Full blown expedition rack for a 3rd gen, ideas and pics inside

[turboale]

Another Cruiser... but a good setup.
http://www.expeditioncure.com/VehicleBrowser/index.html

Do they make QTowers for the front of 3rd gens like they do for 2nd gens? I would assume that they do for use on Tacos but you would just have to have 3 cross towers and build a basket that fit over the three cross bars. That is what I was going to do on the Excursion had I kept it. I have a couple other projects that I'm going to tackle on the 4R before making a custom basket but its on the list... The LoadWorrior is WAY too high, my setup is going to be all about low profile. Not only to keep the weight low but also to clear under trees.

[xcmountain80]

Well currently I have 3 yakima whatever fits the factory rack with 3 crossbars. That is sufficient to distribute the weight of the tent.

Aaron

[neliconcept]

sorry havent seen this thread in a while, I just got done with exams and have been stressin about that, I'll draw it up soon, just uploaded the pictures of my runner and bare roof.

[neliconcept]

I have one side drawing done

working on the front now.

i think some fixes can be done to the side

[neliconcept]

alright here they are

tell me what you think guys

[img width=800 height=619]http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/2130/frontxu3.jpg[/img]

[img width=800 height=342]http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/9864/racksidebg5.jpg[/img]

[Ric]

looks good IMO... but it will have to be a little shorter to allow the hatch to open, and im sure you aint gonna mount it to the top of the doors ?looks better than i thought it would

[neliconcept]

yeah as i finished the side i saw that it was a little too far back, and the side drawing is a little off, its actually slanting up compared to the roof, i hit shift when drawing the line and it drew it at a 0 degree angle however the picture of the 4runner is actually slanted down a tiny hair. it would look great in person but still iffy on how to build it.

[Bob98SR5]

neli,

realistically, only one crossbar (near the front passenger area) is all that you'd need if you used the stock rails. in total, you'd have three, I tried this idea with a spare set of thule feet and cross bars with my cargo box and it works fine. totally overkill for a cargo box, though.

bob

[Cebby]

I like the concept, but I think there is too much tube work. I have a gazillion sketches around for 2nd Gen racks I've been working on, but nothing for the 3rd Gen.

Ideally, a flat floor for the rack is ideal, but with the gently sloping lines of the 4Runner roof, it will either look too high in the front or too high in the back. To combat this, I'd consider making two main rails that run the length of the roof that have the same arc as the roof. Someone with a "Ring Roller" can make these rails for you. You can mount this at the two existing factory mounts on each side + one up front. You can make a mounting plate that contours to the 4Runner body and make a corresponding backing plate - sandwich with some 1/8+ rubber gasket material and you'll have a nice leak free mounting point. So, with th 4 factory mounts, + your new 2, it would be suspended from 6 points on the body. It may be wise to make all 6 mounting plates a bit oversized with backing plates to up the load capacity.

These two rails would need to be tied together in the front and the back obviously - the front and potentially the rear support tie bars between the rails could easily be assemblies for lighting and double as supports. The link Turboale posted has some nice details on the lighting support assembly on the rack.

From this, I'd "hang" the roof rack floor - give it a little clearance between the roof and the rack floor, but not much.

In the front, to combat the drag and noise of having a rack with lights up there, I'd consider a clear fairing in front of the lights and rack. You could even back-mask part of it with black or silver paint, leaving "cutouts" for the light to shine through.

I'll try to whip up a sketch if you are interested.

[reggie 00]

I like the concept, but I think there is too much tube work. I have a gazillion sketches around for 2nd Gen racks I've been working on, but nothing for the 3rd Gen.

Ideally, a flat floor for the rack is ideal, but with the gently sloping lines of the 4Runner roof, it will either look too high in the front or too high in the back. To combat this, I'd consider making two main rails that run the length of the roof that have the same arc as the roof. Someone with a "Ring Roller" can make these rails for you. You can mount this at the two existing factory mounts on each side + one up front. You can make a mounting plate that contours to the 4Runner body and make a corresponding backing plate - sandwich with some 1/8+ rubber gasket material and you'll have a nice leak free mounting point. So, with th 4 factory mounts, + your new 2, it would be suspended from 6 points on the body. It may be wise to make all 6 mounting plates a bit oversized with backing plates to up the load capacity.

These two rails would need to be tied together in the front and the back obviously - the front and potentially the rear support tie bars between the rails could easily be assemblies for lighting and double as supports. The link Turboale posted has some nice details on the lighting support assembly on the rack.

From this, I'd "hang" the roof rack floor - give it a little clearance between the roof and the rack floor, but not much.

In the front, to combat the drag and noise of having a rack with lights up there, I'd consider a clear fairing in front of the lights and rack. You could even back-mask part of it with black or silver paint, leaving "cutouts" for the light to shine through.

I'll try to whip up a sketch if you are interested.

I am very interested.

After the sliders (hopefully tomorrow)
I want to start on either the Trailer idea using the bed off of the 83.
or the roof rack, which i am going to have to make up the whole thing as my 90 doesnt have a factory one to go off. Will also be doing the 1st Gen roll bar (getting tomorrow) since i will have to take out the head liner so don't want to do that after thats in.

Any and all ideas will be more than welcome.