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Bigzirb,
How deep did you make your rack? I'm thinking of going 8" for the vertical supports between the upper and lower rings but I'm trying to put that in perspective...
Originally Posted by DGrahamIV
Perfect... I know just the place to look then. looks great and thanks for sharing.
I am in a debate between going out the rear hatch and all of the way forward on the rack or going out the front passenger door and straight up to the rack. It will depend on how many side lights I decide to add. I also am looking at adding a 48inch long LED brake light strip along the rear of the rack to really let people know how tall it is at night and be sure they know when I'm stopping.
did you ever get the wires run? i was thinking about running mine thru rear hatch for backuplights on roof, but not sure how to get them wires in there without compromising a seal.
i love your 4th brake light idea too. i might have to use that one!
did you ever get the wires run? i was thinking about running mine thru rear hatch for backuplights on roof, but not sure how to get them wires in there without compromising a seal.
i love your 4th brake light idea too. i might have to use that one!
Skip,
There is a large rubber grommet on the passenger side in the area that the upper glass shock sits that you can go thru.
I ran my wiring in the headliner and came out that rubber grommet, and sealed the are good. Once you have the top and sides of the plastic loose on the inside you can fish the wires thru the body holes to that grommet opening easily.
Lots of room in that area that the upper lift gate shocks sit in for wiring. I also zip tied them up to the hinge area and then across to the factory rail area to run them up front on the outside.
did you ever get the wires run? i was thinking about running mine thru rear hatch for backuplights on roof, but not sure how to get them wires in there without compromising a seal.
i love your 4th brake light idea too. i might have to use that one!
Skip,
Check post #94 for the pics.
I cheated since I was tapping into power under the hood and I ran the switch control wires with the power wire under the length of the body. I ran from the frame to the roof rack going around the outside of the hatch seal so I never had to go thru the body. I zip tied to the hatch hinges to hold the wires in place. I have not had anything move since I built it all over a year ago. My wife still hates the LED brake light and I still like how much it makes people stay back when I am stopping.
Just waiting until I get caught up on the house projects so I can dedicate some time to come back and wire side marker lights on the rack and well as switched work lights. I need to replace one of the KC light bulbs since it burned out this summer. I also need to straighten one go the rack floor supports since I ratcheted down the spare a too much and bent it a little.
As usual, just need time and money.
Rather than raise the rails, I went to the local junk yard and snagged a few cross bars from some Expeditions. They are the same width and use the same rails, but stand up about 2 inches from the roof. A quick and easy modification.
Originally Posted by wallz
I have had mine installed for close to 5 years now and no problems.
I used recycled rubber garden mats and they are about 3/4" thick.
Closer view of composite rubber. Each block is mounted where original screws are with stainless bolts. Original flip mount on cross bars thrown out, and use the screw on from the smaller cross members. (way more secure and only small amount of fabbing to work)
Front and back are shaped to rack bull-nose. A bit of foam tape under the blocks so they don't rotate, and I had a can of rubber cement laying around so I used that to water seal the bolts in. The bolts sit low enough to allow the cross members freedom to move in the tracks.
i got that light bar done, man it puts off some serious light and has the added safety of them brake lights! used your routing, didnt go thru hatch seal one bit. right along side it to under and pluged into 7 way! worked excellent.
You guys have inspired me to raise my factory roof rack and use it to mount my zombie lights. I've been trying to come up with a good mounting solution that will keep them as low profile as possible. My truck is already lifted 4" and on 33's and I only have about 3" of clearance in the parking garages I have to frequent so I can't go with a full custom roof rack like I want.
I've got plans to add 4 more of these to the front bumper (3825 lumens/each) when I finally get around to replacing the factory chrome one with the Iron Cross front and rear I've had on my wish list for the last two Christmases... Hopefully, Santa will come through this year...: https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...rk-light/1582/
That should give me 31,100 lumens to the front, 17,500 lumens to the rear and 21,400 lumens to each side!
I want to add strip lights to my running boards as well...
I still need to get the E350 ambulance "auxiliary" battery & box installed on the frame rail so I can power all this! Even though they're LEDs, just the lights will draw 75 amps not including the headlights or fog lights!
I just need to get the roof rack and all the other LITTLE **** that seems to take 10x longer to finish the job...
Just picked up a clean 2000 Excursion last week to modify for a hunting dedicated vehicle. My primary purpose is to fabricate a roof rack that will support 2 people on integrated shooting benches and modify the inside cargo area to store/transport up to 8 rifles and assorted gear for week long hunt trips.
Looking at all the roof mods in this thread, I'm wondering how much weight the factory roof rail could support without the need for an "exo-support" setup running down the outside of the body from the roof along 6 points ie the A & B pillars and back corners that would tie into the frame itself. Has anyone built a roof rack that could support upwards of 600lbs with the weight of the rack itself and 2 people with gear? Of course, the truck would be stationary with the people up top.
Thinking of having one fabricated from aluminum to conserve on weight but concerned about the rigidity needed for rigidity and stability.
Just picked up a clean 2000 Excursion last week to modify for a hunting dedicated vehicle. My primary purpose is to fabricate a roof rack that will support 2 people on integrated shooting benches and modify the inside cargo area to store/transport up to 8 rifles and assorted gear for week long hunt trips.
Looking at all the roof mods in this thread, I'm wondering how much weight the factory roof rail could support without the need for an "exo-support" setup running down the outside of the body from the roof along 6 points ie the A & B pillars and back corners that would tie into the frame itself. Has anyone built a roof rack that could support upwards of 600lbs with the weight of the rack itself and 2 people with gear? Of course, the truck would be stationary with the people up top.
Thinking of having one fabricated from aluminum to conserve on weight but concerned about the rigidity needed for rigidity and stability.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Page 3 post #41 is the closest one I've seen to what you're looking for.
The factory roof has a lot of flex in it. It is stronger around the tracks but it still moves quite a bit if you load it up with weight. I had a custom rack made (that is now for sale) that used four feet to mount to the stock track and an additional mount on each side at the a-pillar. The a-pillar mount really added a lot of strength to the rack and keeps it pretty sturdy. I wonder if an additional mounting point could be found at the hinges for the rear hatch.
Even with mine set up the way it is, it holds myself and another person without an issue. 600lbs is a little more than I would want to put up there but I think it would be possible. Adding another hard mount (not to the factory tracks) would be a huge improvement. Possibly adding another track mount on each side (for a total of 6) plus the a-pillar mount would probably be enough to spread out the load.
I have had 4 tires (285-75/16) mounted on aluminum rims for the Ex, and the entire assembled radiator support for my 78 Bronco on my roof rack and drove it 1300 miles that way with no issues. I'm sure 600 pounds of guys up there would not be a problem.
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