Homemade Roofracks.

[bobDog]

Nice Job!!!:victory:

 

[brushogger]

There's a big "It depends" on that one. It depends on materials and workmanship, and then you need more contact area for the braze joint. It would be harder to make a simple T-joint with a braze and have it be strong.

If it was easy to make a strong braze joint, that's what everybody would be doing.

I was just looking thru this thread. I just made a rack for my Oztent out of conduit. My "tee" joints weren't saddled. The main frame was 3/4" conduit and the cross bars were 1/2" I drilled 3/4" holes into the larger tube which it the O.D. of the 1/2 conduit. I stuck the 1/2" conduit into the holes and brazed it up. It made for a very strong and good looking joint since the holes support the crossbars along with the weld. It also gives some playroom on the length of the crossbars, and lets the free end float when welding so expansion isn't an issue. I also did some research first on welding galvanized pipe before tackling this. A simple filtration respirator is all that's needed since the "fumes" from the zinc aren't gaseous. It's actually flakes of zinc oxide. I welded it outdoors and had no issues.

 

[fasteddy47]

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

That's one sweet looking rack Fasteddy! The entire Jeep is a looker

 

[life_w_vagabonds]

Well I've gotten this far. Yes or no before I drill any holes? Yes, Lowe's is my favorite store.

 

[Booosted Supra]

heres a thread on my rack when I did it years ago on YotaTech http://www.yotatech.com/f88/custom-safari-rack-build-up-179650/

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Well I've gotten this far. Yes or no before I drill any holes?

I'd put some big plates on the inside to help distribute the weight before you make any final plans

 

[life_w_vagabonds]

I'd put some big plates on the inside to help distribute the weight before you make any final plans

Yeah, I have some metal electrical gang box covers. Just a 4" round metal disk really that I have drilled to us as a big washer. To compensate for the curve of the shell, I cut some three inch pvc on a bevel with the table saw. Inside the pipe I siliconed hockey pucks and then cut them with a handsaw to have the same profile. I just lucked up and realized a hockey puck fits in a three inch pipe pretty nicely. They are a bit hard to find in Phoenix though!

 

[subytoy]

Here's what I'm building:


It's the frame from an old futon. I got two of these for free I removed the hinges and inserted some tubing into the pieces and bolted it all together. Now I just need some mounts. It's just the right size for my FZJ80.

Craig

 

[bobDog]

Here's what I'm building:
View attachment 80904

It's the frame from an old futon. I got two of these for free I removed the hinges and inserted some tubing into the pieces and bolted it all together. Now I just need some mounts. It's just the right size for my FZJ80.

Craig

Great idea hope you keep us posted as it comes together.:coffeedrink:

 

[subytoy]

I'm down to three days a week at work right now, I've got plenty of time but no money to put into this project

Craig

 

[Revco]

I just started on the rack for my Suburban. Got all the tubes cut the length, most welding done, but couldn't find my holesaw bit to notch them. Maybe have it wrapped up this week. Excuse the mess, the F-250 is being blown apart. Tubes that need to be notched are just taped together after digging for my holesaw bit for an hour, I got frustrated and wanted to give myself a visual of the end result.

This is about 3 hours in and about $50 worth of 1" EMT. I've built two of these before and they've held up great and are plenty strong, yet still lightweight. I can hold this whole rack up as you see it balanced on my index finger. The photos are looking at it from the back, the front is longer at the bottom for light mounts and an angled wind screen to keep down on drag and noise. The mock-up photos don't show all of the upright supports, nor any of the bottom cross sills. I'll do a tech write up on the build process once it done.

 

[dyogim]

Rack put together using Thule feet, bars, unistrut tubing and a pallet rack shelf. Recently removed the rack, and plan on integratting the roofrack with only the unistrut tubing and shelf. It'll be more low profile. The rivots on the thule feet started to wear out and rattled the whole rack. Kind of annoying.

 

[fatrat]

Here's what I'm building:
View attachment 80904

It's the frame from an old futon. I got two of these for free I removed the hinges and inserted some tubing into the pieces and bolted it all together. Now I just need some mounts. It's just the right size for my FZJ80.

Craig

That's awesome!

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Rack put together using Thule feet, bars, unistrut tubing and a pallet rack shelf. Recently removed the rack, and plan on integratting the roofrack with only the unistrut tubing and shelf. It'll be more low profile. The rivots on the thule feet started to wear out and rattled the whole rack. Kind of annoying.

That Unistrut and rack look they would fit perfect over the bed which would cut down on any drag and leave the contents placed inside the rack easy to get to