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DIY "Ghetto Fabulous" Roof Rack 2.0

49K views 82 replies 28 participants last post by  JmillZ 
#1 · (Edited)
Many of you have seen my earlier DIY roof rack, constructed out of pieces of L-angle steel and bolts. It was a great rack, and served its purpose extremely well. But I began to have an itch to make something better, something that won't rust, something that will stand up to the Minnesota salt & grime!

I initially didn't trust aluminum to be strong enough until I got to see a friend's tire rack made out of 1/8" aluminum - that stuff is STRONG! So I found a place to order some and purchased a bar of architectural aluminum (high corrosion resistance) in 2"x2"x2" C channel.

I also had to re-do the template from the old ones, as they were made for multiple pieces, not single-piece like this. I also got the idea (from Hondad) to make the top holes fit U-bolts in the dimensions of Yakima crossbars, in case anyone had a set they wanted to mount up.

Difficulty: Cakewalk..........Medium......*..Expert
(rated expert for major tool usage/owning)

Things you will need:
Hacksaw & lots of muscle or large chop saw with fine-tooth finishing blade (I used a 96-tooth)
Drill press
Rat tail file (for cleaning drilled holes)
Flat file
12 stainless steel M6 (6 mm) x 20mm hex cap bolts
12 stainless steel M6 lock washers
12 stainless steel M6 fender washers
One 2' piece of 2"x2"x2" 1/8"thick C-channel aluminum sawed to four 4 3/4" pieces
2 cross bars of your choosing (I used 5' slotted square steel tube sawed to 54")
Good drill bits (cobalt reccommended)
Other crap to attach to the rack

I got carried away with construction, so no in-progress pics. I will say it was MUCH easier to work with the aluminum than the old steel ones!

So without further delay, the pics of the finished product!





They're held on with three M6 bolts as before, but this time I put my crossbar on with the aforementioned U-bolts:





Also new this time is fender washers for the lock washers to dig into, since the aluminum of the bracket is quite soft and will gouge easily. The bungee around the crossbars is my patented ghetto anti-howl system.





As you can see, my new rack will quite easily hold up my weight (around 170). It'll actually hold it all on one bar without so much as a wiggle, but I was having problems balancing so no picture. On a side note, aren't you glad I wasn't wearing a kilt?





If anybody feels inclined to make their own, this template is all you need (well and a drill press and saw and file and time and money). The template is sized to be wrapped around the outside of a 2"x2"x2" C channel cut into 4 3/4" long slices.

View attachment RoofRackBracketLayout x 2 NEW 2009.pdf

**WARNING WARNING** If you use this PDF to make brackets, make SURE you turn off all document/image scaling in Acrobat Reader and in your printer settings. When you print the template, ALWAYS verify the stated dimensions are correct with a ruler/tape measure before cutting! I highly recommend using the original CAD file if you wish to make your own. Send me a PM for the file and software used to create it.

So there you have it! Not only is it more weather-resistant, it also adds a healthy dose of blingitude to my already pimpin' toaster! :D



 
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#9 ·
Oh yeah...another thing: the Yak or Thule costs $$$$, mine cost around $40 and can hold up times more weight :D
 
#2 ·
Ghetto-hauler?

You don't use this too much, do you?!!!! Taped up for padding already? You mention howl while driving - do you find whistle is because of all the holes available top and bottom? Looks like a square flute! Rugged design. Great metalwork.
 
#3 ·
You don't use this too much, do you?!!!! Taped up for padding already? You mention howl while driving - do you find whistle is because of all the holes available top and bottom? Looks like a square flute! Rugged design. Great metalwork.
I use it a good bit, I wouldn't say weekly but certainly more than only occasionally. The tape isn't for padding, it's to block some of the holes. And with my patented anti-howl bungees it doesn't howl any more. Without them, it screams like a banshee going down the highway :lol:

Wonder if Blue Man Group would be interested in a tuned version? :rolleyes: :lol:



 
#4 · (Edited)
looking strong and uber-functional and not "like crap". [well, the duct tape might just be a tad too much "ghetto":D

The one thing that does surprise me is that you didn't turn the open sides of the c-channel towards the center of the roof:
[ ______ ]
I think that would have cleaned up the look a lot -hiding the nuts and washers.
 
#6 ·
I like the ghetto look, what can I say? That and it makes the bolts easier to put on :D
 
#7 ·
Nice job. Would there be any advantage to slotting and working the plastic fillers back into position?
 
#8 ·
There would, but:

A. I already cut off the back piece of the surround for that filler cap and...

B. I tried to saw them to fit for the last rack and somehow managed to cut 3 of 4 of them wrong, and haven't bought new ones to try again yet...:oops:

C. ...and I've already filled the underside areas with expansion foam :D
 
#10 ·
Now THAT is just plain ugly! I mean hideous! It is a monstrosity! Twi, whatever processed you to do such a thing? What drove you to such madness as buying that distasteful TRP? The racks might actually look ok if they were on another color E. :rolleyes:

:D :D :D
 
#13 ·
I'd probably build it out of fine aromatic cedar 4x4's with 1/2" stainless bolts :lol:
 
#15 ·
Nah no need for the wire, I'd just chain them to it with a 1/4" thick stainless cable with the ends welded together :razz:
 
#16 · (Edited)
#17 ·
Yeah I love his rack with extendable crossbars, if I had the time I'd make me a set :D
 
#18 ·
Cool Rack. You should get some Herculiner from Autozone. they have a quart that would do that whole rack. Its rough surface might create enough turbulence that the holes won't howl. plus it would make it all one color.
 
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#20 ·
I might do that, but rather than U bolts I'll just use eye bolts instead - cheaper and easier to deal with :D I will double nut it though, with a fender washer on each side. The reason for the eye bolts is that I can put them on sideways, with the ring on the horizontal, and not have anything sticking up on the crossbar but still have the tiedown spot.



 
#22 · (Edited)
my attempt at roof rack 2.0 modified for availability of material and being impatient .... the shop did not have 2X2 channel so 1.5 X 3 channel was subbed in Gas Rectangle


my drilling was a tad off so I opted for the fender washers to hide the messy drilling and spread the load ....
Automotive exterior Roof Guard rail Metal

rounded edge 1.25 X 1.25 ID square tube was selected for the cross members
 
#23 ·
I have 2 more 5 foot cross members for adjustability , I am going to the muffler shop to have a slight bend put on them , this will allow the side tubes to sit flat on the mounts ( 1.5X3 channel ) and the cross members to sit further apart for longer loads , ( ladder / Christmas tree / etc )
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Honda element

view from front
Automotive exterior Guard rail Road Bumper Auto part

side view profile of cross member
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Honda

view from rear
 
#24 ·
Thanks for the idea , my cost all in $118 , super strong , I can stand on one cross member and little to no deflection at a 200 pound load ( I could stand to loose a few ) It does not look too ghetto in my opinion and the rack will support whatever I can manage to lift up there ... I am off to Buffalo NY tomorrow for the highway test , see if there are any unusual noises or whistles
The kids will test the springs with a full load of shopping I suspect ... ;-)
 
#26 ·
I was going to check Home Depot , I suspect a square plug will slide in with a small persuader ( hammer tap ) , or a furniture shop might stock something , I took it out for a drive just now as I was impatient to see if there was noise , and a very slight low hum like blowing across a large bottle ( bass note ) was noticed but not constant or loud , the caps would end that I believe ... I managed a short drive at 70 mph to test , the road is max 50 mph so I thought it wise to be happy with that until the highway tomorrow ;-)
 
#27 ·
Home Depot has in stock 1X1 black caps for chair legs / tube / etc and the assistant said thats all they get ... 1.25 X 1.25 it is a standard size so someone must make an end cap ... for the interim , I might trim down a bit of wood , paint it silver and silicone it in ... or high density foam ( painted silver again ) :)
 
#29 ·
LOVE it, I'm starting to think I should get some aluminum crossbars also to kill the shriek and stop the rust. How did the plans work out? And when are you getting your other crossbars (sidebars?) to get pics? I'm not 100% sure on my mental picture of how you're going to mount them?

BTW for the caps, check out Mcmaster-Carr, they should have end caps in stock and in reasonable quantities :D



 
#30 ·
I was traveling today on the highways , up to 80 mph slight vibration / hum depending on wind and the angle it presents itself at the holes , checked a few stores in the USA , could not find a retail source for the caps , in the attached pic , the front to back beams do not quite sit flat on the mounts , so a slight tweak will give full contact between the mount and beam , then the cross members can be spaced in many different spots .... the beams and rails are just placed in this pic , not bolted .. :)
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive exterior Auto part
 
#31 ·
#32 ·
I have found the proper square end plugs , in the USA , 10 for $13 plus shipping , certainly acceptable from my standpoint , I am just bugging the Canadian distributor because I can not find their product for retail and they have not supplied me with a list of shops that sell their stuff ... you would think that they would be more accomodating in this business climate , sales must be good ... ;-)
 
#33 ·
Very odd, I agree you would think they'd be looking hard for business. Glad you found them though :)
 
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