2 door with full length pioneer platform on backbone rack?

[davewaldo]

Hi everyone. I'm trying to plan a roof rack for my 2 door. I'm trying to avoid a big exoskeleton system as I believe they are noisy and heavy. I also don't need to put anything too heavy up there. I like the backbone system from rhino however the feet are at the back so only shorter platforms are suggested.

My question is could I install the full length platform (1824mm) and use a gutter mounted bar at the front? My plan would be to only loosely tighten down this front bar and feet so as to not put too much stress on the hard top panels. Most of the strength would come from the backbone system and the front bar would really only be there for looks and minimal support. I just feel three nicely spaced feet would look best, and a gutter mount would be easy to remove if I still want to use the freedom panels. If I ever put anything of any substance up top it would be at the rear.

The 1824mm x 1426mm platform is basically the exact size of the 2 door roof

I have looked at the front runner rack and I like it. But all the photos online seem to show it finishing 200mm or so from the rear of the roof.

What say you?

Cheers

[purplexj]

I have the backbone system on my jku and are quite happy with it. When looking at systems originally I also didn't want a heavy exoskeleton, I did contemplate making something using a front light bar as the front attachment then fabricating a mount through the roof to the roll cage until I came across the backbone system which then solved all my problems. Maybe using this type of front setup with the backbone would suit the 2 door. from my experience I would be very careful using a gutter mount especially if the rack is to be used off road as you need to keep in mind the weight on/in the rack is multiplied when off road due to the forces involved when the vehicle is hitting bumps, hollows, scallops along the beach etc. I think if you look into the details of some bar manufactures they indicate different loads for on/offload.

[davewaldo]

Thanks mate. I'll take a look at some light bar setups to see if they would help.
Cheers.

[Paul-JK]

One other thing to consider is not the weight place on the rack but the lifting force of the rack.
If you carry something big a flat and travel at speed then wind forcing itself between the roof and the rack will try to lift the rack. This upward force would be strongest at the front, which would be attached to your freedom panels.
If you want a demonstration as to what this force can do then watch your bonnet when you're driving into a gusty headwind or when trucks go the past in the opposite direction. JK bonnets regularly flutter in strong winds (frightened the life out of me the first time mine did it), and in that case the wind is forcing itself through the bonnet seal and then pulling against the 2 rubber straps.
I've no idea how much force the freedom panels can withstand and it may never be an issue but it's probably worth keeping in mind.

[davewaldo]

Thanks Paul, yes I need to consider lift forces as well. I'm leaning back towards the front runner as I think there is a longer version now that there aren't many photos of.... Apparently the tray is 1760mm so this should fill the roof of a 2door.

[BJC101]

I have ordered a full length frontrunner racks for my jku it mounts like light bar mount and through roof at back and about 2/3 of the way back, there's a video of them Lifting a jeep with one installed. Quick light from memory unsure if they do the same for a 2 door but I know they so a shorter rack that just gets the rear mounts on the 4 door

[davewaldo]

Thanks BJC101

Yes that is the same rack I'm looking at, it appears from my measurements that it would finish about 120mm from the back of the roof which is much better than I first thought. One reason I want the rack to extend right to the back of the roof is so I can slide items like a canoe up onto the rack without scraping the edge of the roof.