custom roof rack weight limit

[spoiler900]

I have this custom roof rack I had on my Ford Explorer, it was bad ass and I loved it. Anyways I want to fit it on my 4Runner and got a quote from a shop to fab it up and wire it and do everything for about $300. Im gonna try and talk them down to $200, but thinking how much weight that really adds...its decently heavy, and I think the cross bars on the roof say something like 180 pounds is the max. If i put it up there when I go camping I wanna load it up, so asking how much weight can we really push it to before it dents....any ideas....and i figure it might decrease my mpg (I get 12 city 18 hwy already) but by how much, like, maybe half a mile per gallon? Currently have a universal roof rack on my cross bars but want this with my lights...opinions please?

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[GhostRing]

It's my understanding that the roof tracks are simply mounted to the roof skin with some piddly section of channel sandwiching everything. A FAR cry from a decent drip rail setup.

I too am concerned about weight/vibration etc. shredding the roof.
Thinking about some proper internal bracing to get the roof/rail closer to Land Cruiser capacities.

 

[spoiler900]

Repost, anyone want more input can I throw this on my roof and possibly load it up when I go camping will I be ok?

 

[johnnyd2723]

I can't really help you on your question but I do like the carrier on the runner in the pic. What kind is that one? Is it mounted straight to the oem rack?

Thanks

 

[Aznwolf118]

Try this if your worried.
I have the parts just not the down time to spare on the 4runner

Reinforcing the Roof of our '98 4Runner - YotaTech Forums

 

[spoiler900]

Johnnyd: Yes its a universal rack, goes straight onto existing cross bars and installs in 5 minutes and can be taken on/off whenever you want. There cheap, I bought mine from discountramps.com for about $125 shipped, but was unhappy with the cheap quality so paid a body shop an extra $75 to weld it, so im in it $200 and helps so much when going camping, just want my custom one up there instead

 

[criera]

Fwiw i ran an extended load warrior on stock x-bar with a spare 31" tire and a hilift jack. Maybe 150-175 lbs total (guessing). After a wheeling trip with this setup i started leaking from the rear headliner and noticed some mild deformation in the roof.

Hwy driving prol would have been fine but dynamic loads offroad were just too much.

I would not exceed the limits in your oem x-bars or rails but ymmv.

 

[johnnyd2723]

Johnnyd: Yes its a universal rack, goes straight onto existing cross bars and installs in 5 minutes and can be taken on/off whenever you want. There cheap, I bought mine from discountramps.com for about $125 shipped, but was unhappy with the cheap quality so paid a body shop an extra $75 to weld it, so im in it $200 and helps so much when going camping, just want my custom one up there instead

Good info. I'll have to check them out. Maybe you'll sell me yours when you get your custom rack installed :biggrin1: