Roof Rack/Light questions for 2000-2001 XJ?

[dieselenthusiast]

The gutters are not all that weak. Using Yakima racks, I have carried two 17' sea kayaks for years on top of my 2001 XJ.
Take a look a the photo below. I would imagine the kayaks stress the gutter a little more than a set of lights, on a bar.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/1416466238/in/set-72157622830310636

Yeah, let me clarify. I know the gutters are strong, I just don't like the fact that the clamps booger up the gutter rail and paint. I prefer the racks that utilize the factory cargo system.

Oh, and nice pics!

 

[lazyxj]

Yeah, let me clarify. I know the gutters are strong, I just don't like the fact that the clamps booger up the gutter rail and paint. I prefer the racks that utilize the factory cargo system. Oh, and nice pics!

Your are right about the gutter's paint getting messed up but I need the strength to carry two boats, both longer than the XJ. Cross winds can get interesting.

If adding a light bar, I would build something like the KJ style light rack.
See bottom of page.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=95959&highlight=roof+lights

Racks can make a lot noise. The Yakima bare bars howl at anything over 40 MPH. Adding a plastic deflector eliminates the noise.
Building the lights into the deflector may be a good idea for a DD. It also disguises the lights from the police. As mentioned before, maybe a Liberty light bar would fit.

 

[scoobyxj]

If you're planning on carrying anything of any weight on your rack you want to use a design that attaches to the gutters. The factory roof tracks are NOT very strong. and could pull out of the roof with time. I had a home made rack on mine that attached to the gutters and you could literally use it as a recovery point it was so strong. To keep the clamps from damaging the paint on the gutters I used door edge guards cut to fit. You know the little plastic strips you can get to protect the edge of your doors.

 

[snail]

Mounting rack lights on my old 2001 worked fine for me, no glare, and was able to position them however I wanted without the beam hitting the roof. Did they look cool? Yes. Will I ever mount lights on the roof again? Nope, not unless I move somewhere where it's open desert.

I also second the gutter mounting. Unless your gutters are rusted to shiz, they will be stronger than the factory rails

 

[Lowrange2]

Yeah, my Yakima gutter mount towers have rubber feet on them and have yet to damage the paint or gutter rail trim at all.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

Yeah, my Yakima gutter mount towers have rubber feet on them and have yet to damage the paint or gutter rail trim at all.

That's good to know. Do you know the difference between the gutter mount towers and the high rise gutter mount towers?

 

[dieselenthusiast]

If you're planning on carrying anything of any weight on your rack you want to use a design that attaches to the gutters. The factory roof tracks are NOT very strong. and could pull out of the roof with time.

Here's the email that I got back from Kevin's OffRoad:

"We have had absolutely no problems in the past with the roof rails supporting the weight of the roof rack and the load on top, in the last 10 years of building these."

 

[scoobyxj]

Here's the email that I got back from Kevin's OffRoad:

"We have had absolutely no problems in the past with the roof rails supporting the weight of the roof rack and the load on top, in the last 10 years of building these."

You still won't convince me that the four or five nutserts that hold the factory roof tracks to the roof is stronger than a gutter mount system.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

You still won't convince me that the four or five nutserts that hold the factory roof tracks to the roof is stronger than a gutter mount system.

The gutter mount may be theoretically stronger, but there doesn’t seem to be a problem with the roof mounting system either. I have a rear tire carrier on the bumper, so there wont be anything going on top that’s too heavy.

 

[Voteban]

You still won't convince me that the four or five nutserts that hold the factory roof tracks to the roof is stronger than a gutter mount system.

The gutter mount may be theoretically stronger, but there doesn’t seem to be a problem with the roof mounting system either. I have a rear tire carrier on the bumper, so there wont be anything going on top that’s too heavy.

My Con Ferr is mounted to the factory rails, and it doesn't seem super sturdy to me... It hops up and down on really bumpy stuff and makes a ton of noise. I'm looking into gutter mounts because of this. Does anybody know if there are direct-fit gutter mounts for the Con Ferr on my 00'?

 

[dieselenthusiast]

My Con Ferr is mounted to the factory rails, and it doesn't seem super sturdy to me... It hops up and down on really bumpy stuff and makes a ton of noise. I'm looking into gutter mounts because of this. Does anybody know if there are direct-fit gutter mounts for the Con Ferr on my 00'?

If your rack is bouncing, then you need a better way to secure it to the OE rails. The custom rack/basket made by Kevin's OffRoad has specific mounting points that makes it a snug fit, which eliminates the bouncing that you are talking about.