Rear cage for roof rack build

[BurbanAZ]

I built my roof rack for my last suburban and had it just attached to the factory luggage rack and that worked fine while i had that truck. With my 94 i didnt have the same factory luggage rack so i finally go around to building a type of "exo cage" thing to mount the rack to. I wanted to make a type of "exo cage" but didnt want to really get too crazy with it and have tubing all over. The build went pretty smooth and quick. Built it in a few days just going and working on it a few hours a day. Bought a T&J diesel tube bender, which has worked awesome especially for the price and some tubing and went to work. Took it on our last trip that was only about a week with alot of rough roads and offroading and the rack and cage stayed completely stable. Heres a few pics.

makes some pretty clean bends

Using these to bolt it to my frame (just tacked in this pic)

Using these on the front and back sections to bolt both sides together so i can take it off if i need to

front and back sections bolted on

Just used a harbor freight notched, which worked pretty well

One of the sides taken off

I found that it had a ton of movement in it with just the sides, i ended up using these bolted to the roof with rivet nuts to stabilize it. Now it doesnt budge even with me jumping on it or wheeling.

And all finished before our trip. The only thing i have left to do it take it to get powder coated.

 

[bat]

Run a bar just above the fender flares across to the down tubes and build a ladder to the roof

 

[BurbanAZ]

Run a bar just above the fender flares across to the down tubes and build a ladder to the roof

Im actually thinking of doing that before i get it powdercoated

 

[Mark Harley]

I like it but...............

The round and square tubing do not flow together.
Make the roof rack with round and it would transition better.

Just my 2cents.

 

[BurbanAZ]

I like it but...............

The round and square tubing do not flow together.
Make the roof rack with round and it would transition better.

Just my 2cents.

Yea i completely agree. I built the rack when i had my last suburban so it matched that style better, im actually going to remake my roof rack and my winch bumper now that i have some different equipment and i can make them better.

 

[phydough]

Nice, I agree it needs a ladder. Don't get too close to hitch hikers as you go past though, might end up with a Mad Max thing going on. :smiley_drive:

 

[98dango]

I have been looking at this for a week. I like the idea but do you sorrow about catching the tubes on rocks or any thing. I have very limited time in Az. Mostly around the Benson area Happy Vally where i got hung up on many small is rocks in a stock chevy