Need help with my cross bars

Sean · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:21 am

I finally got around to making my cross bars for my overstock.com BVG roof rack.... Well... i don't get what the deal is with the way the bars fit it on my 05 renegade. the one bar fits fine, but since the front/rear bars are different lengths due to the fact that the factory side rails spread out twoards the back, the front bar (shorter one) wont fit properly... in the picture the closest bar you see is in the rear, and the rack is upside down.

The front cross piece will fit on the rails, but it wont fit symetrically on the rack, one U-Bolt can go through the rack and the other one wont... if that makes sense.... pic should explain better.... any ideas how to fix this?
Thanks, Sean.

PitViper · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:24 am

you may have better luck mounting the rails to the jeep first then mounting the rack to it.

Sean · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:03 am

thanks i think i will try that today...

mb818 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:25 am

i can't quite tell, but it looks like you have the plastic "saddle" and the clamps mounted upside-down in relation to the rack...

the plastic saddle should sit on top of the bar while the rack sits on top of the saddle... then the U-shaped clamp comes up from underneath and the flat part of the clamp goes on top of the rack floor... then the thumb-screws should stick up inside the rack when it's all mounted correctly...

this might give you enough clearence then on the rear to clear your U-bolts...

Code:

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mb818

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:17 pm

I see his problem, the front rail is not longer enough to allow the u-bolts to clear the rack.

It would be cool if you could fine some kind of bolt that is not a U bolt, but is shaped more square to allow the rack to sit on top if the bolt.

What if you turned the U-bolt upside down and let it go around the bar on the jeep and put the nuts on the top? That way the rack would set on/around the nuts and not the top of the bolt? Do you know what I'm saying? I would paint them black also to make it look better.

dog_party · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:54 pm

Weird, the factory rails on my 05 Limited taper toward the rear. They are closer together in the rear than the front. I know the Renny's have different rails, but do they taper in a different direction?

There is some rubber-coating stuff made that will make those U bolts look nice and keep them from scratching anything. Should be able to find it at any autoparts store.

Need help with my cross bars

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