DIY prinsu style shell rack

Nice! Thanks!

 

Just picked these up. Great deal compared to Thule or Yakima tracks!

 

Went to see a friend that has a bender and plasma table. May have a source on some rack feet like the prinsu and for much less then $30 a pop. Stay tuned!

 

I am planning on doing something similar, just with aluminum bar stock and some counter sunk holes. Trying to keep the bars as low as possible since they will be on a mid height cap.

 

What paint did you use to paint your toprac? Did you paint the slats too? prime then paint?

I some how tend to mess up pastidip so i am curious what you used and received such even coats.

 

Self-etching primer then Rustoleum spray on bedliner in the side rails, matches decently well with the Prinsu powder coat. The slat/cross bars I bought Black, anonized.

 

ahh thanks!

 

Can you elaborate on your painting process? I primer then paint? how did you get even coats on the T slats?


thanks in advance!

 

i just used rustolium textured flat paint. I hung them from a bolt and just spray painted 2 coats. nothing crazy.

 

sounds easy and more affordable than 110$ for CBI to paint them.

thanks!

 

Effing awesome! Just added another like. Alufabinc.com has the bulk t-slot stuff in 1",2",3" plus lots of hardware. There's also a 1/4 round in 1" and 1.5". Might be cool to do 4" side steps with 1" 1/4 round married to 1"x3". They also have the slot cover pieces.

 

Older post I know but I thinking it should be mentioned that unless you mount to the side roof channels you're only attaching to a single layer of roof metal. In the channel I think it's doubled but at the very least the channel shape significantly increases the stiffness and load capacity over the rest of the roof which you can flex with a finger.

 

How are the feet compensating for the lean in both axis? Looking at my topper, the ends are sloping and they are also not fully level side-to-side.

The prinsu feet have that exact problem when your track is not level in one or both directions.

 

the mounting bolts coming from the rack are able to tilt some to take up that issue.

 

so close up, there is some gap between the rack and the feet? and it's tight between the feet and the track?

Do you have close ups?

It drives me mad trying to find a suitable mount that can compensate off-level in two axis. The smittybilt mounts can do so but I don't like the way the bolts tightening seems to hold all the rack weight.

 

best i have, but the way the bolts work, there are a step up on the head, so no matter what its going to sit above the rail (unless you did some weird countersink setup)

 

will be doing this soon.

I still think its a great write up.

 

Nice build. I think I am going to make a cab rack based around a Prinsu style. Using similar aluminum extrusions, existing holes. Will probably look at a different foot option. Likely a 3D printed design in a higher strength material. Beefier, wider bottom as opposed to the spacers that Prinsu uses.

 

Anyone know if the Rhino DC ditch tracks can be cut down to fit an AC? That would be my preferred way to spread the load as well as add versatility. I know the oem DC rack can be cut so it might mean either cutting some from the back end or two-piecing it with a chunk removed from the middle.