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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
Dunno about any of that, bending vs. strength and all, but I'm not bending a thing on this one...just sweating a bunch of fittings together, installing an expanded steel floor and possibly throwing some diamond plate behind the corner units (in the photo above.) Haven't done much on it lately, been too busy with work, but I'll be back on it this week. Stay tuned.
bending copper pipe onlystretches it, it doesnt make it srtonger. but you do realize you ca buy cast iron pipr in schedule 80, or as its also called xtra heavy, all the way down to 1/4 "
CAST IRON??? that would be one heavy roof rack... Alu would be best but copper is not bad either... time consuming though if you ask me... I've replaced water pipes in my home... cutting, soldering... but a lot better than working with regular pipes though. This will be one heck of a different roof rack.
I have this strange feeling that if I started fabbing out of black cast iron, when out on the trail, if I hit anything more than say, 7 degrees or so, my truck will go toppling over and I'll be rolling down a hill. Or if I cross a stream, I'll sink.
But I promise, this week, I'll get a little more done on the rack and try to show you some pictures. It's been hectic times with work and freelance....
Lol...And then if you run your water hoses to it and add an extra 5 gallons of radiator fluid, you engine will be cool all the time. *Multi purpose copper safri rack*
For you guys looking for the aluminum "welding" rods. The company used to be called Alumiloy, several years ago, but I belive they have changed there name to Alumiweld. I seem to recall they had some bad customer service issues & complaints.
I mad my self a custom roof rack. I started out using the bracket ends (the part that gets screwed to the roof) from a junkyard '85 jimmy. Then I got about 30 feet of 1.25" schedule 40 galvinized conduit and and necessary fittings and put it all together. I used 8- #12 stainless steel screws to attach it to the roof then I sealed all the holes with premium grade silicone. Before installing it I covered the whole thing in herculiner. So far it is holding up awesome and the thing is stronger than heck. I would trust it with ladders, 2x12s, plywood, canoes, or anythin else one could tie to it. Altogether it cost me about $50 bucks. I am very pleased, it has been my best mod yet.