Welded Toyota 4Runner Roof Rack, DIY
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Originally I was looking to purchase a Gobi Stealth or Baja roof rack for a Toyota 4Runner (5th Gen). The factory crossbars are pretty much useless because they are too low and too far back. Decided to build my own to save some cash and because it seemed like an easy and fun project. In the end I probably spent about $200-300 on metal, high quality, auto paint and primer, and some consumables for the welder. It took a long time to build because I had no plans really and was just looking at photos of racks on vehicles online to decide what I wanted to do. Spent quite a bit of time reworking things I didn't like as I went a long too.
This video will probably only be helpful on a conceptual level if you are wanting to build your own roof rack and are the mechanical type that doesn't need detailed instructions for every step. I've sort of just covered the basics and included important pieces of info, while keeping it non specific enough that you could adapt the plans to whatever vehicle you have. I also shot this across a span of about 10 days, so I am a bit redundant here and there in my explanations.
Good luck. If you have questions I'll try to answer them in the comments.
Here is a link to the universal crossbars I bought on Amazon. They seem pretty solid and are a lot less than some of the ones you can buy from Gobi or the other off road rack companies.
amzn.to/2hljyBG
“Built, Not Bought” is ALWAYS Better !
that's a really great build. Thanks for taking the time to show us what you did.
That turned out really well. Great video. I just started looking for my 2006 four runner tent camping, fishing, kayak, mountain bike rig, pop up camper pullen machine.
Awesome! Planning on doing the same for a rack on my 88 Bronco. It's outrageous what they charge for racks. Well worth the time and effort to diy one. Harbor freight makes a great little tubing fishmouther to cut the saddles in the tubing.
Great job! It looks good and sturdy!!
Beauty, Great looking Rack.
Sick ass rack! Looks super legit man you should build and sell them in your area.
Spencer Lum the materials are pretty cheap but after labor I’d end up charging about as much as the existing ones like Gobi makes.
Awsome awsome man, Defenetly I'm gonna build mine too, nice and clean as it should
I've been looking on building a roof rack for my 4th gen 4Runner for my RTT. There's not a lot out there and because of that there's no good resources. I mainly came looking for how you did your brackets that attach to the roof! Thanks for all the details information. I greatly appreciate it.
John Spalding I too have a 4th thinking of doing something aluminum what did you decide on ?
Nice job, it looks factory made. Awesome.
Dude, this is awesome! I think it exceeds my skill level, but maybe I need to learn to weld.
Great job, thanks a lot for sharing your project!
@ kirk earl, This is a VERY well done rack, definitely the highest quality I've yet seen from YT DIYers. I'm exactly where you were with this idea, about to have some free time and am going back and forth with the build or buy, build or buy dilemma. Projects like this tend to show that building is satisfying but oft times you can actually just get a production piece for not much more, and they're better done because of engineering, materials, proper tools etc. (e.g. thinking of mocking a NorthShore bike rack). However, in my research I'm also finding things/details I'd prefer in mine that aren't in production racks (both steel and aluminum), or like you picking and choosing from among them all for the ideals in one and am mentally drafting both versions (platofrm steel or platform extruded Al). I must give appropriate props for your attention to detail as a DIYer, hell I'd like to see more of that detail in regular life and commercially available products too! ;)
I like the sleeved butting of the tubes. Did you plug weld the inned tubes to the outers or just the gap at the butt glues the inner sleeves to the outers? I like the floating floor and the tension feet. It looks (from the video) like they don't quite land in the gutter but rest on the corner. I'm sure you'd've addressed this and your narration suggests the front tension feet rest in the channel base. the layering rubber in the steel is good too.
So, 1" OD 16 ga all and 9 ga expanded.
Is that 0.5" short axis gap or more like 0.75" short axis, 1" long axis?
88"ish L 45"ish wide 3"ish tall riser so overall (sans towers) top of top tube to bottom of bottom tube it's like 5" on a 3"ish tower..? What is the total rise to top tube off the roof?
I'm on the fence about gamivit towers then building a platform similar to your build off those, or Rhino Rack backbone (I have a GX,a nd they list a prado 150, but mine's a LC 120/GX470, so determining if the 150 works or if it's less than ideal) and build up from T-slotted extruded aluminum. The gardgets for all the Al racks are sweet, but the universality of a base platform like yours/Gobi,Baja,Gamivit is appealing too, like you say just bungee anywhere...
I'm thinking of a 1" or 2" steel mesh grid vs. expanded steel sheet... That would allow 1" cam straps as well as bungee hooks or ratchet strap hooks. Thoughts/opinions based on having done the process?
If you did it again, would you make the towers adjustable height, or you dialed the fixed height for a reason.?
Since you got automotive paint with hardener, I'm sure that moved the bottom line up a bit. What was your TOTAL materials cost (save expendables)? Did you happen to get a weight when done on this rack?
In my area I can get paint by the qt but hardener by the gal, so quality automotive paint for small projects like this is a bit of a co$tly PITA. I also wonder how bedliner (brushed/rolled vs sprayed) would last.
Thanks for posting and sharing the comprehensive build. Top notch. Give a holler next time you come down to Moab, we can chat racks and general DIY metal projecting over coffee ;)
Ciao.
very nice craftsmanship
Hey, at this point I don't have the tools or garage to get into this, but thanks for the vid! I wish I had my T4R when I took welding, would have made an awesome class project :D Great work man!
Great Job man. Trying to build something now for my 96 4runner to haul 113 lb canoe, sunroof is the problem i need a more forward crossbar so overhang is in the works
scott hallinger gobi has racks just like this that accommodate a sun roof. Look at theirs for ideas.
Beautiful job, thanks
Any new mods? Love to see a ladder build for it.
Looks awesome! Great job.
Looks so great!
Fantastic craftsmanship dude.... well done !! Looks totally legit. I was looking for ideas for a rack for my 3rd gen 4Runner and you really nailed it. I too was wondering if the material cost and hours needed would be worth it in comparison to just buying an off the shelf rack. Im still undecided, I have a welder and all the tools needed. ..... Again well done .... Awesome job !
Thanks! I'd say it is only worth doing it yourself if you like doing projects like this for fun and have a bunch of free time to kill. I you just want to save some cash and don't really dig projects like this, I'd just buy one. I saved maybe $1300 or so, but it was a huge project figuring out all the measurements without a plan.
Yeah I hear ya..... its not something i need right away so I may just tackle it over time.
Great video mate!
Thanks!
Nice work. I like it..
looks like a WMW!!!
Awesome DYI Rack build. What is the weight of the Rack? What is the rack carrying capacity?
No idea on either question. I did copy the metal material specs of the similar rack made by GOBI. Mine is about an inch taller on the basket part though. Whatever their published weight and carry capacity is, I would guess mine is very similar. I can easily have two adults standing on top, and I'd not hesitate to put a roof top tent up there. It's solid.
*bold* _italic_ -scratch-
Did you have any trouble with metal warping during welding?
No warping. You’ve got to be good at welding thin gauge metal though. Burning through is more likely than warping. I burned through a few times and had to fill it back in.
This is great. I need a rack for my gutterless 93 toyota forerunner. I am looking for someone that can fit one in my area. Tweed Heads NSW
do you possibly have dimensions for the gutter pieces (the metal plate made under the mounts and the rubber piece)
What is the OD of the pipe? I know you said 16 gauge, just was curious because this is a really great design, and I'd love to recreate it.
Way awesome! Great work and craftsmanship. You did an excellent job. Did you use stainless steel?
UNKPCRIDE thanks. It is just steel tubing and requires a good paint or powdercoat to keep from rusting.
A bit tall off the truck
but looks good
1 didn't like it, lol....
That was really great!
I'll make my own, i just need a welding machine😁
Can you share your bike rack you have connected to Cross mount ?
Would you mind sharing the primer and paint brand that you used. Thank you
Hi Fonzo. Sorry, but I don't have the cans around anymore. I spared no expense though and went to an automotive paint shop and got legit 2 part primer and paint. I sprayed it out of a very cheap Harbor Freight automotive paint gun with a 3 gallon air compressor. If I'd have bought rattle can paint I don't think it would have held up very long.
@@kirkearl I'm in between your method and dupli color bedliner can. Have you thought about using the bedliner. Awesome video by the way. Will save it to favorites
What kind of steel tube did you use?
Outfit Five 16 gauge 1 inch steel tubing. Don’t buy 1 inch pipe, it is much different.
How much does this weigh?
Maxtrialsuk not sure. I was able to lift it over my head by myself to stick it up there though.
What angle did you weld the brackets? looks like a 5 degree?
he says 10 deg .
This is awesome! Nice work.
looks so good!