MOD: Baja Rack - Roof Rack

[Trail X]

Just wondering... Does that interfere with your sunroof at all?

It can't go up anymore, but otherwise no.

[BSalty]

I love your truck. Between you and Gordinho80 I will be broke for several years.

[galacticfuzz]

:drool3: I love your truck. Between you and Gordinho80 I will be broke for several years.

[mikekey]

I reversed my prior approach taken with the lightbar with the rack mounts. Instead of a nut attached to the plate, I used a carrier bolt in a modified square washer with a square hole. This prevents the carrier bolt from spinning when tightening, and is much stronger than gluing on a nut (referencing my lightbar design).

The rubber material is a high grade plumbing rubber. When clamped, the rubber compound sees an extreme normal force acting on it. Because of the rubber's qualities, it provides maximum friction between the rack load bar and the truck's rack.



The load bars are 1"x1" aluminum extrusions. The rack is held by a 1" pipe clamp. Again, you can see the rubber compound is used between the rack and the load bar. This will prevent any movement between the rack and the load bar due to the large normal force caused by the pipe clamp.



By the time I installed it on the truck, I was working by streetlamp light. So no pictures. Very little visual difference though (the rack may be 3/4" lower), but the rigidity of the rack has improved 10-fold. No relative movement exists between the rack and the truck when I shake the rack as hard as I can. With the stock load bars, there was a lot of movement.

So, I'm pleased with this mod of my mod...

James, where in the world did you find the square washer with a square hole? I've tried my local hardware stores and fastnel with no luck. Pretty much building the exact same mounting setup for my Baja rack, or at least attempting to. Practically running out of time.

[scottp8113]

I think he said at some point that it was part of a fence repair kit that he found at Lowes/Home Depot.

[Trail X]

Yep, a kit like this: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-hard ... 87419.html

[NC_IslandRunner]

Who is Jason?

Brain Fart, every time I see his name I think of my friend, who is Jason Downing.

J Downing must be popular, I had a friend in school named Justin Downing

[mikekey]

Yep, a kit like this: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-hard ... 87419.html

Thank you again James. My Baja rack is out for delivery today, and my lightbar is now assembled, so I need to go walk around the depot and see if I can find something like that so I can get these two mounted this week.

[navigator]

for my rack I took a round washer and cut two sides off of it to make it fit snug in the track.
I then used a bolt and tightened a nut down real tight on the washer so it wouldn't slip. The result is the washer sandwiched between the bolt head and nut. It fit in the track tight enough that it wouldn't turn and I could then stick it up through my roof rack and tighten down with another washer and nut. I've only had one issue with them because my washers weren't heavy enough but it proved the concept to me. Next go round is heavier washers.

[Diacom]

Yep, a kit like this: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-hard ... 87419.html

Thank you again Jason. My Baja rack is out for delivery today, and my lightbar is now assembled, so I need to go walk around the depot and see if I can find something like that so I can get these two mounted this week.

Again???

[mikekey]

Again???

Wow... I suck at life. FAIL.

[Trail X]

Here I thought he was just being funny. Mike, I also go by JD... so if it helps you in the future, just use that.

[navigator]

but don't confuse JD with James Dub

[Logger280]

Trail X could you share where you got your front bumper and the rear spare tire holder?
Thanks
logger280

[djthumper]

His stuff is all one-off custom builds. Check out his build thread for more information.

[Trail X]

Haha, yeah. For better or worse, I sunk a lot of money into this truck. The front bumper was based on a TAG (they've been known by other names) bumper. The rear was custom from the ground up.

Front bumper details: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9
Rear bumper details: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1132