Roof Racks over soft top?

[calixto]

Thanks Eshu, the other idea I had about the rack up rights is to make them so they slip into bracketed supports that could be raised or lowered or totally taken off easily.

Not sure I am going to go forward with my rack since I've got an Ehsan top. Adding rack uprights on top of OEM style bows and a family cage I think would make the truck look too spider webby when the top was off. Perfect if you've got a Bestop where the top supports fold down.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

i welded mesh in between the rear of my family cage with holddowns so i could get a couple coolers up there when my top is off gives alittle more protection for the kid also

 

[Eshu Elegua]

we need to keep this tread on the main list,does anybody made something for the rear support ?? i need drawings soon for built mine,,any help......

 

[Degnol]

Jumpin jump-backs Dengol-Man, old thead (and I love your super duper shackles in the pic above)

They come as standard equipment with the rock-finder SR


Ed

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Guys, thought that I'd post up an observation from this weekend. I was on a four wheeling round up between my local club here in El Salvador and several clubs from Guatemala. One of the guys from Guat had a Jeep with a really nice home brew fabbed rack which had front supports at the lower wind shield mounts and rear supports that went straight down at the corners welded to the rear bumper. After a several hip level water crossings and some sand and rock obstacles I watched both rear supports snap off at the welds to the bumper. Most folks thought that the rack supports snapped because the rear half of the rack was tied to the frame, through the bumper, and the front was tied to the body, at the windshield mounts. The thinking was that any articulation or flex between the frame and the body put stress on those welds. The fix may be a design where the rear supports pass through and bolt into the bumper/frame rather than a weld at the bumper. Not my field but I thought that I'd pass on what I just observed.
He was able to ratchet strap the rear supports down tight, load up his rack and make the 4 hour ride home. I even watched him do a nice water crossing on the way out in the strapped down configuration and it held nicely.

 

[ocdbeetle]

wow...glad it didnt try to rip his windshield off instead....

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Yeah. The windshield mounts were shaped like the lower half of the OEM windshield frame hinge and used the same bolt hole pattern and bolts. The front mounts to the rack remained rock solid throughout.

 

[calixto]

Def makes sense that there would be bad twisting/flexing issues mounting to the frame and body seperately. I think the design like Ehsu posted above mounted to the tub makes the most sense for the soft top. Would work with the soft top on or off. Hard top is easy to mount just go to the rain gutters.

 

[ocdbeetle]

Just for the sake of info for this rack thread,
Kargo Master makes racks for suv's...A universal one as well...I saw one on a heep yesterday that looked nice....Here's one from their website...




Of course after my weekend camping trip I've almost decided to get SOR's Expedition Soft top Rack....

 

[DomSmith]

Gadzoooks!!!! Good lord Chris, call Shane before you post up these crazy homebrew influenced blueprints. He can make your "screenplay on a napkin" concept understandable for the rest of us...

 

[Dieseler]

Heres my home brew very pratical and removable,can stand up in the front when the roof is off for navigating or picture taking

 

[DomSmith]

mmmmmmmm. VERY NICE! How about some pics of the mounts?

After the snow melts of course...

 

[Eshu Elegua]

Well i guess that many people are looking for the rear mounts pictures, few will like to avoid make holes on the rear quarters (specially if you just finish a nice paint job) we most agree on the windshield mounts and using the rear bumper for support will twist the rack,like the other member said before.

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Heres my home brew very pratical and removable,can stand up in the front when the roof is off for navigating or picture taking

This looks great and alot like what I had in mind originally. Have you had it really loaded down and driven over rough terrain? If so were there any problems with the mounts either front or rear?

Well i guess that many people are looking for the rear mounts pictures, few will like to avoid make holes on the rear quarters (specially if you just finish a nice paint job) we most agree on the windshield mounts and using the rear bumper for support will twist the rack,like the other member said before.

Yes, I think that we all want to avoid holes in the body if we can avoid them. I would like to hear from a few more folks who have the windshield/rear bumper mount setup before I write it off. The guy I saw may have just had a combination of too much rack, triple layer, too heavily laden, with a some twist to break the mounts.

Thanks,
John

 

[Dieseler]

I will post more pics of the brackets,one side bolts to the upper tire carrier bracket ,the other has a long support going to the bumper it bolts on both sides of the tail lights

 

[Dieseler]

I am going to modify the right corner and add a rail bracket,I do not have side to side sway but do have some front to back movement which should be eliminated with the rail bracket added

 

[Eshu Elegua]

I like your idea,using the taillights cover,also in the case that a swing out bumper that hold the spare tire,it can be done same way like the right side,2 longer tubes ending at the T cover...thanks for the pics.

 

[BC40]

My rack only works with my hardtop on, but could be modified in the back to bolt to the tub. Scroll down the pictures in the members section of the coastal cruiser site:
Coastal Cruisers

The fronts mount to the windsheild hinge, back bolts to the ambulance top upper hinges. I like the left mount Dieseler's truck uses. If I extend mine the mount will likely attach to the spare tire carrier upper hinge on one side but then I'd have to drill holes in the other side.

One thing to keep in mind is how much these racks flex. It can be quite alarming at hiway speeds especially with the rack loaded up and shifting wind. The jeep racks use flexible rubber mounting blocks at one end to dampen vibration, but they still have problems with fatigue cracks.

 

[ocdbeetle]

One thing to keep in mind is how much these racks flex. It can be quite alarming at hiway speeds especially with the rack loaded up and shifting wind. The jeep racks use flexible rubber mounting blocks at one end to dampen vibration, but they still have problems with fatigue cracks.

More good info to go along with this thread....Its good to know this beforehand so you don't have suprises.....

 

[BC40]

My co-worker has a 2 year old rubicon. The rack has hinges in the back and bolts through round rubber blocks up front (opens like a clamshell to switch between soft top and hard top). He has already had the rack repaired and gussets added due to fatigue cracks.
The longer the vertical support legs the more the rack flex and shifting is exagerated.