Would an aftermarket roof rack help in a rollover?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

sean2202

sean2202

Joined
Jan 7, 2016
Threads
47
Messages
536
Location
ct
Greetings,

Today on the highway I saw a bad rollover. Wet conditions and on a corner. The roof was destroyed and an Ambulance was there so I kept driving but it made me think if an aftermarket heavy duty steel or aluminum roof rack would be helpful or a hindrance in a rollover. We protect our front and rear with bumpers so would a good roof rack help to distribute weight in a rollover? As far as I know there are no safety rules for strength of a roof on a vehicle.

Strickly for the 100 series. I know benc makes a nice heavy duty roof rack and quality stuff. Who else makes a durable roof rack for the 100?
Anyone ever roll their 100 with a heavy duty roof rack? If so what damage was done?

Thanks for any input
Sean
 
You can do a search here on mud for other roof racks. I have a Gamiviti made by @nakman on mine.

If the pillars don't crumple I guess the roof rack will protect the roof paint in the event of a rollover. You'll have to deal with the damage on the other parts of the vehicle though.
 
The roof rack and RTT were the only reason this 5th gen T4R didn't continue plummeting down Black Bear Pass

1572545208844.webp


1572545160411.webp
 
A beefy roof rack would help distribute forces among the pillars, but how much help is anyone’s guess before it itself buckles.

Gamiviti rack is 1” tubing, doubled up along the front & side ‘Expo’ (grab) rails. I love mine BTW. Hope I don’t roll it.
 
Yes, a roof rack with several mounting points helps in a roll over.
A few years back me and my buddy had FJ Cruisers, on a rainy trail run he made a wrong calculation and his FJ landed roof first on a 9 feet deep rut that swallowed the entire truck. He was safe with no injuries and his truck only took minimal damage on the corner of the roof close to the pass side (his awning covers the dent now).
Valid to mention that he also had a roof top tent that helped massively cushioning the fall.
 
Arguably it helps distribute point loads. This is reaaaaaallllly a marginal argument, though.

For what it's worth, there are lots of aftermarket options for Jeep roll cages (beyond the factory one).
 
Thanks for the feedback on this.

@95Fantasma80 thanks for the link on this testing. Glad roof testing is being done now to new vehicles.
@hoser thats a beefy roll cage! Costly but so is your life or a loved one. Is this available for the 100 series?

So many variables to consider such as where the rack or vehicle is hit and at how much speed, type of material used for a rack and the construction of such rack.

My sister and sister in law where in a bad rollover 6x in a 93 Buick park Avenue when they were teenagers. My sister broke her C3 and C4 I believe and had to wear a halo for months. My wife's sister still has neck pains.

If its deemed for safety reasons, it is also easier to sell the "improvements" to my wife.
 
Last edited:
95Fantasma80 said:
That's amazing, 200 series with a roll cage would definitely help me sleep well at night knowing family would be riding in this.

Can we get this?
Click to expand...
There might be a 100 series version. The 200 series version is about $3k.
 
hoser said:
The 200 series version is about $3k.
Click to expand...

And the only offerings in the 200 series seem to be for, non-sunroof, non-rear AC, non-side curtain airbag models.

I don't see a 100 series version listed, and even if it were, it sounds unlikely it would fit the typical US models.
 
Any assistance from a roof rack - stopping the tumble down the mtn, etc. is a statistical anomaly. A 5,600 lb truck isn't going to notice a bunch of lightweight tubes bolted to six mounts on the roof - at least in the type of rollover where occupant safety is an issue. Sure, in a slow tip-over on the trail, a rack may soften the blow and maybe even mitigate (or multiply) damage. But in any crash were there's a risk to the occupants... not a chance.

If the rack/exocage were beefy enough to add rollover protection, then you're facing the increased likelihood of a rollover from that weight on the roof.

I do think the well-made steel bumpers - ARB, Dissent, Slee, etc. - could work to distribute the force in a front offset collision - the one area the 100 doesn't do great (wheel pushed into passenger area). And, I would believe that good sliders would add to the side impact protection. But, a roof rack... can't see it.
 
Last edited:
Lexus engineers strived not only to make the LX a more sophisticated experience for the NA market, but also to rethink safety systems altogether. Unfortunately, bean counters required one of their most acclaimed enhancements to be an option rather than part of the base package. In fact, legendary designer Jin Kanemura resigned over this feud with Lexus corporate. He argued that the number of rural drivers in the US that hurt themselves or cause property damage due to nighttime collisions with wildlife could be reduced by 28%. That feature is available on a small number of Lexus LX 470s but most ignorant Americans don't even use it.
 
MechE30 said:
64lbs at a distance of 5' off the centerline of rotation, means 300ft-lbs extra torque pulling/pushing that roof over. He said "increased likelyhood", and he's not wrong. Now, is the cage going to lessen the crushing of the roof, absolutely, but in no uncertain calculations, it increases rollover potential.
Click to expand...
In what world is the centerline of rotation that low? And how does that calculation make sense?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

willc
Replacing LX470 Roof Rack?
Replies
8
Views
928
x8o8drifter
x8o8drifter
K
Go Rhino roof rack
Replies
0
Views
290
kravman4
K
Super77
DIY Channel Strut Roof Rack
Replies
3
Views
483
Super77
Super77
Super77
Roof rack hardware and preventing leaks: a deep dive
Replies
5
Views
896
FxFormat
FxFormat

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom