Green ??
Jay -
Don't know why it looks green to you, looks "Crystal Blue" to me . . .
As for the gap, why don't you fab a spacer plate that has an "L" angle to it? That way it'll fill the space caused by the body lift. Most metal shops could do it with diamond tread aluminum plate in a minute.
As for the roof rack, I wouldn't mount much to the existing factory rails . . . too freakin' flimsy. Guess it really depends on what you plan on throwing up there. I stow my Hi-Lift jack and a 2 gallon gas can on mine when I wheel, and could also toss up the spare, but its empty when I'm not four wheeling.
Anime4x4 -
You're right, my bottom tubes are a bit different from the one shown in the photo. Never noticed that before... I ordered it back in December '98, and the catalog photo at the top of this thread was the same as when I ordered mine. I do remember the guy I talked to on the phone saying that they actually made them once ordered (at least for the Explorers), instead of just pulling them off the parts rack. Maybe the guy who built mine was feeling artistic - - or maybe he dropped it on one end and decided it would be easier to bend the other side than to straighten it out . . . Either way, its been a great addition to the rig - - Now to just figure out how to cram that winch under/behind it.
Way too much rambling - - pics are on the way to both of you guys.
Paul