Originally Posted by 4x4Wire
The rubber cushion is a good idea. Your choice of mounting does depend on precision of hole drilling. The standard "kit" solution is larger holes to accommodate. That does lead to shifting due to vibration in the long term. I understand the manufacturing point but have resorted to larger bolts to reduce play in the standard hole.

My experience in a similar situation was that I won a rack in a raffle. The rack was wider than my Jeep Cherokee would accommodate.

My solution was to trim about 6 inches in rack width to accommodate the ConFer rack mounting hardware that I had excess of.

So, with roof racks, achieving a tight clamp on the gutter is important. There is no perfect fit and providing the rubber cushion will go a long way to attaining a positive clamp. That is critical.

Good job on your design and build. Thanks for sharing and addressing my critique...


Yes, I agree, vibration will take a toll on just about anything. As for the mounts, the reason I made my own was that the universal types were so darn expensive, I did it to save money. But now reading your post makes me glad I didn't go for that type, as you said it could lead to other problems down the road. Thanks for all the info! It is appreciated greatly.

1989 Montero LS LWB
Rear LSD, KYB's, 3.0L, Lockup A/T, 2" BL, T-Bar Crank, 33" MTZ's, Full Length Roof Rack, 9k Winch with custom bumper, Rock Sliderz