[Guest]

Hi, I would like to fabricate and mount a roof rack on my YJ's hard top. I've seen in magazines Conn-Ferr like racks mounted directly on the hard top fiber. Is that a good Idea? can the hard top handle medium load, while wheeling a bit hard, mounted this way? I've also considered the possibility of drilling through the hard top and mounting the rack to the roll cage. Do I have to make the holes wider than the mounting bar to accommodated flex or there won't be flex in this area? Any ideas would be appreciated.

PS: I'm not too keen on mounting the roof rack to the front windshield hinges and the rear bumper. I'm looking for a neater looking option.

Thanks

A.B.

 

[Guest]

The stock hardtop will only hold a light load on top, the later CJ/YJ tops are quite thin! Tying it into the roll bar would be better, but there is flex to be accomodated for (maybe 1/8"-1/4"). The holes in the top will have to be sealed with some sort of flexible grommet to keep out the weather, and you would want to make it easily removable to allow the top to be taken off for the summer. Maybe some sort of pins welded on top of the roll bar/cage, with a large shoulder to hold a seal on the inside, another seal/grommet on the top side, a threaded nut to clamp the seal/grommet tight, and a quick disconnect pin like those on a swaybar disconnect to retain the rack. You could then use it with the top on or off. Anyone else have an idea?