Defender custom aluminium roofrack mounts

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Originally Posted by Judo

Where it sits inside the gutter, I assume you're putting some rubber in between?

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Yup at the moment there is a microfiber cloth to protect. If I have time I'll grab some rubber strips but he can always do that.

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Originally Posted by roverrescue

I guess its early days which is good cos you can modify...
IMO a single angled bolt threaded into aluminium of any grade will not be a fantastic long term solution for an offroad rack mount.
Issues I see are the ?3mm angle will open with load and abuse, and the single angled bolt will not adequately clamp in the two required vectors.
Can you mod the bracket to include bolts that clamp downards on the legs and inwards on your plate?

S

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There will be two bolts for each bracket. There will be spring washers aswell. As for the 3mm, I'm not sure on it opening up. The way the bolts clamp the two plates together, pulls them together like other ones I've seen on the market.

I have seen the type you are talking about, but its kind of like taking two steps to do one step if that makes sense.

I should also mention there is no thread on the 3mm angle. Just the hole.

Ok, so this morning I cleaned up the shed, because I believe you work in crap you produce crap. And the first job was to get drill and tap all 8 holes. Simple enough, and now all the mounts are sitting up on the car.

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I have now cut the upper part of the mount that goes from the basket to the mount itself. Only problem is I cant figure out how to do it. Can't clamp it as its on an angle. And I don't have a block and tackle to hold basket at right height......any ideas? Might have to get some guinea pigs around to hold it whilst I weld it haha

Hi Austravel.
My 130 came with an alli roof rack.. It's very similar to the one you have made. Here's the mounting system on mine. Might b of interest to u. Cheers, Simon.

Hey sitec. That was similar to one of my original designs. Only prob is the actual mount I wanted all aluminium aswell. As aposed to bolting the mount to the rack. And it was a right pita to tig weld aluminium that was thick, yet the pieces were small. If I made it from steel it would have been sweet. But I do like the look of yours.

Ok so the upper mounts were cut and grinded back for welding. Also the basket needed to be grinded. Now I have sore arms from grinding above head height haha

The uppermount size up.

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And this is how she looks all tac'd up.

And this is how it looks tac'd up

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Well the racks all finished. Came up pretty good, although we're not sure how much an aluminium roof rack can take. Guess he'll find out.

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Can you gussett inside those plates?
I cant envisage that being an overly long lasting rigid and long lasting design?
Perhaps one of the engineers will chime in????

S

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Originally Posted by roverrescue

Can you gussett inside those plates?
I cant envisage that being an overly long lasting rigid and long lasting design?
Perhaps one of the engineers will chime in????

S

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Yer thats what I was saying to the owner. I did jump up and down whilst standing on it though. I'm pretty sure he wants me to do more stuff for his defendrr so I might mention it again. It is 6mm thick plate, qnd at the end of the day your only aloud 100kg on the roof.

With Aluminium its never about weight but it is about fatigue.

Your sexy angled 6mm plate has a nice HAZ that will be a weak spot.

With 100kg on a rough road over a few years I can see that collapsing???
Simple gussets would support it better.

The reason alot of manufacturers use steel brackets on Aluminium racks is beacuse ally dont like rattling and rumbling too much. It fatigues and fails with cracks running along the HAZ.

Anyways,see how it goes...

S