I like this post, as I might try this one day (I am really scared to drill into my top and it may not fit in my garage) So I was wondering if anyone has tried these two options. 1. Using raingutter attachments and hooking them on the sides, I'm afraid it might not hold and all of my stuff will land on some poor schmuck driving a prius trying to draft behind me. 2. Use a lock-jaw mount on the roll bars with the top removed. Either way I may experiment before finally taking the plunge. Good write-up

 

The Yakima or Thule Track rack systems are the same as my Garvin tracks. You can mount them on the roof and remove the rack to fit in a garage. The Yakama cross bars come off very quickly with clips instead of bolts. My Garvin cage comes off with 4 bolts in about 5 mins with 2 people. I also made an electical plug on the bumper so the lights on the roof rack can unplug.

 

My Rack is For SALE
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-accessories-misc-parts-115/my-custom-thule-roof-rack-111679/

 

Thanks for the writeup! I could never figure out what parts go with what(footers,tk1,tracker II 430,LB58 blah,blah,blah), so i stopped looking...
thanks to you i have another reason to spend money on the JEEP

 

For everyone that was interested in doing this to a 2 door, this isn't mine, but I found it with a quick internet search. I have no idea how strong it would be, but it gives me a few ideas...

 

edited original post....

Thanks for the write up.

I have been thinking of this type of rack for two reasons - to enable use of a clam shell for travel and to replace a T bar that i had fabricated for a winch/lift that I have for removing the hardtop. Thoughts on using it for this?

Where the rails were mounted the hardtop is hollow correct? So You filled it with Great Stuff for support? I wonder if it would be better to mount the rails where the top is not hollow and use two of the rails one inside along the roof to provide support all along the rail from both top and bottom. thoughts?



Thanks

 

I ended up getting the MBRP rack & I use it for this purpose exactly. I don't have any spot to mount the winch in the garage, so I bolt the winch to the rack & hook on to a hook in the ceiling of the garage.

The strongest place to mount it would be the small area inboard the hollow tube, where the top is double thickness. The double wall would prevent punch-shear & it's close enough to still get the forces to the hollow tube (prevent bending).

 

X2.... that is where I mounted my tracks. I've loaded far more than the 300lbs suggestion on there too. No problems.

 

I know the question was asked some time back - but any updates from anyone using the roof rack to hoist the top off the jeep in the garage? I currently just use ratchet nylon tie-down straps hooked to some eye bolts in the ceiling of the garage to lift it off and store it.

I'm very interested in this mod as we have a canoe and I really need to get some bars for mounting the canoe. Would be great if the bars could double as a hoist point instead of hooking around the base of the hard top like I do today, and I don't like it.

Thoughts?

 

Thoughts with many assumptions...
The 4-door top should weigh about 160 lbs.
Each track would see 80 lbs load
Each track has about 6 fasteners
That's 13.3 lbs per fastener (assume evenly distributed through the stiff track)
Factor in about 1.5 g's during lifting acceleration; each fastener would see a 20 lbs spike load.

The bolt could certainly handle it. With a washer of about 1 square inch (1.2 inch Diam) to spread the load, that would be a maximum of 20 lbs on the fiberglass under the washer.

I'd lift it using the tracks, but once it's up there - run two straps under it to take the load off the track attachment points.