Delta Vehicle Systems Roof Rack

[SNLC]

I didn’t tell you to trash the paint, I think I said get some paint protection film to protect it, then enjoy the cruiser. Enjoying a cruiser doesn’t mean trashing the paint. If increasing the gap is the solution you want and have experience with it working for you, seems like a good solution you’ll be happy with.

I personally don’t see this is a design flaw on Delta’s part. Their product photos show that it rests on the roof which is one of the reasons it is quiet. The owner maybe needs to decide how he intends to use the truck.

Well done on the restoration. Looks like a beautiful paint job. I don’t even like red, but I do on that rig. Looks awesome.

I am not even saying that it’s a design flaw. It works as intended by their design.

This is our first install of this rack. I am reporting on what our issues are. I explained what is cool about it, ie weight (lightest by far we have installed), modular and fairly easy to assemble + install.

There are other things I could criticize comparing to other racks on the market but I am simply focusing on our main issue. I also said Delta is willing to work with us and who knows maybe they will modify their design (?) from feedback like this, or not.

From my many years of Land Cruiser experience “noise” from a RR is overstated and certainly not worth beating up a top tier paint job over. Any weather stripping even the rear of this rack which has a good gap and a cushy bit of rubber between rack and roof is still designed to touch the roof here. Dust alone is going to scratch up paint here, not as bad as the front where it is a more solid connection of roof rack to roof but my Cruiser gets 1/4” of dust on the back running gravel roads in the desert. Imagine what sand dune running will put up there! My 80 I paid to have the clear peel fixed and repainted on the roof. It didn’t cost me $$$$$ but I wouldn’t want it to get trashed before it’s time either from what we consider normal use in my shop.

They live here (Delta) and can go run the same 100 miles of gravel roads down to the Nevada border to test the rack. I suggest they do, at 50+mph. Would the average user consider 100 miles at 50-60+mph on gravel roads “extreme use”? Maybe, you tell me. In the desert around here it’s pretty normal. And even at 20mph in a dust fest minus the small rocks being flung you got sand paper now between the roof rack front and rear contact points. We build to this standard though regardless of if the Cruiser gets used to that “extreme”. Can’t put an expensive paint job on a Cruiser and then the “bolt ons” trash it. That would be on us then for recommending products or if we for some reason installed incorrectly, or from lack of experience aka also on us. Old school ethics I know but that is the ship I run in my shop.

So again it (this rack) has its good and bad points. Now that we have fitted this rack in my shop we can advise future customers better. Simply trying to share that same feedback with you guys here on the forum.

I also think with a few small mods it will work out sweet for our customer and the build.

Cheers

 

[Nad Aitch]

Maybe get some heavy paint protection film and run with it.

Yeah I think film or one of the thicker vinyl products would totally alleviate any concerns for 99% of us.

OTOH, Ian's building 100k trucks where attention to detail and expectations are extreme, and custom fab is the norm, so I get his perspective and feedback as well. Context.

Personally I'd run it raw

Having delta and snlc as neighbors is too cool- Y'all are pulling at my heart strings that keep telling me to move to ID.