ARCHIVE Wits' End- Been installing a bunch of racks lately and they need love too

[NLXTACY]

This isn't a product thread, per se. This is just a thread where I want to point out the racks that I have been installing lately but more specifically the accessories that I've been designing for them to solve a particular issue and IF (big IF) I want to bother producing more of them.

Currently I've been focusing on Bowfin Racks from Patrick aka @dogfishlake because until recently that is the direction I've found myself gravitating to. I did also last week got in the @Delta VS rack so I will be going into what I find and develop for that as well. Dave knows I will give him love too :smooch:

The Bowfin rack itself arrived and got assembled. Its shipped very well and the hardware is separated and correct and instructions easy. It uses standardized 80/20 to make life so much easier.

 

[NLXTACY]

The rack installed on the turbo truck. Popping it up there was no big deal since there were four of us to walk it into place. The rubber runners under the rack help t separate the edges of the long runs from digging into the factory seal sealer. On a customer's truck we opted to remove the factory seam sealer because it was all cracked and we didn't want to risk having water pool up at a crack.

The rack itself went on fine and the clamps work really well. Zero complaints. I opted to evenly space out the 80/20 rungs merely for aesthetics. Everything tightened up and looks great. But with everything else going on with the truck, the s***ty drip rail caps looked like ass.

 

[NLXTACY]

The Bowfin rack enjoying the cold weather. No issues, although none expected.

 

[NLXTACY]

One note on the rubber liner. Based on installing previous installs I opted to hold the rubber in place with painters tape. Also used some to hold the clamps out of the way. Makes the install drama free.

 

[mudgudgeon]

.

 

[NLXTACY]

Ohh, I was expecting to see gold zinc plated and anodised stock racking in a pimped out WitsEnd warehouse

Oh jeez no. Definitely not in my wheelhouse. Too many people making racks and I don’t need to compete in that niche of a niche for a niche.

 

[nigelsiam]

Thank you for showing a top view of that rack. I am trying to decide if it's cool to eliminate or maybe move the 2nd (from the front) crossbar so I can access the rack from the sunroof. I don't think it will compromise structural rigidity by the looks of it.

 

[smritte]

Make some tie down tabs that bolt to the sides and/or under the cross bars and angle up. Say 1/4" with slotted holes for mounting to make them more universal.
I use eye bolts and am too lazy to cut some out myself. If there already available, I didn't know it.

 

[GOTLOCKED96]

Sub'd

 

[dogfishlake]

Thanks for giving the info. More accessories for the racks are a good thing.
@nigelsiam , you can move a cross bar out of the sunroof area no problemo.

 

[lp2k]

Thanks for giving the info. More accessories for the racks are a good thing.
@nigelsiam , you can move a cross bar out of the sunroof area no problemo.

or considering being versatile when making said accessories. imagine the marketplace when wits end accessories can mount to roof racks from:

1. Bowfin
2. front runner
3. delta

that’s a place wits end aka Santa Joey can work in.

I need more wits end stickers, stuck them on like everything n didn’t get any on my last order (sad face)

 

[dogfishlake]

Make some tie down tabs that bolt to the sides and/or under the cross bars and angle up. Say 1/4" with slotted holes for mounting to make them more universal.
I use eye bolts and am too lazy to cut some out myself. If there already available, I didn't know it.

I have new tie downs coming directly that mount under the bar and will take a strap hook. They have tabs to prevent rotation under load. These work on all T-slotted “10 series” bars no matter who makes them. Should be on the site next week

 

[NLXTACY]

Added to the first couple of posts

 

[smritte]

Nice, didn't think of that type of design. I could definitely use several of those right now.
I was thinking of something that would stick up a couple of inch's to give the cargo more of a stop as well as a tie off point.

 

[NLXTACY]

The old driprail caps looked like ass so it was the perfect time to change them out. Luckily still available at the dealer.

 

[NLXTACY]

Nice, didn't think of that type of design. I could definitely use several of those right now.
I was thinking of something that would stick up a couple of inch's to give the cargo more of a stop as well as a tie off point.

Funny enough thats what I am working on.

 

[NLXTACY]

New drip rail caps are easy to snap back into place and DAMN what a difference.

 

[NLXTACY]

The first thing that seems to be installed on just about every rack I touch is an antenna of some type. The new hotness is the WeBoost cell phone booster. I get mine direct from @Delta VS to make my life easier. The biggest issue with mounting this ABOVE the roof plan is being able to rotate the antenna down when needed. Yeah its got a spring but that only works on slow impacts. The antenna needs to be able to be "put away" since its not detachable...per se.

As of today I've installed four and each one was mounted differently. My own install doesn't even have the ability to rotate and that needs to change.

 

[NLXTACY]

The WeBoost unit itself was just mounted on the QPM that some nut makes. The antenna from the WeBoost I wanted smooth transitions so I opted to pop a hole in the top of the QPM and added a grommet. This cable just runs thru the roof. The current setup will be changing as we've found better ways.

 

[smritte]

It doesn't look like the antenna is electrically attached to the mount. Something like this work under the spring? Fold over
Have it fold inline with the slat, parallel to the roof. If you dropped the mount a bit, it may sit lower than the rack.