Windfaring for Roof Rack?

jmichaelsjeep · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:08 am

I'd like to see pics of anyone's KJ that either bought or built a wind deflector for the roof rack. I'm thinking of making one, but I'm also wanting to attach (at some point) some lights to the front of my Surco. So I'm looking for inspiration. If you have a wind deflector (faring) on the front of your roof rack, please post up pics.

Thanks in advance

Megalos · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:42 am

jmichaelsjeep wrote:

I'd like to see pics of anyone's KJ that either bought or built a wind deflector for the roof rack. I'm thinking of making one, but I'm also wanting to attach (at some point) some lights to the front of my Surco. So I'm looking for inspiration. If you have a wind deflector (faring) on the front of your roof rack, please post up pics.

Thanks in advance

I read the title to quickly and thought you asked about wind FARMING. Maybe run your lights from little wind turbines on the roof rack? LOL

jmichaelsjeep · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:47 am

hahaha! That actually would be pretty cool, the faster you drive, the more spare power you'd have!!!

They do have portable Solar panels I've thought about finding a way to mount for running stuff while camping, but that's not what I'm looking for here

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:35 pm

My first rack with fairing

steve03sport · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2011 8:45 pm

does the wind deflector really help much?

Nightfisher · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:35 pm **Posts:** 122

I made a replacement fairing out of aluminum and swapped it with the plastic on my Yakima rack. Not the most creative one in the world, since I just traced the outline of the original and cut it out of a sheet of aluminum, but it came out pretty good once it was painted with some bedliner spray.

I was told by the guy I bought my rack from that he had replaced the plastic fairing twice due to stress cracks around the mounting holes causing it to break. Even with rubber washers I was starting to see cracks forming. Don't have to worry about it now.

jmichaelsjeep · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:40 am

Tommudd and Nightfisher, thanks for posting up pics of your windfaring.

What gauge did you use Tom?

Nightfisher, same question for you on the aluminum.

Steves03sport: I would be interested to know if the typical farings I see like Tommudd's and Nightfisher's help as well. Any help getting the air smoothly up and over theoretically should help.

Also, take a look when you're on the highway to what semi's are doing now, they have the faring on top of the cab (which they've done for a while), now they've added faring below the trailer and some even add some tail faring at the back of the trailer. The smoother the flow of air over and around your vehicle, the better the mpg's. That's why prius' look like the wind flow themselves. Very little wind drag.

I'm thinking of extending mine a little closer to the roof, and a little further up past the top of the rack, so that it can actually help the air flow up and over cargo, instead of just for the rack itself. I'm still sketching up some ideas in my head. When I get something I think I want to try, I'll start getting it sketched on paper, then CAD, (photoshopped on my JEEP), then we'll see about making it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:48 am

what gauge
think street sign thickness it was pretty strong, where the bend is at the top is where all of the bugs hit, so you could tell where the windstream hit at. Mine was fairly close in the middle although the pictures don't show it well. I also angled the bottom out to catch more air and get it back over the top and sides better
If you are going to haul things up top then higher maybe better but since my KJ already sat pretty high I had to keep mine lower to get into 6'8" parking garages.

Nightfisher · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:35 pm **Posts:** 122

Mine seems about the same thickness. The piece of aluminum I used was one I found in a scrap bin at work.

TigerPaw · **Joined:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 6:19 pm **Posts:** 33

I also used a piece of scrap, I used an old fluorescent light housing thing from the trash. I had a small piece of scrap 20 g steel I used for the corners.

bunkermonkeycw · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2011 11:53 am

I like that last one. Mine are nothing to write home about.

Windfaring for Roof Rack?

Who is online