DIY Roof Rack Mount ideas? (1 Viewer)

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My buddy just hooked me up with an aluminum roof rack that sorta looks like the surco roof racks. However, I am just temporarily using fat zip ties to hold it down to my stock roof rack but I would like to find a fast permanent solution besides dropping the $100 for brackets. Any ideas anyone? Thanks

Looks like this one
Surco S4560 - Surco Safari Basket Racks - Overview - SummitRacing.com
 
Could probably secure it on there with some inexpensive U-bolts from a hardware store. As long as there is a good spot (well 4 spots actually) where the bar on the new rack crosses over the factory bar you should be good to go.
 
FYI
You will find that your rack mounted to the factory rack will start to rust your roof. The mounting area for the rack will wear the paint off around the rack mounts and then start to rust under the four factory
mounting spots.
It can't support the extra weight added by the rack and your gear.
Look for HD mounts off your rain gutter.
JM2C


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Do it once, do it right. Wait until you can get proper mounts. Ever time I've cut corners to save it has cost me more. (IMHO).
 
haha gotta admit, thats so true. there has been so many times when i got a new job for my 80 that I rushed to do when I should have done it right the first time. So gutter clamps? Any suggested places I should shop for them?
 
Do I also need to remove my stock roof rack? And what size gutter clamps?
 
The best one I've seen are 6 inches long inside the rail. I don't recall who had them but a simple search should give you many results.
Remember you need ones that will clear your factory rack by 3/4 inch so it won't flex on top of it.

Conferr
ARB
Yakima

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Last edited:
I just ordered some gutter mounts from ebay. They are Sureco, and the part #GM100. They were $39 but offered the seller $29 and they accepted. They are not near as beefy as the others offered here through Mud, and I suspect they wouldn't handle near the weight. But a good cheap alternative. I wont be using my Con-Ferr for much more than hauling a few light items on short trips, so these will do until I can afford the much better clamps.

And yes, for these clamps, you will have to remove the factory rack.
ForumRunner_20111128_111005.jpg
ForumRunner_20111128_111045.jpg
 
I'd get these. They are a really solid mount and the guys there are great to deal with.
 
If I were to buy these mounts, I would have to buy cross bars too right?! Because without my stock cross bars, the rack is really flimsy.
 
If I were to buy these mounts, I would have to buy cross bars too right?! Because without my stock cross bars, the rack is really flimsy.

yeah man, you would need cross bars too to make it stout, which it would be if you bolted it all the way across. But to be honest I'm not sure you'd be doing the Surco rack a ton of favors over just running it how you have it- upgrade the zip ties to U-bolts and call it good? You're not going to put a bunch of fuel or a spare tire up there, right? just some camping chairs? Remember total weight on those roof racks is like 150 pounds, including both racks. My advise is grab some U-Bolts at the hardware store and make sure you want a rack, then decide if you want to mod this one, build a better one, or buy something already to go.

It's a slippery slope... tough to make a cheap rack a good rack without making that cheap rack a more expensive rack. But plenty of ways to make that rack into something a lot more bomber if you want to toss your wallet at it.. :D send me a PM if you want more ideas with some of our Gamiviti stuff.
 
Ha thanks Nakman! Yeah I'll PM you.
 

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