Unistrut and EMT pipe cargo rack

[Gotowork]

Currently in the process of building a cargo rack for my Jeep XK. Unistrut and spring nuts work perfectly with the factory rail system of the XK. Will be using Unistrut for the cross members. And 1 1/4" EMT pipe for the side rails of the basket. Will post pics later of the progress. First pic is of the rack being replaced ( too small)

 

[SeattleBeardo]

Currently in the process of building a cargo rack for my Jeep XK. Unistrut and spring nuts work perfectly with the factory rail system of the XK. Will be using Unistrut for the cross members. And 1 1/4" EMT pipe for the side rails of the basket. Will post pics later of the progress. First pic is of the rack being replaced ( too small)View attachment 42645

Following! I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

 

[davis31052]

Hello Gotowork,

I see you are in central Georgia. Looks like we are neighbors. I'm following this for inspiration /ideas on my Land Rover rack.

 

[Gotowork]

Yes we are. In south Houston County actually. I'm very pleased with how the rack is coming along. Have 2 backyard trampolines that I salvaged a few years ago. As it turns out, the tubing for the frame is the same size as the EMT (1 1/4") I had already started using. So I ended up with tubing that was already bent for the corners. As a result, the rack will have some custom looking bends. Photos will help explain this much better I 'm sure.
Have the top and bottom loops connected. And the cross beams installed for dry fitting. Still working out issues with the bottom / metal grid. Attached photo is the front of the bottom loop rail.

 

[Gotowork]

Ideally, I would have preferred to weld the frame. But I have no welding skill, equipment or friends who do. So improvising is called for.

 

[davis31052]

I can help you with the welding. I have a 110V mig on gas.

 

[Gotowork]

Already too far into it for welding now. But I have some other projects that would benefit from being welded...

 

[davis31052]

10-4 Just shoot me a message if I can help.

 

[Gotowork]

Update on the cargo rack: Most of the parts are fabricated. Just finished dry fitting everything. Now taking it all apart so parts can be prepped, cleaned and a coat of primer. All bolts are 3/8" x 1 1/2" or 2". The large panels with metal grids are a local find at Lowes. Thought it would work great for the bottom of the rack.
[/ATTACH]

 

[FJ81]

Looks sturdy! That deeper unistrut is real strong. I ran some unistrut crossbars for a bit on my Landcruiser. But now I switched to anall aluminum rack I built.

Thats the unistrut one.


Thats the Aluminum one.

I liked the unistrut because it has sooo many attachments and brackets readily available at most of the big box stores. I still need to make an aluminum wind deflector for it.

 

[Gotowork]

Looks sturdy! That deeper unistrut is real strong. I ran some unistrut crossbars for a bit on my Landcruiser. But now I switched to anall aluminum rack I built.
View attachment 43053
Thats the unistrut one.

View attachment 43054
Thats the Aluminum one.

I liked the unistrut because it has sooo many attachments and brackets readily available at most of the big box stores. I still need to make an aluminum wind deflector for it.

The ability to make changes to the configuration is one thing I like about Unistrut. However, there is a trade off. It's kind of heavy.

 

[FJ81]

Yeah, but its cheaper to build, then you can configure the setup how you like and upgrade later to lighter materials if you need to lighten up. The main reason I rebuilt mine out of aluminum was because I had a little wiggle on the hinge side of the awning when deployed. Now it is super sturdy, but it probably would not have been an issue if I had used the larger Unistrut channel.

 

[Gotowork]

Update on cargo rack: Thanks to davis31052, was able to weld the upright risers. Also got tabs for lights tacked on the front corners. Very pleased with the overall shape and profile.

 

[Gotowork]

Originally was planning to do this build with no welding involved. Hence the 1 1/4" couplers with 4 set screws. The screws sticking out are a major issue for me. So all the set screws (40 in all) were replaced with flush hex screws, #10-32 x 3/8" (link for Amazon)#10-32 x 3/8" SOCKET SET SCREWS CUP POINT FINE ALLOY ZINC-BAKE CR+3,,Size: #10-32,Length: 3/8",Head: None,Drive: Internal Hex,Steel,Zinc,Point Style: Cup,Thread Type: UNF (Inch) (Quantity: 100)

 

[trfkcop]

Looks good.

 

[Gotowork]

Got it painted. Just have to install the grid flooring and 4 clips for the rails.

 

[tacoclifford]

How was the strut? Was it noisy? I tried using thin strut and it howled like crazy when I got anywhere above 40mph.

 

[Gotowork]

How was the strut? Was it noisy? I tried using thin strut and it howled like crazy when I got anywhere above 40mph.

Yes, it makes a howling noise. But I think most cargo racks make for some noise. You can minimize the noise to some degree with profile design options. I added an air deflector. And surprisingly it all but eliminated wind noise.

 

[tacoclifford]

I’m glad it worked out then. Come to think of it, mine was just cross bars so I guess I got the full noise

 

[Gotowork]

I helped a company design contractor racks for full size trucks several years ago. Found that more than just profile shapes on cross bars affected wind noise. Things like how high the cross bar was off the vehicle roof line, how far back or forward the cross bar was and overall vehicle profile affected noise greatly. The biggest and most practical variable you can change is how far forward or back the rack sits. You just might be surprised how much of a difference it can make.