SWB roof racks

[pajerry]

Hey there, I 'd love to see some pictures or ideas of what people have done for roof racks on the SWB. Unfortunately there arn't rear windows, and short of cutting into the seal, the standard bolt on removable towers dont fit.

Has anybody had any experience with Yakima Control Towers? I've been quoted around 500 for a set at Rack Attack. Do I have any better options?







The base mounts directly onto the hood, and the towers just click in and lock. There is a rubber cap to protect the base when the towers are off. They are fastened by a self tapping fastner that goes through the sheet, then drops a butterfly fastener to permanently mount it. Sounds easy, but how strong is this method?

Can I abuse this with a small aluminum boat/canoe plus some gear underneath? Im only worried about the top buckling in spots or cracking paint and such.

[mararmeisto]

I would speculate this would be the kind of roof rack where you read the load rating is 50 pounds. I too miss rain gutters on my SWB...

[pajerry]

Yeah, I think its something like 50lbs/rail.

Are those loose estimates trying to cater to the guys that will try to double that?


I just want to be able to fit my canoe on top, and a large gear bag/duffel bag under it between the rails. Possibly a light basket to help with the job if it doesn't add too much more stress. I also don't want to worry about it the hardware shearing and my load spilling while wheeling and Im not sure if I should trust that system.

[mararmeisto]

I think the conservative load estimate is due to the thinness of the sheet metal the screws are punching through. I would rather try to find the rails that look like they mount into the rain runners. The problem with having a GenII SWB is it wasn't sold in the States as a Montero, so we can't tap into that after-market.

[pajerry]

Yeah, kinda blows. I really want to put on a rack that hooks to the door-frame and above the rear window, but some of the mods I"ve seen for that are ugly at best, and hard to reverse.

I also saw the thule roof rail systems, but its just ABS plastic rails. Even though the guy said it might be better because it distributes the weight more evenly, I call BS because all the force is still going to go to the two closest fasteners since its a partially flexible rail. Not to mention they would have had to heatgun the crap out of it to get it to fit that roof contour on the SWB.




Do you think its a huge job to remove the roof panels to get under there and reinforce it?

[mararmeisto]

The headliner doesn't look like it's all that difficult to remove, requiring the usual removal of the pillar covers and the lights (usually the roof lights are screwed/bolted in to the metal and are supportive of the headliner).

[FalcoColumbarius]

Rack Attack in Vancouver has a few sturdy rack options regarding screw-ins. Worth having a look.

[mararmeisto]

I don't know about pajerry, but I'm avoiding the screw-in type. I'm getting by without a roof rack, but still keeping a weather-eye to the horizon.

[pajerry]

Yeah. It was rack attack that suggested those two options. Im just not a fan of either method.

Any suggestion to what could but used to reinforce that? Maybe some 4"x4" thin steel plates to help spread the force?

Could I JB weld some plates to the top? lol

[pajerry]

I'd like to bump this. You know, in case rack technology has advanced exponentially in two months....

[mararmeisto]

Having looked at schematic drawings of the OEM setup, it looks like it is a screw-into-the-roof arrangement(vice bolted to a rain gutter or fitted into a rain rail). So, it may be that this is the only option available. Not that I'm comfortable with it because it would require the removal of the headliner for proper placement. I also just wouldn't want to be putting too much up there.

[pajerry]

You have the OEM drawings, or you have just seen them? This could help a great deal, as I can find a T bracket tower system that slides into the rail where the rubber gasket is. I just have to find one that fits something with a similar contour of the roof. New cars have pre-drilled holes ready to tap into, but if I can find out exactly where the supports are, it would save me lots of trouble.


Its either that or the landing pad mounts from yakima that I posted above. Apparently they're strong enough for what I need, 150lbs over both rails. Is that enough for a canoe, some gear, and off cambers?

[mararmeisto]

You have the OEM drawings, or you have just seen them? This could help a great deal, as I can find a T bracket tower system that slides into the rail where the rubber gasket is.

Seen them. It looked like their feet were not in rails but mounted to the roof.

Agree: if there are mounting pads welded into the roof, this would be beneficial to sight. Of course, the best way to see that would be to pull the roof liner from the inside. If nothing there, drill anywhere (if you dare).

I'd love a roof rack, but at this point I don't see the value-added for me because I've a trailer to lug around my extra stuff.

[Jaz]

Gents, it could be worth having a browse through the Aussie forums, as we have many more shorty Paj's down there and I'm sure there's a few tried and tested options they've used.

Just a thought

[pajerry]

found this here:

http://www.pocuk.com/forums/viewtopic.p ... ea39123c78



I knew I saw this when I was first researching the truck, but I couldn't locate it again for some reason.. Anyways, I asked Rack Attack if they would do this for me, and they said no way. Not only that, but the guy didn't seem very interested in finding a fit kit from something else that would have a reasonable fit.

The downside to that style of rack is that it pulls down on the roof panels. I dont know how strong the Paj's sheet is right at the seams. I know that on my old car, even the proper thule rack kit crushed my hood down a bit with time. It was also installed by a pro.