Cheap homemade roofbar crossbars

Gringo Loco · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:17 pm

Hey guys and gals just wanted to let you know to check the fab section for how I made some homemade custom roofrail crossbars. Click here

priell3 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:09 pm

I saw a KJ with homemade cross rails. He used 1x3 lumber, nails and twine!

TnRebel · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:23 pm

Great Job Gringo Loco, I like that better then the crossbars on top of the side rails

Kjenvy · **Posted:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 1:14 pm

Ok let's throw a few more ideas in the mix...

The Xterra has very similar roof bar diameter( if not the same). :idea:

The only thing I can see as a drawback is the length of the cross bar on the '05-'06 Xterra is 32 5/8" while the '05-'06 Renegade is 38 5/8". The older Xterra is wider, but I do not have the number, but not long enough. I keep trying to find something to work as the Xterra brackets are nice and low and clamp in place with a Torks head screw.

Option (1) find out who makes the tubes for Nissan and see if I can get them to make a custom length.

Option (2) Buy 3 from a bone yard and weld them together for the corect length - lots of work and not cheap is my guess plus the aluminum may be a special grade and has an arch for preload.

Option (3) Haven't come up with way to go from the the Nissan bracket to a tube without lots of fab work.

The key is that it is easy to come up with a tube for a cross bar, but hard to mount it so it can take a lot of load and punishment.

Just some more thought starters.

SKIDOG · **Posted:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:36 pm

Great idea Gringo.I'll have to check out Lowes for the parts. One of my concerns is the amount of weight you can put up there. I'm sure the cross-bars are very sturdy, but i would be kind of leery about the strength of the stock rails, they fell a little flimsy to me..

tarkus · **Posted:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:43 pm

I bought a couple of pieces of 1"x1"x48" square aluminium pipe from Home Depot and 4- 1 1/4" stainless U-clamps. I find that it can take quite a bit of weight.

SKIDOG · **Posted:** Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:00 am

Tarkus (or anyone)do you think it makes any difference if yours are sitting on top of the rail or Gringo's are on the inside. Just wondering if the weight distribution is the same.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:01 pm

Ok I know.... no pictures, but for mine I drilled through the rails themselves, ran a 1/2 inch all thread through with black gas pipe running between the rails themselves(with the all thread inside) keeps the rack down low, is as strong as anything else I have found and best of all cheap. 2 @ pcs of gas pipe, 2 pcs 1/2 inch all thread, 4 large washers and 4 nuts. With the cheap Overstock rack mounted it can hold my 200 lb butt up there so seems pretty strong

Cheap homemade roofbar crossbars

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