getting a rack monday!
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 238
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
alright! alright! here ya go......( sorry for the thread hijack BTW)
please remember that my wife is 45 years old AND a mother of 2 when you look at these!
she STILL models!
and forewarning.... if you don't like tattoo's....DON'T LOOK!
other than that, I'm Keepin it G-rated on here! lol
please remember that my wife is 45 years old AND a mother of 2 when you look at these!
she STILL models!
and forewarning.... if you don't like tattoo's....DON'T LOOK!
other than that, I'm Keepin it G-rated on here! lol
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Mtn View MO
so I got all I could done with the rack today, given I took the day off, wound up asleep after lunch for a couple of hours, my drill died and I had to go borrow my dad's, it started to sleet and my brother couldn't come over to help put the rack on top...
but what i did get completed is the whole frame is on the jeep, none of which was troublesome for a patient owner of most basic mechanic's tools. another socket extension would have been handy, but it all worked out. All that is left is setting the basket on top and bolting it down, then installing the license plate bracket. pics tomorrow!
but what i did get completed is the whole frame is on the jeep, none of which was troublesome for a patient owner of most basic mechanic's tools. another socket extension would have been handy, but it all worked out. All that is left is setting the basket on top and bolting it down, then installing the license plate bracket. pics tomorrow!
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Mtn View MO
So i finished the install and didn't get to do the writeup due to dark/sleet.... but hey, it's on. My thoughts:
anybody that is level headed enough to feel like they could drill on a perfectly good Jeep could install this. It's a bunch of nuts-n-bolts, but nothing tricky. smallish arms with long fingers would help (no meat handed fellas need apply) in working w/in the confines of the taillamp holes. lock-tite is your friend. it's easy to use and i bet this rack really puts it to the test. (if it can hold most HD sportsters together, it'll keep this rack together).
Finally the rack creates some noise. I wish it didn't, but it does. It makes the JK with the soft top loud like a TJ with half doors. not bad, but not car-like anymore.
all in all i'm really happy to have purchased this and installed it myself. If anybody else is considering this job, feel free to ask any questions. if you want more pics, ask away. I'm posting a couple i snapped of the completed job:
anybody that is level headed enough to feel like they could drill on a perfectly good Jeep could install this. It's a bunch of nuts-n-bolts, but nothing tricky. smallish arms with long fingers would help (no meat handed fellas need apply) in working w/in the confines of the taillamp holes. lock-tite is your friend. it's easy to use and i bet this rack really puts it to the test. (if it can hold most HD sportsters together, it'll keep this rack together).
Finally the rack creates some noise. I wish it didn't, but it does. It makes the JK with the soft top loud like a TJ with half doors. not bad, but not car-like anymore.
all in all i'm really happy to have purchased this and installed it myself. If anybody else is considering this job, feel free to ask any questions. if you want more pics, ask away. I'm posting a couple i snapped of the completed job:
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Mtn View MO
cost - about 1000$ i could have saved 30 bucks or so, but i saved 2-3 weeks instead. most vendors didn't have any in stock. i wound up buying from some other shop who was not a sponsor.
noise - all wind noise... no rattles. it is really solid and tight. not even much wiggle when you rock it, only suspension movement.
top off - 4 bolts off, 2 bolts on, then you tilt it back and bolt 2 more (wingnuts this time) then fold the top down. then it's 2 wingnuts off, 2 bolts off, tilt back down, 4 bolts on... it's no longer gonna be a quick pull over and drop the top kinda deal... it's going to take a few minutes and 2 wrenches... and it says you'll need an adult to help, but i'm thinking if you can do it solo on the limiteds, i can do it solo on the unlimited.
taking it off? it's 150 lbs shipped, so not too bad for 2 people... just taking the basket off would look a little weird, but that's not too bad of a job.
overall i dig the hell out of it. i can haul my canoes. i can toss a shitload of stuff up there for trips if need be, and it looks absolutely badass, i think. the tops are so easy on these it's probably no more difficult than doing the top on an old YJ... and certainly no louder.
noise - all wind noise... no rattles. it is really solid and tight. not even much wiggle when you rock it, only suspension movement.
top off - 4 bolts off, 2 bolts on, then you tilt it back and bolt 2 more (wingnuts this time) then fold the top down. then it's 2 wingnuts off, 2 bolts off, tilt back down, 4 bolts on... it's no longer gonna be a quick pull over and drop the top kinda deal... it's going to take a few minutes and 2 wrenches... and it says you'll need an adult to help, but i'm thinking if you can do it solo on the limiteds, i can do it solo on the unlimited.
taking it off? it's 150 lbs shipped, so not too bad for 2 people... just taking the basket off would look a little weird, but that's not too bad of a job.
overall i dig the hell out of it. i can haul my canoes. i can toss a shitload of stuff up there for trips if need be, and it looks absolutely badass, i think. the tops are so easy on these it's probably no more difficult than doing the top on an old YJ... and certainly no louder.
