Roof rack w/ light bar idea, input?

[TigerPaw]

Hey everyone. I've been browsing google and a lot of the jeep forums lately trying to find a good DIY roof rack. I saw one done by a guy on a charokee forum made from EMT which I liked. Though here is what I'm thinking...

I like the modular-ness of the EMT and will be making a safari style rack for sure.I also want to put a wind deflector on it, but I would like to add some aux lights too. I didnt buy my jeep with the factory light bar and I'd really like to add that.

So what im thinking is this, instead of mounting the aux lights onto the rack, I could make an independent bar that attaches to the rack, but runs the light bar in front of my sunroof. I know you can buy T jointed pipe clamps and figure I could make it removable (you cant be off road everyday!). Just run the wires through the pipe with a disconnect. It would allow my lights to sit lower than the rack hopefully not making the wind deflector totally useless and if I needed to throw my kayak up there it would clear the lights. Anyhow, any input would be great. I have a lot of experience with fabrication, just never did anything custom to my jeep.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

Hey everyone. I've been browsing google and a lot of the jeep forums lately trying to find a good DIY roof rack. I saw one done by a guy on a charokee forum made from EMT which I liked. Though here is what I'm thinking...

I like the modular-ness of the EMT and will be making a safari style rack for sure.I also want to put a wind deflector on it, but I would like to add some aux lights too. I didnt buy my jeep with the factory light bar and I'd really like to add that.

So what im thinking is this, instead of mounting the aux lights onto the rack, I could make an independent bar that attaches to the rack, but runs the light bar in front of my sunroof. I know you can buy T jointed pipe clamps and figure I could make it removable (you cant be off road everyday!). Just run the wires through the pipe with a disconnect. It would allow my lights to sit lower than the rack hopefully not making the wind deflector totally useless and if I needed to throw my kayak up there it would clear the lights. Anyhow, any input would be great. I have a lot of experience with fabrication, just never did anything custom to my jeep.

This is what I did for mounting extra lighting...
http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3612&d=1297861882
Now I just have to wait for a good day when my body cooperates so I can mount the extra lighting!

 

[cplchris]

i saw a pretty good one a while back on lost kjs in the fab section it was aluminum and the bottom/main rail ran the entire length of the roof giving a rail forward of the sunroof to mount lights on for a lightbar....ill put up the link if i find it again

 

[cplchris]

here i found the one i was talkin about, im doing a similar one but the basket will be isolated from the lightbar.
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=51256

 

[TigerPaw]

Im on Lost jeeps too and ran into that guy. Thats pretty much what im looking for, but with a lower profile light bar. Also something I can remove if I wanted to. I think ill end up fabbin my own wind deflector then i can paint it all up.

 

[cplchris]

Im on Lost jeeps too and ran into that guy. Thats pretty much what im looking for, but with a lower profile light bar. Also something I can remove if I wanted to. I think ill end up fabbin my own wind deflector then i can paint it all up.

yea im lookin to have like 4 inch diameter lights for my lightbar and will have 4 or 5 lamps depending on how they fill out the width of the roof. but you could always take that front loop for the light bar, cut it at whatever point youd like to be able to disconnect it at sleeve the ID of the tube and have a threaded collar like union at that point to disconnect it. or have another tube hinged at the top rail of the basket and have a fold away lightbar that you could easily disconnect. sorry about writing a book, just figured id help ya generate some ideas

 

[TigerPaw]

Oh no! by all means write the books, you guys really helped in making some choices. I started the base rack today and found some Tee pipe connectors. Pictures to come! We'll have to get to the light bar hurdle when I get to that point.

 

[TigerPaw]

So I got started on the actual rack, Ill be finishing it tomorrow then starting the light bar. Heres some pics, and one of the jeep too... Im totally stock, but got some new road tires for my long trip across the county. Ignore the bomb detonation that is my garage, I'm in the process of getting ready for a move.

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[Cromeo]

Oooo Keep the pics comming... Im impressed! Great job, sweet ride

 

[TigerPaw]

I didnt get as far as I wanted to today, I think im just not feelin it. But anyway finished up the rack, in the process of putting in the floor.

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[Ry' N Jen]

I didnt get as far as I wanted to today, I think im just not feelin it. But anyway finished up the rack, in the process of putting in the floor.

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That really looks good Paw's!
Can't wait to see the finished project.

 

[Cromeo]

Man that looks cool.. Can you share the measurments with us? How are you thinking about painting? I built a duck blind for my boat with conduit. I heated it with a torch to nock the glaze of so the paint would stick.... But the rack would be alot of torch time, and I might be afraid I might warp it.

 

[TigerPaw]

Man that looks cool.. Can you share the measurments with us? How are you thinking about painting? I built a duck blind for my boat with conduit. I heated it with a torch to nock the glaze of so the paint would stick.... But the rack would be alot of torch time, and I might be afraid I might warp it.

Ill throw up measurements when I get it on the jeep, then we can see if Its terrible looking. I started painting it today, using a spray can truck bed liner. Started the cross bars too, those are painted and ready to go for tomorrow. Pictures to come arty52:

 

[Budviper]

nice

:waytogo:

 

[TigerPaw]

So I finally got around to getting the base rack done. It took me forever to find a piece of metal that I could use as a deflector. I ended up using one of those old light cases. I think it turned out okay, ill get around to the light bar when I get some more free time. I need one more can of bedliner and ill be ready to mount it to shape my light bar.

Unpainted

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Painted

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[Ry' N Jen]

Looks pretty slick!

 

[TigerPaw]

Got the rack up today. I think I did a pretty good job. Im going to put the light bar on hold so I can fab up some new steel rails instead of the factory ones. I also need to cut the rack a bit as it over laps some of the sunroof. But otherwise I like it.

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[gtommec]

looks good

 

[zone zero]

this was my rack design

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47469&page=2

this was my design for a rack, I needed alot of storage and to carry 5 Nato gas cans

 

[Downtown]

You can see the start of mine

I replaced the rails with strut channel. These will be the side rails of the floor of the basket.

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