making a roof rack directly to TJ cage?

[daniel_buck]

So my TJ is a soft top, but I NEVER take the top down. I always just take the doors, side windows, and rear window out, I never actually take the very top part down. I like the air and shade, not direct sun.

I've been wanting a roof rack for a while now, but didn't want to get one because I had to park in parking structures at work. Well, now I don't have to, I don't drive the TJ to work anymore, and I'm getting more confident in my metal working ability, I think it's time to start thinking about a rack!


One thing I hate about just about every roof rack I see on a wrangler, are the ugly bars going down the A a C pillars.

So I'm thinking about making a rack, that ties into the roll cage, but punches THROUGH the soft top. It would never go down any pillar, it would just tie to the top of the roll cage. Since I never raise back the soft top, I'll probably just epoxy around the tubes that puncture the soft top so that they don't let water through (it hardly ever rains where I live, but I do take long road trips in it sometimes, so I'd rather in not leak profusely). I have no problem cutting holes in the soft top.


I've got two main questions:

First, what size tubing would be best for a roof rack that doesn't need to hold the weight of a person, just camping luggage (no spare tire, or heavy gas cans) just luggage? Is 1x1" square tubing that's 1/16" thick in a simple design sufficient? I have alot of this tubing, because I've been making furniture with it. My gut tells me that it would be plenty strong enough even in a very simple design.

So asusming my gut is right and 1x1 1/16" square tubing could be plenty strong enough, now lets say I DID want it to hold the weight of a person, would 1x1" square tubing still be sufficient, if it's welded good? I guess at this point, I need more points tying into the roll cage than just one at each corner. I guess that depends entirely on how it's designed. I'm going to start working on a design in the computer very soon.

Second, I'd like to make the rack removable. Doesn't have to be a slick design, I'm thinking about just having short pieces of tubing that are slightly thicker (slides over the 1x1") that stick up a few inches from the soft top (welded to the roll cage), and each part of the rack slides down into that tubing and a bolt goes through each connection. Would this be a good way to make it removable? With it removed, there would be just 4 (or possibly 6) tubes sticking out top of the soft top, maybe an inch or so. I'd only make it removable in case there's ever some odd reason when I would need to remove the soft top, I could take a razer blade to the glue that seals the holes in the soft top so that it would then lift back like normal. But I doubt this will happen, I've removed the top only twice now, once when I first got it to see how to do it, and then once again when new parts of the cage went in. My consern with making the rack removable, is rattling.


Will post up images of my first design shortly, for some critiques from you metal fab folks

[inVERt'D]

Your proposed material would work fine, but it is probably on the heavy side, if anything--at least if you're using 6 mounting points. I have outside a Con-Fer roof rack that I'm intending to use on my TJ. Got it cheap. Its main frame is two rows of 3/4" square tubing that is probably a little less than 1/16" thick, but at least 18 GA. It is my intention to mount a tent on it so I can sleep atop the jeep. I'm confident it will be strong enough for all 200# of me and more. I'm all for making things strong, but when it's on top of the rig, lightness is a high priority. Jeeps flop easily enough

My priorities are a little different, and so is my Jeep. I want to be able to take my top down or put it up more or less at-will. I wouldn't want to make penetrations in the soft top unless I had a very clean and effective way to seal them. Some round, flat rubber gaskets with silicone grease might work. I would want to consult some marine technology before I reinvented the wheel.

The front I intend to tie to tabs on my tubular windshield frame, but that doesn't help you much. The middle really only needs to support weight, so some rubber padded mounts above and below the soft top would work without penetrations. The rear I could tie to the rear bumper, outboard of the tailgate (which means the ends of my bumper). But having those long tubes on the rear seems like a waste if I wasn't using them for something. Having some modular rear rack options comes to mind: tire carrier, fuel, luggage, etc. By modular I mean independently removable and functionally optional.

[daniel_buck]

I could easilly put a mounting point in the middle of the rack to support the center. I imagine that alone would go along way towards being able to stand on the rack! My main reason for wanting to stand on the rack (if it's practical) would be for photography. Getting an additional 6 feet higher off the ground can do wonders for landscape photography. I'll often stand on the bumper to get a few feet higher.

I hadn't thought about sleeping on top, that would actually be quite nice I think! I'll have to think about an alternative design that would have a flat surface (plywood?) That might be something to consider.

If I could stand (or sleep? nice idea!) on the rack, that would be secondary. Mainly, I just need more room for stuff when I go on photography trips with friends.

If 3/4" tubing that's 1/16" thick or a little less would be sufficiently strong, and lighter weight, that sounds like it would be worth picking up a few tubes of that. I still need to get a bender of some sort.

[inVERt'D]

You could mitre the corners, but the bends are prettier.

You could tie the front into the windshield frame hinges. Those are plenty sturdy. It might be ugly depending on how it was executed, but it would work well. Now if you had a cage in your Jeep, you could make some sleeved holes in your WS frame so you could bolt a rack to the cage going through said WS frame. That would be clean.

[dirtman13]

I made (more modified) one for my CJ that bolts to the roll bar. I used these and built my own mount for a modified Kargo Master rack. I can run it with my bikini top but haven't tried it with the soft top yet. The brackets are adjustable so I can mount at any width. This is the best picture I got. If you want I can take some others.

[daniel_buck]

You could mitre the corners, but the bends are prettier.

Indeed! And I'd like to learn/practice bending, this seems like a good project to do some practical 90 degree bends. I've been mitering stuff for the furniture, but furniture looks good with corners.



Chuck, yea if you could take some photos, I'd love to see what other folks have done

[dirtman13]

Mike had this picture from our Sierra trip.

[Jason]

I did kind of what Chuck did. I needed extra room for a Rubicon trip that my two kids joined me on and I needed a lot of extra room. I wanted light. I found one of those aluminum cargo carriers, cut and filed everything down so it would sit right over that empty spot above the front seats. This way I could still use my bikini top. I didn't use the fancy mounts that Chuck used. I went to Harbor Freight and gathered up various sizes of u-bolts and there you have it. I never had any plans to stand on it or use it as a bed. I just wanted it for additonal room for the light stuff, sleeping bags and such. I once had one of those Wilderness Rack and loved everything about it except when it was loaded. I already drove a cardboard box on wheels and with the full rack, it was like I just opened all the flaps of that box while driving down the highway.

[inVERt'D]

I've been mitering stuff for the furniture, but furniture looks good with corners.

I concur.

Chuck's post brings up something I wasn't even considering--a small roof rack. Mine is similar to his, but 4-1/2' X 6', so you see where I'm coming from with 6 mounting points.

Those OD tubing clamps are plenty strong--I used one tack welded for my "1-ton" steering linkage a few years back. Gonna retire that baby soon, but I plan to reclaim that handy, dandy clamp. It would be easy to make some lighter-duty (and lighter weight) OD clamps by cutting some .120" wall tubing lengthwise and welding some on some drilled flanges. You could use nuts, tacked on or not, or you could tap the threads into the holes on one side.

[RAT]

What I just sent you via email will work in an application like Chucks too. The only prob with our TJ soft top is the surrounds. They use that area of the roll cage to connect to the roll bar. But using that deal I sent you it could be adapted to work in that configuration and allow the soft top to be installed.

[Tumbleweed13]

Your original material choice, would easily handle 200lbs. I think the mounts to the cage would be your determanning factor, on wether you can stand on it or not. Back in April, Jonah and I made a rack for my jeep, out of 1x1x1/16, square tubing. The overall size is 24"x44", with an expanded steel floor, to save weight. I can easily pick up, and install this rack, myself. Not heavy at all. The only thing I would change about the rack, would be, to change the upper rim, to a smaller material. Tie down, and bungie net hooks, are too small for the 1" square tube.

[daniel_buck]

I've been thinking about making a trail rack like that as well, for the times I wheel with no back seat. Stuff my bags and such under the rack (which would keep them from launching out in the event of a rollover or flop!) and the cooler and recovery items ratcheted/bungeed down on top of the rack. Actually, I could probably make some stops for the cooler that would keep it from sliding around so I wouldn't have to ratchet it down so tight.

Nice idea on making the top a bit smaller, that sounds like it would work real nice for bungees.

[Tumbleweed13]

As you can see, with the tire in the back, I have to put my heavy stuff in the rack. The heavy stuff get ratchet strapped down, then I cover everything with an suv sized bungee net. I've been on my side twice, and nothing came out. If I made the rack again, I'd make the top rail out of angle iron.

[daniel_buck]

and then just drill holes in the angle iron for bungees? Or are you suggesting angle iron because it would be less metal?

[Ol Man]

If you are looking to just carry things on the roof for an outing, here is what I have:

http://www.kangaco.com/kanga/Kanga%20Hurricane.htm

We just put sleeping bags, pillows and soft, light stuff in it. Works great. I used it on my CJ7, which only had a soft top. I have not had to use it on my JK, because with a hard top, I feel OK stuffing things in the back.