Air the Flatlander
Adventurer
I have read about "junkyard roof racks" all over wrangler forums, and figured it was time to give it a shot and see what its all about. For those of you not familiar, people have scavenged the local pick you park junkyards, for factory roof racks which can be made to fit your jeep hard top. Many utilize the ones found on early Ford Explorers.
I had just purchased some Maxtrax's, and figured I could dig up a rack to help get them mounted to the the roof. Those of you with TJ's know, there is really no room inside them.
So off to the junkyard. In CT, there are only two that I know of, which actually allow you to go and dig around/remove your own items, and thats Chuck and Eddies. They have two locations, Southington and New Haven. I chose Southington.
The explorer racks looked good, but I did not like how they looked on the jeeps. They seemed to narrow, and a little high. I was concerned about clearance and the ability to get into the garage, so I ended up picking an early Ford Expedition, the first gen expd.
There were a handful at the yard, and their rails are nice and flat, very similar to L track, they have a ton of adjust-ability, mounting hooks which slide along the rails, and the ability to throw an additional cross bar if you wish. They easily come off with just a T25 bit.
Grand total $30 bucks, and that included the extra load bar, along with 8 mounting rings.
Once you have it all apart. Mock it up on your top, usually about 5 inches back from the front of the top is the sweetspot. There is a very slight curve to the front of the tj top, slide the rails back towards the rear till they sit flush to get a good seal and prevent wind noise. Measure and cut. Leave enough room for the end cap to slide back on, and not be in a bad spot towards the rear (you want it all sitting flat)
Once cut, cut through the aluminum as well as the rubber gasket which comes on these racks. The gasket is a huge plus for installing it, so keep it nice. Once cut, trace the outline from the rear most section of the rail, to allow for the end cap to fit on, just as it did from the factory
Use a punch, to sink what will be the new rear mounting hole, to match the others on each rail. I used a socket to help push it down. 12 mil worked perfect, then drilled it out to side using the others as a reference.
That's what you end up with.
I grabbed some fender washers, rubber washers, and stainless nuts to cinch it all down at the local hardware store. Came to about 15 bucks
Assemble your roof rack and place it on the top of the jeep, location and final fitment is up to you. Make sure the mounting surface fits as close as possible to the top, especially towards the front and rear of each rail.
Measure multiple times to see its centered, and mark/drill your holes. I used 5 holes per side. And to keep things simple, I did not place a mounting screw into the top above the sound bar. 5 was plenty, and I wanted easy access to each bolt without having to take the top off.
Take apart your junkyard rack, sand, prep and paint it. I used black Stone Chip from Napa. It's not cheap (15 bucks a can) but matches the factory hard top coating almost perfect, and holds up well.
Reassemble, flip over and add some sealant of your choice around any high spots near the front and rear end caps, as well as around the mounting point holes. I used some butyl tape as well as silicone.
Drop it back onto the hard top, silicone your bolts and the area where the screw head sits once tight on the rail (messy but I didn't want leaks). Place a rubber washer along with a fender washer and locknut on the inside of your hardtop, and tighten everything. Much easier with two people.
Check for any areas which may be susceptible to leaks, and seal them. Do a water test, and enjoy the end result.
It adds just enough surface area for me to easily mount a roof basket, my traxs, or any other equipment. obviously you cant throw a heavy roof top tent on there. but its just enough to get some other items secured properly, with easy access.
I had just purchased some Maxtrax's, and figured I could dig up a rack to help get them mounted to the the roof. Those of you with TJ's know, there is really no room inside them.
So off to the junkyard. In CT, there are only two that I know of, which actually allow you to go and dig around/remove your own items, and thats Chuck and Eddies. They have two locations, Southington and New Haven. I chose Southington.
The explorer racks looked good, but I did not like how they looked on the jeeps. They seemed to narrow, and a little high. I was concerned about clearance and the ability to get into the garage, so I ended up picking an early Ford Expedition, the first gen expd.
There were a handful at the yard, and their rails are nice and flat, very similar to L track, they have a ton of adjust-ability, mounting hooks which slide along the rails, and the ability to throw an additional cross bar if you wish. They easily come off with just a T25 bit.
Grand total $30 bucks, and that included the extra load bar, along with 8 mounting rings.
Once you have it all apart. Mock it up on your top, usually about 5 inches back from the front of the top is the sweetspot. There is a very slight curve to the front of the tj top, slide the rails back towards the rear till they sit flush to get a good seal and prevent wind noise. Measure and cut. Leave enough room for the end cap to slide back on, and not be in a bad spot towards the rear (you want it all sitting flat)
Once cut, cut through the aluminum as well as the rubber gasket which comes on these racks. The gasket is a huge plus for installing it, so keep it nice. Once cut, trace the outline from the rear most section of the rail, to allow for the end cap to fit on, just as it did from the factory
Use a punch, to sink what will be the new rear mounting hole, to match the others on each rail. I used a socket to help push it down. 12 mil worked perfect, then drilled it out to side using the others as a reference.
That's what you end up with.
I grabbed some fender washers, rubber washers, and stainless nuts to cinch it all down at the local hardware store. Came to about 15 bucks
Assemble your roof rack and place it on the top of the jeep, location and final fitment is up to you. Make sure the mounting surface fits as close as possible to the top, especially towards the front and rear of each rail.
Measure multiple times to see its centered, and mark/drill your holes. I used 5 holes per side. And to keep things simple, I did not place a mounting screw into the top above the sound bar. 5 was plenty, and I wanted easy access to each bolt without having to take the top off.
Take apart your junkyard rack, sand, prep and paint it. I used black Stone Chip from Napa. It's not cheap (15 bucks a can) but matches the factory hard top coating almost perfect, and holds up well.
Reassemble, flip over and add some sealant of your choice around any high spots near the front and rear end caps, as well as around the mounting point holes. I used some butyl tape as well as silicone.
Drop it back onto the hard top, silicone your bolts and the area where the screw head sits once tight on the rail (messy but I didn't want leaks). Place a rubber washer along with a fender washer and locknut on the inside of your hardtop, and tighten everything. Much easier with two people.
Check for any areas which may be susceptible to leaks, and seal them. Do a water test, and enjoy the end result.
It adds just enough surface area for me to easily mount a roof basket, my traxs, or any other equipment. obviously you cant throw a heavy roof top tent on there. but its just enough to get some other items secured properly, with easy access.
