reinforce rain gutters?

[Tenny]

Hey Everyone,

So I have a rack on my jeep (Zacto rack or whatever) I bought off ebay about three years ago. I'm not too big of a fan for the rack, but the price was right and it does what I ask. I keep my 31" Spare, Hi-Lift, Shovel, on it 24/7. Sometimes I'll put a ocean kayak on it too. Maybe about a month ago I noticed the rain gutter on the rear passenger side starting to slope a little bit. I figured I didn't have the time to fix it then, that I would just leave it, then not a week alter it's completely fallen a part (the rain gutter). I didn't drive it all during that period. Now I have a broken rain gutter, and I slid the rack forward about 8-10", and removed the tire from the top.

So... my question is has anyone reinforced their rain gutters? I was thinking about it, but I really don't know where to start, and I have very little experience welding etc, but I have a neighbor that is pretty good and willing to help.

 

[Ba-Riedo]

Instead of reinforcing your gutter just add some more mounts to distribute the load better across the entire gutter.

-Alex

 

[Tenny]

Instead of reinforcing your gutter just add some more mounts to distribute the load better across the entire gutter.

-Alex

I was def. planning on doing that too. I was thinking since there are only four points where it hits the rain gutter, increasing the width of those from 3" to like 8. Anyways the fact still remains that the gutter is broken in half.

 

[Ba-Riedo]

I would hit the junkyards and take a angle grinder or sawzall with you and cut off a chunk of a rain gutter that is the same color as yours and then have someone weld it up, grind down the welds, a little paint and it should look fine.

-Alex