BJ 74 roof rack mount solutions

[widewestcruiser]

.....need help finding any advice building a durable roof rack for a FRP-top.The fiber glass gutters are ok for light weight use,but really,everyone at one points loads the shit out of a roof rack.All those factory models,Thule,Yakima whatever ,are made for carrying foamies and rubber dinghies,check out the specs,they 're totally over rated and over priced.Has anyone built a RR using the front windshield hinges for a mount,what about the rear door hinges? Could they be used as a mount as well ?I'd like to be able to remove the FRP-top and still keep the RR on, and not use the factory bumpers as mounts.Sure like to see any pics.

[A2B in a TLC]

Hello and join the club.

Solutions include mounting additional gutters for adding Thule or Yakima towers and a rack. You can also drill into the chassis to mount what has been referred to an exo skeleton similar to what you would see on a pick up with a canopy but with an added rack system on top. The drilled and bolted mounts take the tubing that goes over the top forming the skeleton.

If you come up w. a unique solution, please give us 70 series FRP types the heads up.

Tanks,

Bruce
A2B

[Stone]

Personally, I wouldn't put any more weight on the rear doors and cause more stress to the rear door hinges. They're known for wearing out with the heavy spare tire mounted on them, especially if you do lots of gravel or wheel. I'm already considering a real rear bumper that I could slide on rocks with a swing away tire carrier to remove that extra weight from the rear doors.

As Bruce has suggested, maybe you could look into a system similar to what pickups and 1st gen 4runners use over the canopy. I had one fabricator look at that option, but stated that the metal surface the FRP top sits on is not flat and would require some bending of the bracket to fit. It would be a pretty cool rack though...and I'd love to see someone do it.

[widewestcruiser]

thanks for the replies. Yes, I agree the rear door hinges are already under enough stress with the spare tire hanging from them. I recently found a rack on an arctic trucks website, where the rack was mounted through the FRP into the roll bar mount. I'll try to post a picture. Any further input would be appreciated.http://www.brian894x4.com/LC70widefender3.jpg

[Whistler74]

Here is my solution - not exactly heavy duty, but I think it spreads the load more than the Thule / Yakima type rack.

I used 1" tubing, and not having a bender, I cut and rewelded which added a lot of work. The supports are 1/8" flatbar and angle, and the clamps were bent to shape using a little attachment for use in a vise that I bought at Lee Valley Tools. Bolts were welded on and pass through holes drilled into the supports, and secured with lock nuts.

Since my welding experience consists of a night school course about 20 years ago, and I hadn't welded since, I'm quite pleased that it hasn't broken... yet! I will clean it up and repaint it, and I need to re work the clamps a bit as they come closer to the top of the doors than I like.

By design, it's very low profile, adding only 2" to the height, and not too much wind noise. It's probably fine for the odd bit of lumber, kayaks, and bikes, but for anything much heavier I would want a better solution. The windshield hinges and the lip under the FRP top would be my choice, so when I lift the top off I'll make some patterns to bend up some brackets.

Now, I'll try to attach some pix. Hope they help.

[Stone]

Interesting, Graeme.

[Jim_Hbar]

I had a roof basket on my 73 when I got it - a real heavy duty unit, and it was very noticeable when I took it off, in the body sway department..but the 73 also had at least a 4" lift in it at the time.

It was mounted off of the front and back drip rails, and has an intermediate support into the FRP. Way too high to load my canoe/kayaks on top, in my opinion.

When I get a roundtuit, I will be fabricating an exo-skelton, and mounting it off of the steel body or the bumbers - the added benifit of this approach is that you still have a boat rack if/when the roof comes off...

Oh yeah - Toyota must have gotten a buy on that blue/gray paint in '90!

[crushers]

can you remove the upper portion rail and have just a flat try remaining? or would that be too heavy as well?

[Ratpuke]

Here are a few trucks with similar set ups. Saw them in Europe. Maybe it's a package....

[Stone]

Charla...I love those! Will be filed away for future reference when I'm ready to make a serious attempt at a roof rack. Thanks!

[crushers]

Charla,
thanks for the cool pics.
i like the way the bars are attached to the body in the rear but i am not sure i like the way they fit into the hard top sides in the bottom pic...
cheers

[widewestcruiser]

Thanks for the pics Charla,any idea who makes those?

[A2B in a TLC]

I also wish to know who makes them. Seems like a great solution to the FRP issue.

Thanks,

Bruce
A2B

[Radd Cruisers]

Personally........ I would go exo slash roof topper and tie it into the frame. I know you loose some clearance on the sides, but its a give and take thingy.

Only problem is you are unable to put a cross brace in the exo to keep it from diamonding when rolled. I think the Landrovers put a hole through the roof and ran the cross brace through it with some elaberate gasket?

I think Greg has pics of the 70 on portals with exo, one of my fave 7 series.

[Island Moose]

Originally Posted by crushers

Charla,
thanks for the cool pics.
i like the way the bars are attached to the body in the rear but i am not sure i like the way they fit into the hard top sides in the bottom pic...
cheers

It also looks like the only system out there that I can use on the rag-top.

[widewestcruiser]

check out this site for more info
http://www.extrem-off-road.de/kaross...ersysteme.html
not sure who sales these rack mounts.

[Entaran]

RE: Your question in the other thread...

They're Rhino Racks and i've had 285 kg sitting on them with my fat ass up there too. They don't seem to flex the fibreglass, but if I was travelling I wouldn't carry more than 150 up there due to the movement of teh weight and flex.

Across teh centre bar I had to put a big bit of rubber underneath it, wedged against the roof of the car because the bar bends under weight.

I love them, all my lights are mounted off them too

[SupaFly]

One of my budies has a 4runner and he built two rollcage hoops in side the truck with 1in tubebing wiht two pipe flanges on each hoop. Then on the out side of the truck he has his rack with the 4 flanges bolted strait throu the roof into the flanges on the inside rollcage hoops. so with each flang there is like 3 or 4 holes in the roof and with those you can use a rubber gasket to keep the water out. When you want to take your roof off you can simply unbolt the RR off, take the roof off and then bolt the RR back on if you so wish. It makes for a really strong clean RR rack that actualy strenthens the rig. I maybe able to get a pic at some point.