2nd gen light rack attempt

So as some of you know, i like to build my own things. already knocked out sliders and skids. now i'm going for a light rack over the front of the cab.

my goal is to fit 4 soltek 8" lights. i have two on the front bumper and i love them, so i'm ganna get 4 spots to go on the roof .

my other goal is to make it so the light rack can fold down backwards when i need it to. I'm ganna use heims as joints on the base bar, as well as the rear supports. it will have 3 cross supports that will mount where the factory holes in the roof are.....i thought there was only two but found out today the roof is drilled front/middle/back.

My mind is boggled trying to think of how all the heims and joints will mount/line up. I can work my way through it, but i kinda want the easy out, so if anyone has any experience building a light rack that for a seconds gens please chime in with how you mounted it to the front.....if you used factory holes.

the best part is that building the rack won't really drain my other truck mod funds....i got all the steel i needed for the rack frame for less than 8$. I'm guessing total cost for the rack will be around 60$. thats will all the heims and bolts and what not.

 

Matt... you are a bad ass metal worker and I am confident you will make this project tap out to your skills! Keep us updated!

I know I am going to want one of these bad boys!

 

be sure to ship it to me for review when you finish

 

all of my heims and bungs were $70 for the 6 of them. I'm stoke to see how it turns out let me know if you need any detailed pictures of mine to help you.

 

thanks guys. hopefully i'll be able to work it out AND make it look good....cuz lets be honest, thats the most important part

alex, on the rod ends, does it only use a heim, or is there also a tube adapter that the heim screws into?

 

there is a threaded bung that is welded into the tube. one has to be a right handed thread and the other end has to be a left handed thread so when you twist the support everything moves together.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hjqrxfvJ0A

 

can you send me a picture of that part. i'm not able to visualize it

 

Yeah I can but you can see the bung because its welded then smoothed out but I'll do my best to show you.

 

yah, just where it's mounted on the rack will help a lot

 

Iv been wanting a light rack on mine for a long time now. iv been looking around for a while now to find some pictures of some 2nd gens with them but haven't had any luck. Good luck with the build. Im interested to see how it comes out.

Can you post up a picture of yours?

 

made some solid progress today.

actually I only got one thing done, but it was very important. I made a template for the bolt holes in the roof. Then i used that to drill holes in a 1" square tube that will hold the rack to the roof.

I'm actually debating if i should make the rack fold down now.....i don't think it will be able to fold down far enough to actually do anything. I'm worried that the rack won't be high enough over the roof to actually let the lights fold down flat. There is no point if i can only fold it back 45*

if i can't fold it down then i'm ganna make it quick release system.

 

ColtsTRD has been looking for a roof mounted light bar forever. If you build more than one of these you should PM him.

 

yah, we talked about it when he first started looking. depends on how easy these things are to build. if they're not that bad, then i'll add them to my garage fab thread and start taking orders.

 

That would be awesome. Iv been looking for one for a while now to. Id definitely order one up.

 

I'm uploading pictures now Matt of mine. i don't have the tools with me to take one of the supports off to show you the thread inside. But basically its a threaded bung that is welded to the end of a piece of tube. We got all of the Heims from Foddrill Motorsports here in phoenix. ITs there 1/2" light bar heims. and there are about $10 each for the treaded heim, jam nut, and threaded bung. you will need 6 of them total.

 

I've been wanting a light rack on the roof forever. I'm gonna pull the trigger on a defender rack soon - I could use the extra space on camping trips and would like to put side & back up lights, as well as my antennas up there.

 

awesome thanks for the photos.

mxpatriot, do you know how that rack mounts to the truck?

 

got something actually put together.





once i weld everything up i'll also make some gussets and round off the corners. mainly just to make it look better.

also picked up some inner diameter tube clamps from ballistic, they're sweet. they're like 33$ each for a 1" inner and 1.25" outer diameter tube. but they'll make the quick disconnect system pretty sweet

 

Are you thinking about possibly selling these?