home made roof rack

olivedrabcj7 · Apr 28, 2005

i need somewhere to toss my 36" spare tire. dont feel like hangin it off the back (fab skills arent up to building a bumper and swing out job), i dont even have a factory roof rack to bolt an aftermarket one to. and im not excited about spending 300 bucks on an aftermarket one that mounts to my gutters. id be happy with one i could screw to the roof, squirt some sillycone on the screws and toss my tire on top. any ideas on what to do?

87CherokeeChief · Apr 28, 2005

pbandj · Apr 28, 2005

let me preface by saying I WISH I HAD A DIGITAL CAMERA!
I just took off the factory rack mounting rails and welded 3 little 2"x3"x1/8" plates with 1/2" nuts tacked on the back (and holes for the bolts to go through) onto each side along the strips where the factory rails were... I bored out 3 of the factory mounting holes on each side just big enough so the 1/2" nut welded on the plate would recess between the sheetmetal and headliner (plenty of room BTW), then I had my wife weld the mounting plates and sheetmetal together since she's an awesome welder and I didn't want warp out my roof.... then we just started cutting and tacking 1" square tube stock into a rack shape that was properly sized to our mounting holes... full seam welded it, took it off, spray paint, got married the next day, tossed the spare tire and a few hundred pounds of luggage on top and drove 4,000 some miles to alaska..... that's how it's done, any questions?

ChicksDigWagons · Apr 28, 2005

Yes, where did you find a wife that is better at welding than you, and does she have a sister? :loveu:

On topic, a roof rack should be a pretty easy project, not bad for a first time deal. I happen to have a few old futon frames that I'm going to cut up and use for a rack. Nice rounded corners and lots of horizontal slats. Looks something like this:

We'll see how it turns out...heh

w_howey · Apr 29, 2005

Bad-da bing!

Bed frames and some expanded mesh. Hate the Thule mounts though.

pbandj · Apr 29, 2005

ChicksDigWagons said:
Yes, where did you find a wife that is better at welding than you, and does she have a sister? :loveu:

on a ship in africa
yes she has a sister but she's a biochemistry genius :lecture: not a welder

ChicksDigWagons · Apr 29, 2005

pbandj said:
on a ship in africa
yes she has a sister but she's a biochemistry genius :lecture: not a welder

Hmm, biochemistry is better than nothing!

Grifter144 · Apr 29, 2005

i too wish i had a camera(actually i do but its not workin for some odd reason)

however i was directed by another naxja member to www.prolineracks.com where i got a set of their guttermount crossbars for like 49 bucks, 60 shipped. they where kinda weak(tire in cargo rack actaully bent the cross bars), so i went to the local yard and got 12 feet of 1/2 inch square bar a inserted it through the proline cross members and walla i have strong guttermount reinforced cross bars. total cost 80 bucks. this would work if you just want a tire up there.

other minor note. i originally bought a roof cargo rack from Zakatal racks on ebay for like 200. it didn't fit my factory jeep roof rack like it was supposed to so i had to due some custom welding and moving of mounting points. the whole system now holds like a champ. and it didn't cost me more than 300 bucks..so i'm happy...probably could have spent more and not had to worry about it..and had less work...but i like work soooo
good luck man..
Maier

Fergie · Apr 29, 2005

twardnw · Apr 29, 2005

I don't have one yet but here's a link to the plans I've drawn up so far

http://twardnw.com/~tward/images/jeep/drawing-03.jpg

rangerjoe2001 · Apr 29, 2005

Fergie said:

what mounts are those?

Fergie · Apr 29, 2005

rangerjoe2001 said:
what mounts are those?

Those are Yakima 1A mounts.

Fergie

olivedrabcj7 · May 9, 2005

well i built one similar to 87cherokeechief's. i used 1" square tube. looks alot like that one but its got more vertical supports. i drilled through the roof in 6 places (4 corners and 2 sides) and bolted it through the roof with 6 carriage bolts. i made plates for inside the headliner where the bolts come through to keep them from pulling through the headliner and roof. its REALLLY stout. i can grab it and shake the jeep all over the place and it doesnt budge. i sealed up around the boats with some white caulk. works great.

i like the look of those guttermount bars. i may actually buy those and sleeve them like youre saying with 1/2" tube. then i would seal up the holes in the roof and mount my rack to those cross bars.

Jeepsterboy101 · May 9, 2005

olivedrabcj7 said:
i need somewhere to toss my 36" spare tire.

Just curious....have you tried to put your 36" tire up on your roof and try and take it off? With just my 32" I have some trouble. I couldn't imagine a 36" one up there.

Storydude · May 9, 2005

ChicksDigWagons said:
Yes, where did you find a wife that is better at welding than you, and does she have a sister? :loveu:

On topic, a roof rack should be a pretty easy project, not bad for a first time deal. I happen to have a few old futon frames that I'm going to cut up and use for a rack. Nice rounded corners and lots of horizontal slats. Looks something like this:

We'll see how it turns out...heh

Great minds, huh?

Mine started life as a set of bunk Beds.

olivedrabcj7 · May 9, 2005

Jeepsterboy101 said:
Just curious....have you tried to put your 36" tire up on your roof and try and take it off? With just my 32" I have some trouble. I couldn't imagine a 36" one up there.

yep. i had a buddy help me hoist it up there. its a heavy SOB once you get it chest high. but i figure i never wheel alone, and it doesnt see much if any street use. so if i have to get it down there should be somebody around to help. ill get pictures when i get back home on thursday.

87CherokeeChief · May 9, 2005

olivedrabcj7 said:
yep. i had a buddy help me hoist it up there. its a heavy SOB once you get it chest high. but i figure i never wheel alone, and it doesnt see much if any street use. so if i have to get it down there should be somebody around to help. ill get pictures when i get back home on thursday.

well if your ever alone you can just pull it off and let that mother bounce around till it stops and then you just go pick it up

MaXJohnson · May 9, 2005

conduit rules

$Roofrack155b.jpg$

jjmat3 · May 9, 2005

Mine

opracer315 · May 9, 2005

I do not recommend the Thule mounts. They are to tall. Maybe if I hade four per side instead of two.

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