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Homebuilt Roof Rack

All start $100 .....................
 
If you're looking for some cheap lights, hit up your local truck stop. Around here (NE Indiana), the truck stop has the same quality lights as TSC or HF (or better) and with better prices. I just picked up a set of "work lights"....$9 per. I had to be shown how well they worked....compared them to a $175 set of Hellas, and they were comparable in brightness and focus (but the houseing is just a hair smaller). Hell, for a 100w spot/driving light?? I'll give $9 per for them.....
 
Damn, I wish I had pics of the gutter mounts i made for my roof rack that I built for my work van. I took a piece of 2" wide, 1/4" strap, welded a 4" long piece of 3/8" round stock to the bottom to fit into the gutter. Then I took the same type of strap, bent a 90 on it with a little lip for the clamp. I like the looks of yours too, but for those of us without the brake it can be done too! Nice welds man!
 
dude that rack just gave me a chubby... really friggin nice
 
normally i look at threads titled "homebuilt" anything to chuckle at the bad welds and poorly thought out design and as an example of mistakes i would like to avoid making myself.

that is DEFINITELY NOT the case here. that is a very nice clean well produced rack with nice mounts. thank you for a wonderful surprise.
 
ehy man i was wondering if i gave you the mesurements if you could make me a set of gutter mounts like those for my home made roof rack. i made a few but they eitcher rattled loose or scratched my foor to hell let me know how much and if youll do it
 
racer32 said:
HAHA thanks guys... I guess I could sell this one and build another... Who'll start the bidding? :compwork:
Click to expand...

XJ_99 said:
All start $100 .....................
Click to expand...

$150 + a case of your favorite :D

I may even road trip it up there to get it!
 
RaccoonJoe said:
If you're looking for some cheap lights, hit up your local truck stop. Around here (NE Indiana), the truck stop has the same quality lights as TSC or HF (or better) and with better prices. I just picked up a set of "work lights"....$9 per. I had to be shown how well they worked....compared them to a $175 set of Hellas, and they were comparable in brightness and focus (but the houseing is just a hair smaller). Hell, for a 100w spot/driving light?? I'll give $9 per for them.....
Click to expand...

I had a really nice set of new Hellas given to me. When I parked side by side with a buddy that had Walmart lights we had to laugh at the Hellas. Yea they were better but only by the slightest amount. Now I do have a Hella twin bulb rectangular light. It was made to be a reverse light. I put it on my snow blower and it lights a wide area up close. I don't know of a cheap substitute for that style light. It's really a great light and would be good on the sides or rear of a rack to light the ground around you.
 
Thanks for all the nice comments guys... no plans to mass produce, sorry.

So the way the front uprights were laid out, I couldn't fit 4 lights across the front. I added 4 light tabs and cut the front uprights out of the rack and re-spaced/replaced them with 1/8" x 1" flat bar:

rack11.jpg

rack12.jpg

rack9.jpg


Last item is some 16ga expanded metal floor and then hopefully its powder coating time...
 
Last edited:
Well the bumper is done, and now the rack has been painted and the lights mounted. I have to wire up the relay and the switch still but its back on the truck and not rusty anymore :) Man those flares are ugly...

Rack-bumper.jpg
 
I've made two or three front and rear bumpers and am getting sorta "burned-out" on all the fabrication/MIG welding/ mock-up of various projects but you have inspired and re-vitalized the ol XJ spirit-Great looking and clever latching mechanism-Thanks for shareing -What type of tubeing or conduits were used-Any design measurements or plans available-TIA
 
Go get a can of dipit. That stuff they make for dipping the handles of your tools. Like a liquid rubber type stuff. Dip the ends of the gutter mounts and clamps in it, it will keep from damaging the paint / letting rust develop and give a bit of compression/cushion to keep things from loosening and moving around.

I did this with the surf racks on my VW-bus and it has worked out real good.
 
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