bowtieboy42
12-19-2011, 01:59 PM
Hey all. I'm going to be doing a bit of work to the blazer in the coming weeks, but I had a few questions. Me and a buddy are setting out to build a roof rack for my blazer, and run CUCV style shackles in the front. I've never done any sort of fab work myself, luckily my friend has some experience and a welder.
Anyway, I'm planning to make the rack out of 1" and 3/4" square tube. Its going to mount to the fiberglass top, and also extend over the cab roof (but not mount to the cab). I was thinking of making the full outside frame out of the 1", with 45* corners, and then run 4 lengths of the 3/4" across the inside. I also wanted to add "walls" to the sides, basically use some tubing to make 4" risers and run another row of 1" above the other. I'm thinking something like this
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/6739/1004dsc00105.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/1004dsc00105.jpg/)
I went to the metal shop to get some prices today. I'm wondering what gauge wall would be best? I want to save weight as much as possible yet still make the rack strong. Would 1/16th wall be suffiecent or should I get 1/8"?
Also I'm going to put in shackles like these:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/3103/dsc07403s.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/190/dsc07403s.jpg/)
My plan is to cut the bumper, and modify the bumper bracket so I can run a piece of steel from where the bumper bracket meets the frame out to where the shackle will be mounted. This piece will probably end up being about 6-8" long. What kind/size metal would be strong enough to take the abuse of being a recovery point, but will still be able to be drilled, cut, etc.?
Anyway, I should be picking up materials in the next couple days. I'm going to start piecing this together, and pictures will follow. Thanks in advance for the help and wish me luck!
Anyway, I'm planning to make the rack out of 1" and 3/4" square tube. Its going to mount to the fiberglass top, and also extend over the cab roof (but not mount to the cab). I was thinking of making the full outside frame out of the 1", with 45* corners, and then run 4 lengths of the 3/4" across the inside. I also wanted to add "walls" to the sides, basically use some tubing to make 4" risers and run another row of 1" above the other. I'm thinking something like this
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/6739/1004dsc00105.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/1004dsc00105.jpg/)
I went to the metal shop to get some prices today. I'm wondering what gauge wall would be best? I want to save weight as much as possible yet still make the rack strong. Would 1/16th wall be suffiecent or should I get 1/8"?
Also I'm going to put in shackles like these:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/3103/dsc07403s.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/190/dsc07403s.jpg/)
My plan is to cut the bumper, and modify the bumper bracket so I can run a piece of steel from where the bumper bracket meets the frame out to where the shackle will be mounted. This piece will probably end up being about 6-8" long. What kind/size metal would be strong enough to take the abuse of being a recovery point, but will still be able to be drilled, cut, etc.?
Anyway, I should be picking up materials in the next couple days. I'm going to start piecing this together, and pictures will follow. Thanks in advance for the help and wish me luck!