Yakima cross bar substitute

[KLF]

Searched first, can't find any advice...

I have a couple of Yakima towers that I got for cheap many years ago, and I want to add a single roof rack crossbar at the very back of my cab, for carrying long lumber and sheet goods and protect the roof. Cheapest I can find a single Yakima crossbar is $45, not including end plugs, which is stupid for a temporary rack. Looking for a cheap substitute, tried 3/4" black pipe but it's a wee bit too small, 1" is too big. Closet fit I can find is 1" EMT, but that stuff is pretty flimsy.

I suppose I could use the 3/4" pipe and put a few wraps of gaffer's tape at the clamp. Is there any other option?

 

[Bogo]

You could buy some heavy walled tube of the right diameter from one of the online metal places, or a local one. If you have a calliper you can measure the inside diameter of the mounts, or maybe somebody can take a calliper to the tube on a Yakima rack to find the diameter. Of course a quick google search revealed 1-1/8" as the size. You aren't alone in asking for the size.

 

[KLF]

Yeah, I measured and researched the Yakima bars are 1-1/8" OD. Unfortunately common pipe and tubing skips that OD. The towers are really tight on the tolerance on what they will "bite" on. The guy that teaches our welding classes is also a machinist and fabricator, maybe he's got a scrap of something on his racks. I was just hoping someone here had a solution.

 

[Bogo]

Pipe skips that OD size, tube doesn't. 1-1/8" is a common size. DOM steel tube 1.125" OD 0.12" wall $24 for 60 inch long tube Order Mild Steel A513 Tube in Small Quantities at OnlineMetals.com They have thicker and thinner, and other steels and metals like stainless steel.

 

[skidplate]

I used rigid conduit from home depot, bought a can of spray Plasti Dip to coat them. Been using them for at least 10 years hauling kayaks, surfboards, ladders, etc. Sorry don't remember the conduit size.

 

[KLF]

Pipe skips that OD size, tube doesn't. 1-1/8" is a common size. DOM steel tube 1.125" OD 0.12" wall $24 for 60 inch long tube Order Mild Steel A513 Tube in Small Quantities at OnlineMetals.com They have thicker and thinner, and other steels and metals like stainless steel.

"common" means I can hop in the car and go get it. I found several sources for tubing, that one is $24 for the tube, and shipping is $23.50. More than the yakima tube that I can get shipped for free from Amazon.

 

[Bogo]

Yakima knows their racket... They use a less often stocked size.

I know a couple steel suppliers I can definitely get that tube from. I maybe know a few farm equipment makers, and a couple racing car frame makers here in central IA that I can go get that tube from. Depends if they use that size. All but one will cut to length.

Here is the tube I showed at Amazon
Cold Rolled Steel A513 Drawn Over Mandrel Round Tubing, ASTM A513, 1-1/8" OD, 0.89" ID, 0.12" Wall, 60" Length: Metal Industrial Wall Tubing: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
Though length in title and description don't match. Is it 60" or 36"?

 

[KLF]

I'll check with the guy that I hired to teach our welding classes, he runs a machine/fab shop as well. I just bought a 4'x4'x1" chunk of plate from a local place (the class is making a fab table as a project), but I believe they also sell end cuts and drops.

Sitting here right now in my office, I found a scrap of 1" EMT in my pile of electrical stuff, and it won't quite fit in the tower mount. Argh...

 

[rusty_tlc]

A couple of these beauties and some JB weld and you should be good to go.
McMaster ship same day you order.

 

[Bogo]

Sleeves of that size should be available from any real farm store. They are used for adapting three point hitch pins and other uses. They'll be a bit oversized for the inside and undersized for the outside.

 

[2mbb]

if you use the sleeve you can cut out a slice (probably just the blade thickness is enough) to make it compressible. You might not need the JB weld. The tower will compress the sleeve onto the bar.

 

[77cruiser77]

Found some scrap pipe at a welder. It was darn close and the tower clamped it but not tight enough. I don't see the harm in one or two wraps of electrical tape for a temporary rack.

 

[77cruiser77]

I think it was 40-50$ for four thick heavy walled aluminum. I later replaced two for the Yakima bars and left the other two inside load bars as is. Works fine for my RTT