Roof rack

[oshen]

When clamping the basket down, clamping it at the edges obviously straightens the bars out, easier than you would think, puts them under pressure and makes it more rigid. It doesn't take much tightening to have them straight.

I live on a 2km gravel road that's very corrugated, the 4wd tracks I drive fully loaded, the easy bits are corrugated badly, the hard bits are big holes you have to bounce through to get up.

I figure if I'm at 12psi, and bouncing like crazy getting up big inclines full of dug out ruts from people with 35's, and I've got @ 150kg+ on the roof, I doubt corrigations are going to do anything but loosen the bolts, or try, because I put Loctite on them.

[junglejuice]

It was the relentless shaking after 1300-1500km of corrugations that broke my last one that has me concerned.....

Oh I'm very familiar with how "flexible" the factory cross bars are, I used them for 8 yrs prior to removing the whole factory rails set up...

[Squirejames359]

Originally Posted by oshen

Pretty sure its all about weight distribution. Head down the wreckers

I reckon you're right. I've got 4 stock cross bars, my full size steel roof basket sits on 3 of them, have the fourth at the front as was thinking about fitting a light bar to it, not sure though. If I don't I'll move it back and have all four under the basket. It's pretty solid feeling up there, I stood on it and bounced around to check it was alright, I weigh 75kg.

[junglejuice]

Originally Posted by Squirejames359

I reckon you're right. I've got 4 stock cross bars, my full size steel roof basket sits on 3 of them, have the fourth at the front as was thinking about fitting a light bar to it, not sure though. If I don't I'll move it back and have all four under the basket. It's pretty solid feeling up there, I stood on it and bounced around to check it was alright, I weigh 75kg.

Don't confuse load carrying with longevity, my rack also felt solid till it broke from being shaken around like crazy which is what concerns me about the strength of the nutserts and the metal around it, so much so I'm going Rhino gutter mount.....

[Roler]

According to my sticker the roof rack is rated for 68 kg...with 75 kg "bouncing up and down" on it, you might have a bit of reserve but not much..

[Big Dave]

Originally Posted by junglejuice

Don't confuse load carrying with longevity, my rack also felt solid till it broke from being shaken around like crazy which is what concerns me about the strength of the nutserts and the metal around it, so much so I'm going Rhino gutter mount.....

Best way to go JJ, As I said I had no probs with my 6 leg gutter mount rack over a few thousand k's of corrugations on our Kimberly trip. Just had to check & re tighten bolts every so often but no breakages.

[junglejuice]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Best way to go JJ, As I said I had no probs with my 6 leg gutter mount rack over a few thousand k's of corrugations on our Kimberly trip. Just had to check & re tighten bolts every so often but no breakages.

The Rhinos will allow me to mount a cradle to the underside to carry the solar panel that I couldn't do with my stainless roof rack plus it'd be easier to mount the awning to as well....