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Will an Olympic Top Hat Rack fit over factory roof rack?

outracing

NAXJA Forum User
Location
ohio
Hey everyone, I am just trying to find out if a top hat rack will fit on my xj with out removing the factory roof rack. Can anyone confirm for sure that you know it will or will not fit over the factory roof rack? I have the short rack on my roof.


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yes

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Thanks MrShaft696.

If you have the basket on you wont be able to use the factory rails, but I put kayaks on the roof so I sold the basket. Held up ok so far as long as you lean on trees with it, but if you hit them head on the thing rips off the roof and tears the gutter mounts up.
 
Thanks for the info. I will be using the basket, I don't have a problem pulling the rails off the factory carrier just as long as I can leave the two parts that are bolted on the roof, on the roof.
 
Yes its designed to fit over the factory rails on all years. Space your factory rails in between the bottom basket rails. Though it doesn fit with some aftermarket rails that sit higher. You may want to get an extra center cross bar if you have smaller loads. I'm sure olympic can get you an individual cross bars gutter mounts and carriage bolts. The center bars have a different offset on the mounts compared to the front and back cross bars.
 
You may also want to get an extra center cross bar, mounts and eyebolts/ carriage bolts depending on what generation rack you have. I'm sure if you talk to eric he can sell you just the middle cross bar. It makes a world of difference in strength and helps spread the load combined with the factory roof rack. The floor of the oly rack should be almost even with the top of the factory rails when spaced in between the basket rails. Make sure you seal all connections , spacer tubes and anything else with silicon to prevent rust. The bottom basket crossbars are only welded on 3 sides to allow for dranage, sometimes the powdercoat is very thick and will block these. Just drill some 3/16" holes in the bottom of each square tube at each end to allow for dranage along with all bottom holes or areas of the basket.
 
If you are considering an Olympic part anything consider there strength first. Don't get me wrong on this but I'm just speaking from first hand experience/witnessing. So in August I was on the Sierra Trek run thru Fordyce and in front was the owner and company vehicle for Olympic amd behind was the synergy company vehicle with two of there lucky ass employees. Anyways the Olympic vehicle kindas bump there roof rack on a tree and tore it not only off there roof but also tore the entire rack to shreds. I'm telling you it literal folded like swiss cheese. So like I said don't get me wrong they make some good things but just keep in mind the durability/strenght or the rack.

Just my two cents
 
If you are considering an Olympic part anything consider there strength first. Don't get me wrong on this but I'm just speaking from first hand experience/witnessing. So in August I was on the Sierra Trek run thru Fordyce and in front was the owner and company vehicle for Olympic amd behind was the synergy company vehicle with two of there lucky ass employees. Anyways the Olympic vehicle kindas bump there roof rack on a tree and tore it not only off there roof but also tore the entire rack to shreds. I'm telling you it literal folded like swiss cheese. So like I said don't get me wrong they make some good things but just keep in mind the durability/strenght or the rack.

Just my two cents

yes you are correct, depends what you need the rack for, the basket or the protection....if you want the protection this is what your gonna get....torn off gutter mount....
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otherwise look at other options like the hd, my only opinion is a straight bar can always get caught on something, you need the bar to curve at the front towards the windshield, so that it does not get caught on anything...
 
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The thing with my xj is that I found out the roof rack was added on. It was pulled from the junk yard by the previous owner and just put on with sheet metal screws. This is the biggest reason I do not want to remove it, I am sure as soon as it was pulled rust would take over my roof. I really just have use for the basket. I looked at some yamaka units, but they all used the factory rack in some way. Is there a better design that would bolt to the rain gutter?
 
The thing with my xj is that I found out the roof rack was added on. It was pulled from the junk yard by the previous owner and just put on with sheet metal screws. This is the biggest reason I do not want to remove it, I am sure as soon as it was pulled rust would take over my roof. I really just have use for the basket. I looked at some yamaka units, but they all used the factory rack in some way. Is there a better design that would bolt to the rain gutter?

If thats really the case you should seal the wholes up properly to prevent rust and /or leaks from happening anyways.
 
Clean4drxj, it was done well when it was put on. From what I can see from trying to pull the factory rack is that after the holes were drilled into the roof, it looks like they filled them with silicone and attached the rack. This has kinda glued it to the roof. Also, since they are already filled the idea of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind. I'm just sure that this add on roof rack isn't that strong...
 
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