Sluggo: The 4 banger build

I like the simplicity.

 

Looks good, can't wait to see the finished product! I want to start on a bed rack here soon myself

 

prepare to not like it lol. thats just the frame. its about to get a whole lot more complicated haha




anyone got a cool idea how to round the ends of the bars im about to weld to it so they sit flush and around the current ones? basically how do i make it look cleanly welded together.

 

Just a grinder. Notch the tubes. Unless you wanna buy a tub notcher..haha

Not that hard. Doesnt have to be perfect. The weld will hide it.

Or buy a tube drill clamp and drill holes in the bed rack tube to fit the new tubes in and weld. Tricky part is lining up the holes so the tubes are straight. But if you use smaller tube then you can drill a slightly larger hole for a bit of wiggle room.

 

ill just grind it haha

 

Grind it hard... like a boss.

 

thanks brah.

so i really just need that hole cutter blade thing.




k, so here is my basic plan



tire off to the pass side on top, shelf for a basic sized coleman cooler or tote lengthwise on the drivers side, and a shovel on some clamps off to one side as well

edit" the 32" was a dumb guess, it'll be more like 37

 

I highly doubt a cooler and tire will fit on top like that, especially if you go 35's. You are showing your measurement between the rack legs to be 32". For the tire to fit like you've drawn it it would have to be a wheelbarrow tire. Maybe if you use a tiny lunchbox cooler with a real tire. I might be wrong since your rack is a little wider than mine is but I know that wouldn't work on one of mine.

Also, the truck in your drawing looks like it has a bent frame. Probably should take care of that.

 

well adam not all of us are graphic artists who have an eye for lines and depth. I kid you not it took me 5 sheets of paper to draw a rack that at least kind of looked recognisable. The spare i was test fitting and messing around with was a 31" tire, and the cooler was a basic size coleman cooler, also i am convinced my frame is tweaked a bit...so that drawing is more accurate than you think haha.

As for the measurement, the 32" is of course out. It's going to be more like 37, to make room for the possible 35" spare in my future. as for the width, the shelf for the cooler (it will more likley be my 4x4 tote with my tools and recovery stuff) is pretty much right at the bed rail, so the useable width for the rack will basicially be the width of the bed. the shelf will be about 3" above the top of the bed, so whetever goes on the shelf will stick up a bit past the top of the rack, and im thinking about recessing the tire shelf a bit so the tire does nut stick up past the top of the cab.

 

I read one of Monte's posts in the Idaho BS thread and I agree with him about making it longer. You've seen my rack and how it fits on my 5' bed. The length of my rack is 36" and I think it's barely long enough. If I were you I'd find a low profile bed box to go behind the cab. Those are about 20" and then if you made your rack 40" and fit it behind the bed box you'd have the 6' bed covered and a more secure spot than a cooler for recovery crap and tools, and wouldn't need the shelf in the rack for the cooler (unless you wanted it for an actual cooler.....as in for food. Better yet it would be a perfect spot for a Fridge).

 

Stalker...



But ya..seriously..agree with Adam..who is agreeing with me...

Full circle

 

I full-on stalk the Idaho-BS thread. You guys better watch yourselves.

 

It's a good thread to stalk haha

 

ya. i agree with making it a bit longer. was trying to avoid covering the WHOLE bed also. and im a bit confused on not needing the shelf. the point of the rack, at least in my idea, is to remove the spare tire a tote shaped thing from having to be in the bed. thus leaving room for other stuff. i don't want anything sticking up above the cab so having the shelf keeps the stuff sitting low. i notice when I pack usually i don't have stuff really sticking up above the bed rails anyway so the shelf won't get in the way. i guess im just misunderstanding what the point of the huge rack is if there is no shelf space on it for more stuff. it's too tall to put stuff on top of it (except the spare) which like i said i want to recess a bit anyway.

i am not prepared to expo like some of you guys are...so all my camping stuff and food just gets separated into totes and a cooler or two which all get strapped in like legos. i don't really want a bed box because i haul the dirt bike often and it won't really fit well with it, so i would have it out most of the time, so not really worth it.

 

12.5 will be above the cab at your height..

 

i said it like 3 times lol!

im going to recess a shelf for the tire!

 

Not worth it..but whatevs...haha

 

how is it not worth it.

i dont need a sail on top of my rack

 

Just build it..it's only metal. Just cut and redo as you go.

 

That's the plan!