Advise on roof racks please?

P

plumbob

New member
Have just picked up a 97 sahara and need a roof rack for a short trip. Maybe a couple camping packs etc. Been shopping and im not really into the H.D. style which has the pipe wrapping down and fixed to the winshield frame then rear body.I just want a clean look to mount on a bare hardtop only. A calif company called SURCO makes a generic one ANYONE had experience with this one? Or recommend another? Thanks !:roll:
 

Look online; you can use a Ford Explorer one, and it looks pretty good.
 

I would avoid a roof rack if possible, and maybe go with a rack above the spare tire. Rock Hard makes a nice unit that integrates with their spare tire rack.

RH20042T-1.jpg


Jeeps are notorious for their high center of gravity, and loading stuff on top raises the CG even higher. The top rack also creates wind resistance, so crummy mileage gets even crummier.
 
why do people have air tanks on the back of their jeeps? a guy here has one too and a buddy and i have been trying to figure out why for a few weeks now.
 
That explorer roof rack looks nice. For about the same money you can also get a carrier that will hook into your tow hitch. They are cheap and available all over the place
 

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i have one of those. i use it alot. really easy to plug in and go. i have a front mount hitch though (and a rear, of course) where i normally use it.
 
superj said:
why do people have air tanks on the back of their jeeps? a guy here has one too and a buddy and i have been trying to figure out why for a few weeks now.
Click to expand...

I would assume it's for airing back up for the highway, after airing down for the trail. Cheaper and easier than putting in a compressor and on-board air system.
 
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i was wondering if thats why. i have one of those little cheap cigarette lighter plug in compressors for hte tires
 

superj said:
........i have one of those little cheap cigarette lighter plug in compressors for hte tires
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Yeah, so do I, but I don't air down much. It takes a while to air up with the cheapie thing, but I'm not usually in a hurry.
 
As stated, the reason for the air tank is to air up. That little air tank also allows you to use air tools. Also, compare the air up times of the little cheap compressors with these (taken from powertank.com):

nc900-1.gif


For a Jeep with 35's or smaller, you usually would run the 10lbs one (15 pounds for the larger tires or if you plan on using air tools). Of course, ideally you would run a compressor with an on board tank, but those typically store less air, and require the engine to be running to be any good. I have an electrical compressor on board (ARB high flow one - not the dual compressor one but the single one), and it takes me a while to air up my 33's!
 
Roof Rack: I too don't really recommend a roof rack for all but the shortest of trips and the lightest of loads. The large ones that mount to the body tub and window frame are heavy, create oodles of drag, are expensive, and although the companies advertise that they easilly swing up and out of the way allowing you to drop the soft top, they're an extreme pain in the butt. Soft tops and roof racks do not go together. If, on the other hand, you must have some kind of rack on your hard top for carrying small loads, etc, you may want to consider a Thule or Yakima. I have a Thule one with the rain-gutter mounts. It easily clamps to the rain gutters over the front doors, and I drilled 2 holes each side over the rear windows of the hard top and mounted the "artificial rain gutters" which the rack clamps to back there. 2 years in Seattle and it never leaked. You can then throw up an aerodynamic roof rack carrier if you want your jeep to look like a subaru outback, or you can carry a ski rack, canoe, etc. Also, I have "artificial gutters" on my camping trailer and can move the rack back there on top of it to carry whatever I want to. The Thule/Yakima are a little expensive, but offer lots of versatility if that's what you're after.
 

jonsolbe said:
Roof Rack: I too don't really recommend a roof rack for all but the shortest of trips and the lightest of loads. The large ones that mount to the body tub and window frame are heavy, create oodles of drag, are expensive, and although the companies advertise that they easilly swing up and out of the way allowing you to drop the soft top, they're an extreme pain in the butt. Soft tops and roof racks do not go together. If, on the other hand, you must have some kind of rack on your hard top for carrying small loads, etc, you may want to consider a Thule or Yakima. I have a Thule one with the rain-gutter mounts. It easily clamps to the rain gutters over the front doors, and I drilled 2 holes each side over the rear windows of the hard top and mounted the "artificial rain gutters" which the rack clamps to back there. 2 years in Seattle and it never leaked. You can then throw up an aerodynamic roof rack carrier if you want your jeep to look like a subaru outback, or you can carry a ski rack, canoe, etc. Also, I have "artificial gutters" on my camping trailer and can move the rack back there on top of it to carry whatever I want to. The Thule/Yakima are a little expensive, but offer lots of versatility if that's what you're after.
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Thanks Your idea makes the most sense to me.Any chance of getting pics of your application and maybe a ordering# to your application if you still have it? Thanks again
 
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