So, I'm building a roof rack...

[HeepH8erTy]

Hey guys, I'm currently building a roof rack for my 4 Runner and wanted to post it up and see if i can get some constructive criticizm, maybe some suggestions... anyways, I was having trouble finding the steel i needed so i bought a ladder rack off craigslist and started modifying it. Here is where i am at now with it:

these are the side rails, pretty much all done
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0801091901.jpg

Here are the rails sitting up on my yakima rack that the rack will bolt to:

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0801091805.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0801091806.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0801091806a.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0801091806b.jpg

The next step is to weld in the pieces that tie the two sides together. for the front and back pieces, i have some trackbar that is going to be perfect for mounting lights on and a cb antenna. after that, i have some expanded sheet metal to use for the floor on top of the cross pieces, then im going to frame in a little section for my cooler and weld some eye hooks to the outside so i can bungee it down. After that I got to make something to hold my spare down, i havent totally figured that one out yet. Does anyone have any creative solutions on how i can do that? The tire will sit inbetween the two black bars on my rack thats already on the truck, i made the rack drop down 3" between those rails for the tire to sit a little lower.

After i finish that stuff, im going to weld some 1/2 all thread to some plate for mouting my axe, and shovel, and i'll also make up brackets to hold my hi-lift when i go wheeling.

thats pretty much all i got for now. anyone have any suggestions or good ideas? im trying to make this thing as functional as possible.

[Shodan]

I think it looks pretty good. My two suggestions are: Don't make your cooler holder EXACTLY the right size, because you know the next cooler you get won't fit. For the spare, how about a threaded rod with a big spinner, should be very secure and look cool also, like the bed mounted spares on ore-runners.

[HeepH8erTy]

yea, i thought about the cooler size lol, i'll definitely make it bigger. For the threaded rod, that seems like a good idea if i can get a spinner that would work. I was kind of thinking about welding a piece of 2x2 square tube do the bottom of the rack that would stick up and have a plate welded on to it with studs on it so i can just bolt it the spare down with lug nuts. does that seem like it would work?

[XJchris98]

yea, i thought about the cooler size lol, i'll definitely make it bigger. For the threaded rod, that seems like a good idea if i can get a spinner that would work. I was kind of thinking about welding a piece of 2x2 square tube do the bottom of the rack that would stick up and have a plate welded on to it with studs on it so i can just bolt it the spare down with lug nuts. does that seem like it would work?

Ty, try looking for someone who has a factory spare holder to mount your spare on. Im using the factory mount off Matts YJ and it works perfect. I dont know if 4runners ever had something like that, but even something with your bolt pattern would work.

[HeepH8erTy]

ooo good idea. I think im going to try that... i'll what craigslist has to offer.

[Shodan]

I think mounting the spare with wheel lugs is a good idea. Not as cool as the spinner, but secure.

[Krod]

See now at least Ty will use the rack... Gotta have some place to haul all the ***** the 4runner gets him! Right?

Looks good Ty.

[Sycotik Skier]

how big of a pain in the ass is it going to be to tighten down lug nuts that are on your roof?

[Shodan]

how big of a pain in the ass is it going to be to tighten down lug nuts that are on your roof?

Dunno, with some luck most people seldom access their spare. Don't see unfastening some lug nuts as being that hard.

[Krod]

how big of a pain in the ass is it going to be to tighten down lug nuts that are on your roof?


Not all that hard. Use a 4 way, stand on one of the rear tires, or rear bumper...and have at it. done

[HeepH8erTy]

yea i think i can handle tightening and looseing lug nuts haha but the real problem at hand is how the f*** my little ass is gonna get the tire up there and off there if i do get a flat hahaha hope im not alone, or theres a girl there that can help hahaha

thanks for the kind words matt haha

[HeepH8erTy]

well i cut some crap off the side rails and its gonna save me a lil more than 10 lbs on the overall weight:041:

and i just found out yesterday that my dad is going to be able to get me a 16' piece of 4" channel... so since i got, that a 8' piece of 2.5" x 1/4" wall square tube and a ton of 3/16's plate, looks like bumpers are coming sooner than expected :icon_super:

[oldschoolyotaguy]

yea i think i can handle tightening and looseing lug nuts haha but the real problem at hand is how the f*** my little ass is gonna get the tire up there and off there if i do get a flat hahaha hope im not alone, or theres a girl there that can help hahaha

thanks for the kind words matt haha

i used to load and unload my 36" spare on n off my rack on my old truck... cant be a ***** ty... you gonna mount seats and a few cinderblocks up there too? that ****ers gonna be top heavy as all hell...

swing out spare carrier n cooler mount ftw..

[HeepH8erTy]

i hate swing outs, no way im buildin one of those. and if you can do it, i guess i can too haha

[HeepH8erTy]

i got the channel :-D

[HeepH8erTy]

Well i decided how im going to secure the spare. i got a 5/8 piece of all thread that will thread into a nut welded to the rack and stand straight up. the rim will sit over top of this with the all thread coming up through the center of the rim. then im going to make a spinner that will thread onto the all thread and secure the spare (*cough* good idea Shodan *cough*) this way i will be able to completely remove the spare and the device that secures it if i wanted to put something else up there. Here are some progress pics:
Double checkin clearance of the roof and width
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0806092021.jpg
More center pieces welded on
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0806092145.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0806092146.jpg
Checkin it out on the truck
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0808091641.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0808091641a.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0808091641b.jpg
As it looks now with the floor in it and rear section framed in
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0809092303.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0809092303a.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0809092303b.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0809092303c.jpg
With some crap in it
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0809092303c.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/Runner%20Pics/0809092306.jpg
still have to make the thing to secure the tire, put on eye bolts for bungee's, make brackets for axe and shovel holders, add lights to the front and back, add expanded to the rear section and the sides so i can put stuff up there and it wont fall out, and paint er up. My dad got me some zinc paint to prime the thing with to help with rust prevention, then i'll hit it with some rustoleum or something, i was thinking maybe yellow? I also got to figure out how I am going to run the wires for the lights and coax for my cb antenna into the cab. anyone have any clean looking ideas? I was thinkin about just drilling a hole near one of the yakima posts to keep it hidden and putting a grommet in it. I also plan to get a wiring harness for all the wires for the rack so when i remove the rack, i can just unplug it... except for the coax of course.

[limegreentj]

lookin good man!!!

[95TacoKid]

then i'll hit it with some rustoleum or something, i was thinking maybe yellow?

YELLOW... really... what have u been smokin ty haha

Lookin good tho man.

[Christopher]

Your doing a real nice job even using salvage steel. Nice

Be careful with rack weight. I used to run a roof mounted spare on a cj until I laid it on its side twice.

Looks good

[HeepH8erTy]

haha yea i was just playing about yellow... its gonna be black. Once i started painting stuff black on that truck... i just cant seem go back to using any other color... weird.

and yea, im trying to watch the weight as much as i can cause it does weigh a lil much. Right now its about 75lbs unloaded

[95TacoKid]

good... if you were serious about it being yellow I was just going to have to sneak up there one night and at least spray it pink

[jackb1]

Right now its about 75lbs unloaded

What's the Yakima rated for that you're mounting it to? I looked at one for Xterra and think it was only 200 or 225#. Worried you'll end up with a nice rack you won't be able to put anything into.

Looks very nice though.

[HeepH8erTy]

its rated for 165... yea kind of a bummer. but im currently looking for ways to be able to hold more up there. For now though it should be strong enough to hold the rack and spare.

heres the look im going for. I dont know if it uploaded right because the server at works blocks EVERYTHING. But yea, i modeled it in Pro-E to get a better idea of how i wanted everything to look and this is pretty much it

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/rack.jpg

yea same colors and everything haha. the expanded sheetmetal is clear. i was going to add all the holes that are in the expanded sheet metal to the model, but there are like a couple thousand features that it would need to generate and that takes about 20 years for it to generate, so i said f it, you get the gist

[mudforblood]

Looks good! Just make sure you bolt it on and drive down the highway with and without things in the basket. I threw together some quick racks for a van once using unistrut like you did and it howled really, really LOUD! The holes in the unistrut apparently make a good whistle.

[HeepH8erTy]

i never even thought about that. good idea, i certainly will. hope mine dont whistle haha. I'll be like bub rub and lil sis haha i dunno if anyone has ever seen the youtube video with bub rub and lil sis with the whistle tips but... "THE WHISTLES GO WHOOOO!"

[HeepH8erTy]

painted it with this zinc coating stuff and some gray primer last night. Black semi gloss to come tonight...

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0813090709a.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0813090709.jpg

i think its turnin out pretty good. Still have to get the full size spare and mount it on a rim to put up there and i got a pretty sweet idea for the spinner to hold the tire down... you'll see.

[HeepH8erTy]

I painted it up last night and put it on this morning before work. I know they are crappy cell phone pics, but what do ya think?

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0814090659a.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0814090659.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0814090714a.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0814090714.jpg

The only thing i dont care for is on the side rails where the powdercoating was, i hit it all real quick with a sanding wheel on the grinder to take off the gloss a little, but i wanted to still leave a little powder coating there to help in rust prevention. well turns out when i was doing that, i thought the sides were smooth but they not. there are high and low spots everywhere down the sides and i think it looks like garbage. but im going to sand the sides down and paint em again this weekend. other than that, im stoked about it. cant wait to get the spare up in there and everything. hopefully that will be done this weekend as well. It better be actually haha i gotta get back up to erie damn soon.

and i cant add somethin else to my sig... hell yea!!!

[95TacoKid]

looks real good ty... other than the original cross bars from the yakima rack sticking out the sides like 6 inches... just looks odd to me... other than that :icon_super:

[Jeepin'Jones]

Looks good

[limegreentj]

what do i think? i think it looks excellent...nice job! i also think you are nucking futs for getting up early enough to put your roof rack on before work and be posting on PGH OR by 8 o clock...lol

[limegreentj]

oh and i think those original bars that stick out on 6 inches each side might look kinda funny but they will probably be of use at one point in time....for tying shit down or other things

[HeepH8erTy]

Yea i know what you are saying about those bars... i've thought about em a lot because i think they look kind of dumb stickin out that far. But like you said, the reason im keepin em long is so i can tie shit to em and so i can set stuff accross them like boards or something if i were to haul any. I agree though, i think they look dumb but they are functional. and sometimes wen im drivin, i'll stick my arm out the window and hold on to them to air out my stinkin ass armpit hahaha j/p

thanks for the kind words guys. and yea limegreentj... it was freakin early but i was excited to show everyone at work so i couldnt wait haha

[wozz]

looks good man

[limegreentj]

so im goin down 79 today in the wifes car on the way to see her family...and i see this big red yota behind me with those damn bars sticking out 5 feet on each side (LOL!!! j/k) and as he comes along side me i realize that its ty....IT LOOKS GOOD MAN... oh and i thought that cop was gonna pull you over...i was hoping he wasnt gunning for you

[HeepH8erTy]

hahahaha no shit man thats hilarous. what were you driving? i didnt even notice ya. Yea i was worried about the cop too... i was tryin to hurry home to go to a car show.

and thanks for the kind words. I just got the tire up there the other day. Derek gave me a 32x 10.50 TSL so i painted my spare rim, got the tire put on, and tossed er up there. Here's a pic of the cool ass spinner to hold the tire down (i wish it was idea... but it was my dad's.) we just welded a nut in a wrench and cut the end off the wrench and bent it up a little

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0816091729b.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/hardbodyty/downsized_0816091729a.jpg

[jeep-freak92]

it look so good on the yota
deffinitally a good idear

[xeccllc]

nice

[oldschoolyotaguy]

turned out better than i expected haha looks good tho man

since when did you work at bucyrus? theres a dude that works there who has a pretty sweet yj, soa, 4.6 stroker, d300 with gears, 37 iroks, he was at rausch one weekend i was there, hes buddys with my old roommate tim (with the chopped blue xj on tons), and he drives a gold suburban, not sure if its a dd, but its his tow rig...might be lookin there for an engineer job there, come graduation time....

[xjmudder]

If your interested I have a new high lift jack( 50" red) never used for sale Would look nice mounted to your new rack