started my roof rack

[lightfighter]

Could not find a rack I liked enough to spend the cash to have it made and shipped to me. Besides, making stuff is cool, right?

I got the side rails worked out, its not welded together yet. Still waffling on floor options.

and the gallery, if you want to look a little closer:

T4R - lightfighter's Photos

I'm into it for $42 so far. I probably spent too much on the 1.5 .095 tubing, but I think the spare tire is maybe gonna end up on it.

 

[zeak]

Looking good so far.
With that size tubing on the roof, your well on your way to having an exoskeleton.... :tongue1:

 

[Lunch-Box]

Cool, man...(and I dig the band Light Fighter).

But...watch the weight on that steel...that $#!+ can creep up on you and you've got a pig on the roof!

 

[lightfighter]

yeah, i worry about that.

Plan is two crossmembers tosupport the tire(and of course the tire, thats about 80lbs) on the back half, and two crossmembers up front to support a shallow tool box with the recovery kit up front. the kit is i think 40 or 50 lbs.

shovel on one side and highlift on the other.

no floor to encourage anyone to stick stuff up there.

what i need to figure out is how thin walled can the crosses be and still hold the tire. Im thinking 1 inch .065

 

[lightfighter]

I hope I dont become a cautionary tale with this, but I went with 3 1 inch tubes under the tire. I kept thinking about 4, but looked at several tires half ass bolted into factory made racks of thin wall tubing and figure what the hell. when i take it on a trail run, Ill put a ratchet strap on and test my welds... but really, the tubes are notched tight enough that it held the tire without even a tack weld.

still need to sort out the tool box for the front half, so I havent welded in the remaining two cross bars.

 

[2ndgen5vze]

Very cool!

 

[4runnerBrett]

Ya looks good.

 

[redsonja]

This is very cool. I'm gonna be keeping my eye on this for ideas. It's been too long with no roof rack for me. I miss my basket.

Good work dude! Keep the pics coming of your progress