Roof light rack, basket help???

[Tbars4]

...i am sure this will be moved but i could not find a fabrication section...my question is, say you are going to fabricate a light bar or basket to replace your roof rack temporarily for the trails...

...how do you fasten it into the rails??? i am sure someone has made some post with clamps to install in these rails...i do not want to make the basket or light rails permanent, just for trails like truck haven when you will be packing everything you own in and out...when i get back to the big city, on goes the stock roof racks...

...any and all pics would help, thanks...

 

[Mike Draper]

I've got the rack off of my '94, not sure if yours is the same or not. I would suggest sliding the rear crossbar off the rails and find some "Elevator bolts" these are a bolt with a large flat head that can filed off on two sides till it will slide into the rails. I would use a fender washer with a rubber washer on top of the rails to keep the rails from getting bent.

Here's a link with a description of the bolts...most hardware store will stock them.
http://www.instockfasteners.com/PRODUCTS/elevatorbolts.ASP?gclid=CNmF56fLyY4CFSgKYAodzTE8AA


Mike

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

i used the stock bar...you could make some quick disco's and then put a factory bar on when you take off the one with the lights...

the second pic was temp wiring all connections are now heat shrunk and saudred with conduit around them...and obviously i have 4 lights not 2

 

[Stic-o]

Just drill into the factory rails or they make ones you can buy I think. Like Surco or something

 

[Tbars4]

...thanks guys, i got a little project out of some scrap i'm thinking of...it will be a little narrower than the width of the rails so i am only stuck on the track to 3/4" tubing connection...:scratch:
...stic-o, any links on them???
and guys, i'm not ruling any ideas out yet, thanks for the help...

 

[Brian1]

Here is what I made for my 91 roof rails when I made my own safari roof rack. It is 2 tabs made out of 1/4" x 2" and then a piece of strap that fit inside the rails, I think it was around 1"x 1/8" that the tab welded to.

 

[Tbars4]

...i am thinking something along the line of what you got brian...the basket will be about 1 1/2" short on each side to the track so i have got to do some thinking...i'm not sure wether to do a bend in from the track or make 2 rails from track to track to set/mount the basket on...:scratch:

 

[cybergasm]

Dang i should get mine on the road so you can check out the way mine is installed......

 

[Tbars4]

...you could post some pics of the rail connection here... i hope you are coming sunday morning for a trail run...say 9 am at black star canyon???

 

[cybergasm]

...you could post some pics of the rail connection here... i hope you are coming sunday morning for a trail run...say 9 am at black star canyon???

send me the 411 on this "little": run might be able to make it trying to get to the dmv this week. but moving is a PITA

 

[joecrna]

Go to offroadunlimited.com or defenderrack.com. The store that makes the defender safari racks is located in Burbank CA. They sell mounting brakets that use the stock rails for about $25 according to their web site. My reciept for my defender rack lists mounting hardware for $75. Don't know what the difference is, but the store is near by tbars4.

 

[Tbars4]

...thanks joecrna for the heads up...i know offroad unlimited is also in burbank...i will look into those parts...
...cyber, the main divide road on maps, by silverado canyon, 26 miles i beleive, easy run and good shakedown before truckhaven...it can be run in 2wd car...nice scenic run..

 

[joecrna]

Offroad unlimited and Defender racks. One in the same. Stop in they have one on display. If I wasn't going out of town you could stop by and see mine. Im a bit closer to you.

 

[Tbars4]

...aw man, i wanted to see yours, lol...i already looked them up and they want like 67 bucks...i couldn't find the 25 dollar ones though...

 

[Gatorblazer]

whats wrong with a cheap set of small ubolts that you can get at lowes for less than $10? I see lots of guys with that set up.

Mine is simply bolted to the factory rack. It takes all of two min to unbolt the thing, and there's no fancy fab work to do.

 

[joecrna]

Yep you're right. The ones for 91-02 Explorers are $65. If you are still interested next week, I'll show you mine. It should be easy to copy them.

 

[Tbars4]

...joe, i'm interested in seeing them...

...gatorblazer, do you have any pics???

 

[joecrna]

I think he's talking about doing it like a Yakima or Thule but with u-bolts instead of the velcro like hardware.

 

[cybergasm]

whats wrong with a cheap set of small ubolts that you can get at lowes for less than $10? I see lots of guys with that set up.

Mine is simply bolted to the factory rack. It takes all of two min to unbolt the thing, and there's no fancy fab work to do.

Mine is bolted the same way about 8 bolts through the factory rails and then the light is bolted to the rack.

 

[cybergasm]

Here we go pics finally of the safari rack on my X: