Roofrack build .FITTED...

[peasey]

fantastic mate a real credit to you,well done

[stuntman]

It's looking really good mate.

Keep the updates coming!

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

nice start lee un sure on the bare metal finish  :-k thinking the black will more in keeping with ur truck

 :doh: well done lee well worth all ur effect , looking foward to see new lights in postion

[lee celtic]

Hi All

Right I am now happy with the skeleton of the rack so I thought I would start fleshing it out starting at the front . I have said earlier that I would like a sort of roll bar to protect the spots (bust too many on low trees)a bit like this but I think it looks a bit bulky..


I have mocked up what I think looks good and right (it's only taped together at the moment ) this is just to see if it would work . I plan to fix the bush cables to the corners of this "roll bar"


So the question is what do you all think do the shapes /angles work ??

thoughts please :D

[mentalmoshio sophs V8i]

id say yes compared to just the light bar alone

[lee celtic]

Well unless I get any more replies telling me it looks rubish this is how the front is going to stay :dance:.




I've been in the garage trying different layouts and I keep coming back to this  :D

I Have also got another set of spots with grills (ebay 10 quid) so there will be four round lights on the front , Two work lamps on the back and a rectangular lamp on each side above the doors .

I am also thinking of fitting a couple of universal brake lights next to the work lamps on the back to give early warning to people a long way behind...

I am thinking of running one big wire to the rack to earth it then I only need to take live wires to the lamps is this possible?? and will it work??

and the last thing (for now ;)) quick fists for the hi lift are they any good :-k

[stuntman]

Well mate, that does look cracking. Well done, I reckon it'd look a lot better with 4 big Wipacs and their grills on there though  :twisted:

[Chris Putt]

looks a proper job mate, the only comment I would make would be, could you make the mount tabs for the spots a bit longer, so the spots could sit further back and be better protected?

Chris

[wrecker]

nice job on the rack lee :clap:

quick fists would be ok as long as the jack is laying down,they held mine on the roof with out any probs at all :D

as for the earth strap,it would be alot better if it earth on the rack,thats the way i done mine,with a fuse for every pair of lights

[lee celtic]

Ok The Rack has moved on a bit more ... :D

I have finished the fabrication today so the welder can be put away now  :dance: Then I found one of the cans of paint I got had a dodgy top so I ran out of paint :doh: most is now undercoated and about a third is blacked . I have stripped the old light bar and used some of the tube on the rack . I will also be using the bulbs for the new lights as one set didn't come with any.

so here are a few more piccies .. and with a bit of luck I can get the paint finished tomorrow . so far I have used 8 lengths of tube @ £3.60 each 2 cans of paint @ £6.50 each . and four new spots and two work lamps total cost £30 .




I am planing to fit boards to the rack when it's finished like these...

Any ideas what thickness/material they are made of anybody??

[bobtailed disco]

That looks gr8.

I want a full rack 4 my disco but i dont no how to go about it.

Any info on how the build went and any problems accured and advice would b gr8.

Cheers rob

[lee celtic]

I am hoping to do a full how to type thingy at the end all in one post , I have taken more photos and have a list of everything needed including tools and tips .

I have kept to the mandate of building the rack using only basic tools (apart from the pipe bender) and have not bought anything special to do the job .

so far the hacksaw ,grinder , vice , peice of string (yes string  :lol: ) ,wirebrush and tape measure have done most of the work....along with the welder and bender of course  :D

[bobtailed disco]

The tube you used.....
What was it??
you said you used 8 lengths of tube @ £3.60 (is that all the tube needed?? What lengths did it come in?? Size thickness?? Size?? etc. etc)
 
How did you mount the rack to the roof??

Cheers rob

[lee celtic]

Electritions tubing you know the surface mounted stuff for factories.

3mtr lengths

this ones made from 20mm but the next one will be 25 mm as this is availiable too . :dance:

I bought 8 lenghts but I had two lengths (bits that made up to two) from the skip at work. :dance:

mounting it to the roof now theres a thing ....

I have a couple of ideas but need to finish the thing and get it onto the gutters to see which one will work best .

I will be wraping parts of the base rail with rubber tape ( self amalgamating ) this will stop slipage and stop vibration (it worked great with the old light bar.

then it will either be bolts through the uprights into L brakets or ali angle pop rivited (this is the one I prefer as it will be harder to nick it). :dance:

[bobtailed disco]

Right no what i am looking out for now  :lol:
is that the galv stuff???

So you planning another 1 allreally lol (you havent even finished this ont yet lol)  :lol:

It really does look good cant w8 to see the full right up (so i can nick your ideas  :lol: )

Rob

[lee celtic]

yeh when I started it I wanted the tube bigger like the g4 ones but thought it only came in 20mm but after getting half way a mate told me you can get 25mm :roll:

This one will stay on for a while . I want to do the front bumper next  ;) and the boot floor :(

then I will make a new rack in the big stuff ...

[bobtailed disco]

Where dig you get your tubing from??
I can only find it in 1 place and it is ova £15 for a 3 mtr length  :-o
What type of bender did you use for the job?? any idea how much i could pick 1 up 4??

cheers rob

[lee celtic]

Well it's finished  :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

but not fitted  :'( :'( :'(

I ran out of time tonight but it's all done and will be fitted tomorrow  :dance: :dance:

here are a few more pics , it's a bit hard to see it all amongst the clutter but it looks cool even if I say so myself 




I have to say I'm made up with it all I need now is some "MUD CLUB SHED DEVICES" stickers  :lol: :lol:

Then I can tidy the garage  :roll:

[lee celtic]

oh in answer to bobtails question .

I got the tube from lockwell lectrics in Bangor and Newe and Eyre in Llandegai £4.90 and £3.60 +vat respectively though I did get trade discount  :dance:

[Bluestrobe]

Superb effort mate, very professional looking! :clap:

[bobtailed disco]

That looks gr8 :lol:
Cant w8 to see it fitted.

Just got to find a friendly sparky then lol :lol:

Thinking about it my uncle is m8s with a sparky who only does factory work (see what i can blag) lol  :lol: :dance:
Cheers rob

[lee celtic]

Cheers Mate ..

Looking forward to seeing it on the truck . My lads going to help me fit it tomorrow should be easy enough we're both over 6 foot so at least we can reach :lol:

Thats the way to do it bobtail nothing better than free ;)

there is a bender you can buy that just a straight bar with a sort of hook on the end looks like a handy bit of kit , the one I've got is about tenth hand but works great...

[lee celtic]

This is the bending tool that I was going to use before I got the other one .

it looks very simple and there are loads of guides on line on how to use them...

[lee celtic]

Last instalment .. :dance:

Well I am a happy bunny :D :D

the Rack went on like a dream and looks the mutts....

Me and my Lad put it on tonight the fixings need to have a few more rivets put in but it's on solid...

heres a few more piccies , sorry but it was dark when I finished so they arn't that clear I'll get more tomorrow .. so here it is Finished and fitted ..

next project is the wiring  ;)

I have most of the old stuff from the old light bar  :dance:

[Chris Putt]

Looks the business mate-Excellent build!

[stuntman]

Time to put it in the for sale section and to start the 25mm version  ;)

That looks great mate.

Well done that man   :clap: :clap: :dance:

[ChrisW70]

It's not clear on the pictures but I would make sure you have some decent heavy duty bolt on brackets to fix it to the gutters, I've seen one or two roofracks get ripped off by the flimsiest of looking branches.
I wouldn't rely on rivets being up to the job.
Other than that though, for a first attempt from scratch it looks very good.
If anyone else is thinking of making one using conduit I'd recommend getting the black enamel finished conduit tube - it may not be as hard wearing as the galvanised stuff but it should certainly make the welding of joints a lot easier.

[shane p]

good work m8

[JimP]

looks brilliant well done!

How much to build another   :-'

[wrecker]

How much to build another   :-'

how about 2,looks very nice that mate :clap: :clap: