The Blueberry Slow Build

awesome! thanks so much for the info/pics. Im getting started with the design this weekend, taking inspiration from your killer rack!

 

Rock and roll man. It was a fun build but had it's fair share of headaches. Look forward to how yours turns out. The only thing I would have done different is mount the lights just a bit further back. The glare from them off of the hood and windshield it's pretty bad. I'm working on some glare shields for them now.

 

ya ive heard the glare can be gnarly. I'm considering one of these. i think they will help reduce glare. problem is they cost MUCHO $$$. whatever i use i plan on mounting them at or behind the roof rack mounting points

 

I would highly recommend it. It kind of ticks me off that I didn't plan for that type of thing. With the glare being what it is I can't really use the rack lights at the moment. But I'll eventually get around to finding a fix when I get a freakin' weekend off..

 

I've received a few requests on how to run the wiring from a roof rack to switch locations in the cab. So I figured I'd do a quick write up. All the credit goes to ColinB17 though since he's the one that showed me the answers when I was trying to figure out the exact same thing.

First thing you'll want to do is remove the A-Pillar plastics. Just remove the covers off of the handle, two bolts, then pull up and away from the windshield.


After that plastic is removed you can then pull down the roof liner enough to see what you've got to work with. Don't let the picture discourage you, it'll come down more but my plastics were still attached.


Locate the stock roof rack mounting holes (DC models only I believe). This is the route the wires will travel though. If you don't have these holes or yours are in use. Find a location suitable for your needs and carefully drill a hole in the channel. The sheet metal is pretty thin so be careful not to push though and catch your drill bit on the airbag or the roof liner.


That's really the hard part, route your wires from your lights, through the hole, along the edge of the roof liner, down the a-pillar, then finally to your switch location.

As for a 12v location from engine bay to cab just use a coat hanger or one of those wire claw thingys and go though the firewall boot.




I hope this info at least get's folks the basics. If there's anything I left out or wasn't totally clear on please feel free to post on here and I'll do my best to help.

 

Sweet ride man!

 

do you have any specs on the roof rack as to dimensions or anything? really digging it

 

Thanks man. Unfortunately I really don't have any plans from the build. I can take some measurements of the rack when I get home. The build was more of a measure once, cut twice kinda thing. LOL

 

ok thanks it would atleast get me in a ball park area of what i want to build

 

damn i love that roof rack! i need one haha

 

Are you amused Tinkerbell?

 

disappointed that I was not subscribed to this earlier!

 

Well let's hope you fixed that problem. I think I'm going to be rolling on treadwrights before winter.

 

damn that roof rack turned out freaking awsome!!! how many feet of tubing did you buy and what diameter?

 

Thanks man! It still gets a lot of looks from folks. You'll have to forgive me because the napkins and scraps of paper all the measurements were on are long gone. But if I recall we ended up getting something like 90-100 ft of 1-1\4 OD tubing with 3/16th wall. We had them cut to various lengths. The corners consist of 8-3ft lengths that I had bent at a shop. Also used 16-1ft lengths of solid stock that just fit the inside diameter of the tubing at the cuts to make welding it all up that much easier.

 

thanks man so u used the bar stock to just brace the two different pieces at the cut points? and ill be rolling TreadWright Guard Dogs in a few weeks. just got some duratracs for the wifes lifted jeep commander. here is a link to an idea that might help with your glare
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/5373-05-Tacoma-Hood-blackout?highlight=painted+hood

 

That's it. Everywhere there's a cut we used the bar stock. Thought about blacking out the hood but just don't think I'd like the looks. Plus it would never fly with the wife.