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Photos and Information, all pictures
are "clickable" for larger image.
After several attempts to carry stuff on the roof rack I
found it was bloody hard to use bungee cords or even ratchet
straps because there is virtually no where to put to bungee or
strap hooks! So I measured the stock roof rack, surfed the
internet and found a Yakima Load Warrior for the right price
thinking it would fit. I should have followed the old axiom
"measure twice...."
Getting ready to install the Yak Rack
The Load Warrior is 39x44" inches. I measured the front of
the stock roof rack just behind the air dam at 39+ inches. Okee
Dokee it should fit. However, 44 inches back along the stock
roof rack rails it's only a tad more than 38" inches. Of course
I find this out after I get the Load Warrior and try to fit it
between the stock roof rails.
After much pondering on how to solve this I decide to do as
MJ said in one of his best songs, "Beat It". My trusty ball peen
hammer reduced the width of the Load Warrior enough to fit with
a bit of clearance.
Looks like crap here, powder coat came off, then I sprayed it
with bed liner paint and wrapped it with rubber sealing tape.
Now it has clearance to fit between
rails and be clamped to the crossbars and the bottom sits a
couple inches lower than the stock roof rails and several inches
higher. I thought I could get it lower but it was too wide at
the rear.
The Yakima clamps would not hold the rack to the crossbars
snuggly so I added a small piece of 1/4" rubber baler belt
between the clamp and the cross tube of the Yak
Rack. This allowed me to clamp everything tight.
The Yak Rack is supported by 2 stock crossbars. I
bought 2 more from the dealer and left those that came with the
FJ at the rear of the stock rack.
I had to trim the back edge of the FJ air dam in the corners. I
squared off the inner rounded corners and moved the Yak Rack air
deflector up against the FJ air dam. I put some vinyl
edge trim on the back edge of the FJ air dam to make a better
seal. In the lower photo you can see the
new covers I made for the light
pockets in the FJ air dam. Click shots for larger views
The finished rack install.
PHASE II
The new roof basket
Well, after a few months of using the Yakima rack and getting 8
inches of snow dumped on it I decided to pull it. When it gets
loaded up with snow you need to clean it right away or it
freezes into a solid mass. Having a hundred pounds of snow that
high is not good! Even cleaning it didn't solve the whole
problem. For several days I had chunks of frozen snow and ice
rattling around between the roof and the rack. Geez is that
annoying!
Anyway I found a link to a page where someone found and
installed a slightly smaller basket. It measures 35 by 44 and
fits like it was made for the FJC roof rack bars.
The rear clamps were a no brainer but the front needed
some thought.
I followed the example I'd seen on the internet and use a couple
spare roof rack clamps I had that clamped around the stock FJC
rack pipes. When I first started to tighten everything on the
front clamps, it started to pull the FJ's roof rack bars
together. I could tell this because the air dam started to bow a
bit in the middle, not a good thing. I didn't want side pressure
on the roof rack bars.
I cut four pieces of scrap metal I had in my junk pile long
enough to clamp the basket wire between them. The metal bars are
some sort of "U" channel that would be stronger than just flat
stock. The threaded rod that screws into the black clamp is 1/2"
inch and the knobs have a brass insert. I used a rubber spacer
and steel washer to get the spacing just right to clamp the
basket tightly without pulling the roof rack bars together. It
took some messing around but the end result is good.
This worked out perfect because the basket main support bar is
resting solidly on top of the steel "U" channel. You can see a
little Loctite blue on the threaded rod end to keep things from
vibrating loose.
The right rear ended up a little close to the FJ rack so I
loosened all the fasteners and bumped it to the left to
get even spacing on both sides.
Front clearance couldn't be better, nice and even too. Then I
snugged everything down. You can see the rubber spacer and
washer against the steel U channel I had to use to keep from
pulling the FJ stock rack pipes towards each other.
Overall the appearance is much better than the former Yakima
rack. The basket sits nicely inside the FJ's roof rack bars as
though it came that way from the factory. Now I'm thinking about
sewing up a nice vinyl tonneau cover for the whole rack.
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