but just a place to throw pics up that I think I might use to show what I'm talking about with different mods & to show off now & than ;) . I'll give out the link, but be forewarned that the pics will change now & than & the captions really don't coincide with the pics they're under any more.

http://home.earthlink.net/~pigie/index.html

[GSequoia]

While you're paying attention to this Matt...I remember you posting up a link to the Nutzerts you used (I think). Anyway, were those direct replacements for the well nuts? I'm going to be pulling my headliner down, re-doing it, and putting a sunroof in, so I figured that I'd hit those up while I was at it.

Also, anybody know the size offhand for the transfer case skid nutzerts (and maybe front skid if it uses them)?

Thanks

[FarmerMatt]

Here's a link to that thread. Ghost, The starter of this thread, was the started of that thread so maybe he'll post about how they worked. I've never used them myself in the roof, but have used them in many other places. They are made in just about any size you could need. One warning, the link I posted in the previous thread to Wicks aircraft supply is not intended as a recomendation to use that company. I've never done business with them. I've simply used their pic because it was the best I was able to find on the net that shows both the nutsert & the tool I use to install them. I believe Ghost ordered his through them so maybe he can coment on the service he's gotten.

Matt

[Ghost]

Ok, I ordered from Wicks and they were very helpful. The nutzerts I ordered at first did not work. The roof was too thin and the nutzert was too small for the hole. Ok what I ordered. I measured the holes in my 84 xj roof to be 1/2". So I ordered the 1/2" nutzerts and the quick tool. When they came in I tried one and the nutzert would not collapse tight enough for my liking. It moved around too much and bobed up and down. Apparently these are not the best way to anchor to thin sheet metal with a hole that big. So I called them up and discused my options with them and that I wanted to try the next size up. They said I could return the unused ones and tool for a full refund of what I returned. So my experience with them was very positive and they were very helpful. I declined (I might use them else where!) and order the nutzerts the next sive up. 9/16" I believe. I got them in and then bought two bits to see which size hole would make them as tight as possiable. Don't remember the to sizes above 1/2" and below 9/16". I drilled out one hole and the nutzert would not fit in the hole. I tried the other and it would not fit either. So I deceided to open it up to 9/16 (the recomended size) and it fit tight. When I tightended it down it did exactly as I wanted. A tight fit that did not move up and down or wobble. Wicks sent me an entire printed cataloge too by the way with my order. The firts order was like $25-$30 for the zerts and the tool. The secone order was for like $33 and they were very helpful. A word of caution about the roof and drilling it! That is very thin sheet up there. One of my holes has a nice tear where the drill bit walked on me :confused: :eek: But If I ever get these tubes to bend I'll shoot pictures of all this and post it later. Oh Matt, I'm useing 3/16 thick 1.5 square tube for the main rails that run the length of the roof, what is the thickness of your tube? .90? Help a newbie out here! I'm illeterate and lazzy! LOL!;)

[ROCKWGN]

Ghost,
What is the web address for Wicks, and or phone number.
Sean M.

[ROCKWGN]

Hey Matt,
Did you use the existing threaded holes in your roof, I think there are 6 on each side. Where did the talk of Nutzerts come into play?
Sean M.

[FarmerMatt]

3/16? I hope you weigh about 500# or have a really big friend. When someone uses the term 120 wall they are referring to the decimal equivalent of a fraction. 3/16" would equal .1875 wall. 1/8 equals .125 wall. 120 wall is a little thinner than 1/8 ". There really is no reason to use that heavy of a tube for a roof rack. You really don't want that much weight up that high either. You want the rack to be as light as possible yet strong enough to do what you want it to do. If I were to build another rack I would use either 90 wall tube for the rails or 1/8" angle.

Matt

http://www.wicksaircraft.com/

[ryurabbit]

I'm using 1x1 .060 tubing but i'm only going 56" long because my cb antennae is mounted to the roof! Should be strong enough if design is as good as I think it is. Should support my spare, jack axe, shovel and odds and ends.

[Ghost]

But I dont think so! Right now the main beams are under my jeeps front tires..... And they still are not bending too well. They really are not that heavy to me. However I do see your point. Maybe I'll get a thinner size. Food for thought. I might jsut build it and go from there. This is really all just an exercise for me. More I have to build the more I get to play with the welder! LOL! I am already thinking of redoing my rock rails! LOL! Do you ever finish these little projects? One word.... Exoskelleton! I guess its overkill but that is why I wanted the main rails to be tough. Pluss I will have my axe, shovel,60" hi-lift, spare tire, and probably 2 storage boxes for parts tools etc. Phone # for whicks is 1-800-221-9425 and I see Matt already put the link up!

But here are the nutserts....

http://www.wicksaircraft.com/gotopage.php?page=91

[Ghost]

Picture of main rails under the front of my jeep attempting to give them a slight bend.

http://home.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/40/40672/folders/57574/490206BendingmnRails.JPG

The infamous Nutzerts!

http://home.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/40/40672/folders/57574/490210Nutzerts.JPG

Another View!

http://home.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/40/40672/folders/57574/490226NutzertsII.JPG

[ROCKWGN]

Hey Ghost,
You don't have any rust on that XJ do ya??? Did you get the rails to bend?
Sean

[Ghost]

A little hear and a little there! They are in the process of being bent! LOL!