98 XJ Roof Rack build looking for suggestions

[deitzberg]

I was working at a facility that reclaimed hazardous waste containers and after seeing one of the 300 gallon I.B.C. I had an idea for a roof rack. If you are not sure what they are Google it and I posted a pic below of what I started with.







I started off by chopping it in half and than again. I did this because the rails on the one side were not spaced the same as the other. So I placed the two identical halves together.







Now this is where I have paused to get some input from some other people on how to proceed.


Option #1 Fix mount the other end caps or maybe make it so I could pull them off if necessary for hauling something long.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1024x768.



Option #2 Make it so that the front and back fold out. This would give me a kind of cage so that I wouldn't worry when on a long road trip. I could lock up the cage and people could just cut a ratchet strap and walk off with my luggage. Also I would allow to open up to carry bigger items that may not fit in when closed up.






Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. It is aluminum so I cant weld on it. I just dont have the skill or proper equipment.

Dimensions:

Middle rack: 48.5" wide
Long:
Option #1 69"
Option #2 Folded up ~48"
Option #2 Folded out ~90"

It started out:
47" wide side with 6 cross bars
39.25" wide side with 4 cross bars
49" Tall.

Here is the link for a bunch of other photos of what I am working with:

http://s1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii542/Deitzbergiii/

 

[AA1PR]

It depends

I think it all depends upon what you want for your vehicle,simply.

You can weld these pieces if you have or can get access to a tig welder, or let alone rent one.

personally I would have cut off the upper/top sections from just above the second ring up. that would leave the floor & supports up to that point and just mount that section from the second ring down

 

[deitzberg]

For the most part that is what I am doing. The two sides were spaced differently so I had to split them again to so that both side rails would be the exact same. I bolted the two halves together and placed some tubing in the center of where they join to strengthen it so that it would be less likely to bow in the middle where the two halves come together. I will post some more pics tonight or tomorrow some time.

The ends I am still up in the air on though.