Factory Rails Strength

Hey all,

Did a search for this but it didn't turn up a whole lot. I'm sure this has been answered, but after a good bit of searching I couldn't find it...but maybe it's just me.

I want to be able to throw ~5snowboards max (usually a mix of boards and skis) on top of my 99 XJ (Classic) for the upcoming snow season. I want full protection so I'm considering a cargo box, but when I called Yakima because their fit guide is broken, they said that there's a note saying "Factory Rails have been tested as weak/generally unsafe for cargo boxes". Wanted to get the pro advice. They might be correct, but sometimes it's tough to tell when you're being given good advice vs. being sold something

My question is: have the factory rails been proven as weak? Does that seem to line up with what you XJers have experienced? I am always happy to save up and buy the solid/safe option, however sometimes it can be a waste of money if my factory rails are perfectly adequate.

Factory rail assembly system is is perfect working condition and doesn't seem to have any issues (rails lock in position and move freely when unlocked). I use it to transport my surfboard without any issue.

Any help is appreciated!

thanks

Forgot to include: I don't do massive hauling, just snowboards/boots/etc up top for winter and some camping gear during the summer.

Looking at the Yakima Rocketbox Pro 11 to hold a couple of boards and gear.

You are better off to get some bars that mount on the rain gutters. I had the factory bars collapse on me this summer when all I had up there was a 32" spare tire.

i would wager that a 32" tire and steel wheel weighs a lot more than 5 snowboards

I carried a Yakima full enclosure on the top of a '93 XJ for literally thousands of miles without issue. I would regularly fill it with 3 sets of skis, boots and poles during ski season and once filled with computers and other various "stuff" when moving from Houston to DC. Never had a problem.

As long as your roof isn't rusted out you should be fine. BTW, under the headliner, the XJ has braces that support the roof. I can't even remember how many trips I made to the local Home Depot where I came back with 2 2x4's (one on each side of the roof rack) and 4-6 sheets of drywall stacked on top of them. For what it is worth, this approach worked pretty good and kept the drywall pretty flat for the trip.

The most likely difference between my experiences and ert01's is that both the Yakima and the 2x4 approach tend to place the weight towards the outside of the roof rack. I could see where placing a huge amount of weight in the middle of the rack could cause problems because you are now pushing out on the side rails but keeping the weight above the support has always worked for me.

HTH
Todd

Ran a 33" tire and some other junk on my surco basket. No.issues. when that jeep rolled, the rack stayed intact, and routed the rails out of the roof.

Spread the load, and secure it, shouldnt have any issues

The plastic caps that go into the sliding ends are sketchy for sure. However I ran 3x 20L gas cans and my 31" spare on an alloy in a cheapo basket on my 1999's stock rails for 3200 KM of back roads in Northern Quebec this fall. I'm sure 5 snowboards on some highway will be fine, lol. Yakima just wants to sell you their $300 gutter-mount or over-the-door-mount rails that are no stronger than the stock setup.

IIRC the factory rack is rated for 150#

Thanks for the tips everyone! Should be arriving soon.

I have a 7 foot long rocketbox type container attached to my stock cross bars. I filled it completely full of sleeping bags, food, tents, air mattresses, lighter weight stuff, but all told probably 75 pounds. Hammered it through the Dusy Ershim with zero issues. For those of you familiar with that trail, I drive it in about 10 hours, so a pretty good clip.