- Thread starter
- #201
Measure the distance between your roof rails and order to length. There isn’t much else to it! As others have shared here - there are numerous ways to mount to your rails.
Get more from your factory roof rack with t-slotted aluminum (8020) (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter tbisaacs
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Measure the distance between your roof rails and order to length. There isn’t much else to it! As others have shared here - there are numerous ways to mount to your rails.
lol i feel ya man i'm thinking the same!
So the more I look around, the more I keep coming back to this option. Other than some locktite, is there anything you'd do differently now? For the price, I just don't see anything that come close.
Would the 15 series, raise the slots almost flush with the factory side rails? Not needing spacers for awning bracket would be awesome.
- Thread starter
- #206
Yes - but - there won't be much room under the rails, especially in near the center of the roof where it crowns.
Ahh yes good point. Thanks
The only thing I would do differently is buy from 80/20, instead of an off brand. My L brackets are rusting, and my 1”x2” beams didn’t come pre drilled like I ordered, and the 90 degree studs mostly don’t fit. I spent $350 rather than $550, but in the long run, not sure I saved. Also, if you go name brand, for $400 more you can get a Prinsu rack - 1st world issues.
@tbisaacs et al: Thanks a lot for the wealth of info here... 11 pages and an hour later, I'm looking to follow in yalls footsteps here soon. Any further intel on fitment of RTT hardware between roof and the 8020 bars?
Unsolicited product development idea: Removable fairing attached to leading and trailing faces of 8020 bars. Not that they'll do anything for CDA of the vehicle, but might alleviate windnoise when run without any roof-top load. Attached to bars with whatever M6 bolts are native to 8020, and removable if you have to use the cross bars.
Unsolicited product development idea: Removable fairing attached to leading and trailing faces of 8020 bars. Not that they'll do anything for CDA of the vehicle, but might alleviate windnoise when run without any roof-top load. Attached to bars with whatever M6 bolts are native to 8020, and removable if you have to use the cross bars.
- Thread starter
- #210
Glad it was helpful! I don’t have an RTT so don’t have much more to add other than you’d have a hard time fitting much between the bars and the roof.
which bars did you order, there are a few different series
how were you able to get the t-nuts into the factory rails to secure the cross bars?Hey gang,
In the summer I keep an XL Thule box on top, plus maxtrax, shovel, and a pop-up shelter that I hope to replace with a fixed awning.
Someday I want to get a Gobi or FrontRunner rack for my 570. But today ain’t that day.
One common improvement is extra crossbars. But rather than do that, I decided to instead get some T-slotted extruded aluminum bars from 8020.net.
I like this set up a lot because it’s super rigid and will allow me to use aftermarket accessories (such as front runner tie downs and “Stratchets”.
Note that I left my front OEM bar in place - because I did this there is no extra noise. This weekend I may try and take it off just to see what it’s like.
I chose black anodized because I didn’t want it to look too DIY. I also paid a few extra bucks for milled access holes to slide accessories into:
Here is a finished bar w/maxtrax mount:
The whole setup was $130. I will add a third and maybe 4th bar. Very happy!
how did you fit the t nuts into the side rails to secure the cross bars? do you need to disassemble the side bars?
- Thread starter
- #214
1020 series.
Just following up on @tbisaacs work, with the intention of mounting a ROAM Vagabond RTT.
Ordered four crossmembers in length 42 11/16in (42.6875in) with steel bolts, T-nuts and two-hole inside corner gussets. Fitment is perfect on the shorty stock 2010 LX 570 roof rack. Ran FEA on a mock-up of the members I ordered (at least, in SolidWorks with 8020 aluminum material characteristics applied) and looks like they should be capable of supporting the load. Note: I'm approaching this project appraised of, and willing to assume the risk of failure.
I'll update on the results of the tent mount, but just wanted to lend confirmation of fitment on the LX rails. Appreciate your documentation of the original project.
Ordered four crossmembers in length 42 11/16in (42.6875in) with steel bolts, T-nuts and two-hole inside corner gussets. Fitment is perfect on the shorty stock 2010 LX 570 roof rack. Ran FEA on a mock-up of the members I ordered (at least, in SolidWorks with 8020 aluminum material characteristics applied) and looks like they should be capable of supporting the load. Note: I'm approaching this project appraised of, and willing to assume the risk of failure.
I'll update on the results of the tent mount, but just wanted to lend confirmation of fitment on the LX rails. Appreciate your documentation of the original project.
I did the 6 cross bars on on of my 200s. Mounted my Alucab RTT on it. (this is a temporary thing as it is meant for my 80 but that has been held up getting some body work to address a couple of starts of rust).
The bars sit slightly below the factory rails. this caused me to have to use brackets to create a spacer to gain some height from the cross bars. It was 1/4 inch and then another 1/4 on top to extend out past the rails .
I then also had to shim the two reinforced beams on the bottom of the Alucab as they are meant to sit on crossbars and with this arrangement they were 1/2 inch above them.
The rack is great but if I were going longterm with the tent I personally would go for a dedicated rack. This is my plan with my 80 and again this is just a temporary arrangement.
Thanks for your work with this.
John
The bars sit slightly below the factory rails. this caused me to have to use brackets to create a spacer to gain some height from the cross bars. It was 1/4 inch and then another 1/4 on top to extend out past the rails .
I then also had to shim the two reinforced beams on the bottom of the Alucab as they are meant to sit on crossbars and with this arrangement they were 1/2 inch above them.
The rack is great but if I were going longterm with the tent I personally would go for a dedicated rack. This is my plan with my 80 and again this is just a temporary arrangement.
Thanks for your work with this.
John
- Thread starter
- #218
I have 4 roof rails for sale with hardware. Willing to ship on buyer's dime!
I think what people are finding in this thread is that the front runner and similar foreign built racks accept larger hardware because they use proprietary extrusions.Definitely. You can't *really* overland if you don't have a rack. Most expeditions turn people around if they can't clearly see the rack is made in South Africa or Australia, and it must be made titanium or aluminum actually
I am actually unsure why more companies aren't moving up to series 15 bars for racks, as that series accepts larger hardware.
I originally started pondering all this because I wondered if you could just take the stock knob from a thule or yakima cargo box and just get the corresponding anchoring bolt to slide into the 8020, but it appears you have to size up QUITE a bit for the extrusions before you can slide in the hardware of one of those cargo box knobs.
Yep, over on the 100 series version of this thread, we figured out 15 series was the way to go for our rigs. Juuuuuust enough clearance to fit them, and then the hardware problem becomes simple. Though if I could do it over again, I'd probably just go with a rhino rack or something for the turn key brackets for things like maxtrax ect.
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