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Roof rack help!


GreenMachine96
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Im attempting to mount a xterra rack on my 96. Any suggestions on what type bolts to put through roof to secure. Ill loose my ability to tilt my sunroof unless i move the basket to the rear. Rather this works or not ill will try this. Thanks for you help!

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CDN, they separate between the tubes & plastic feet with one t30 torx bit, then you simply trim the pipe & renotch for the mount, you loose about 6" on the front angle. On my 95, I used 1/4" rivnuts to fasten mine. You can also use jacknuts to do the same. I used a unibit when drilling as to make sure to not poke through my headliner. Make sure there is ample room between the roof & headliner before you do this. If you have to drop the headliner, you may as well use nylon washers & lock nuts. Make sure to put a liberal amount of silicone around each to seal well.

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Also, once you shorten the front, the basket is useless. You'd have to trim the faring too if you choose to use it. Pre 02 are easier to do, post 02, are difficult to trim & make look decent.

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Couldnt i cut the back and move the center mounts to the back.

No, because it is the front legs that are too long due to the Xterra's stepped roof. The only way to shorten the rack would be to cut a section out of the tube and reattach the two ends.

 

There was someone who reversed the sides of the middle mounts (switched the bars?), to clear their sunroof IIRC. Most people ditch the basket due to fitment and wind noise.

There are some good threads that already document all of this quite well, try the advanced search function. ;)

 

B

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I'm sorry, I didn't see that this was for a R50 before I posted. :doh:

There aren't any threads that I know of, I think you might be the first to put one on an R50. *s

 

I'll take a look tomorrow at our R50 and the Xterra rack.

 

B

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Man Ive looked all over. Ive been brainstorming all day trying to figure this out. Im trying to avoid cutting the front. Cutting the back and mounting the middle supports on rear is all i came up with. With some type of spacer on the new rear mount to level it out. I only paid $40 bucks for it. So its no huge loss if i mess up.

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Well if it does not work out, but the rack is still in useable condition for a WD21 (87-95) install, you may be able to make that $40 selling to someone on here... preferably local of course. All depends on what and how you trim though.

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Man Ive looked all over. Ive been brainstorming all day trying to figure this out. Im trying to avoid cutting the front. Cutting the back and mounting the middle supports on rear is all i came up with. With some type of spacer on the new rear mount to level it out. I only paid $40 bucks for it. So its no huge loss if i mess up.

Ok, I took a look but since I already have a roof rack, I couldn't position it freely. This is it just inboard of the rain gutter and lined up flush with the back.

 

003_zpsfj5g5fqk.jpg

 

This is the farthest back the front mount can go before it interferes with the sunroof, about 1" overhang with the rear mount.

Two ways I can see to do this is to shorten it about 1-2" by trimming down the front tube, making a plastic riser for the middle legs and a wedge for the front. It wouldn't be much, maybe 1/2" thick.

The other way I couldn't test is what if you just straddled the rain gutter? If you shortened the rack (maybe 4" estimate, via trimming the front legs) enough for the middle feet to touch the roof, you would be outboard of the sunroof and be able to move it back enough that the front foot sits flat without the rear hanging over the edge. If you are mounting from the top using rivnuts or jacknuts or whatever, it shouldn't make a difference.

 

005_zpsb5l3qztq.jpg

 

Can you position yours outboard of the sunroof and back like that and take a picture?

 

B

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Well if it does not work out, but the rack is still in useable condition for a WD21 (87-95) install, you may be able to make that $40 selling to someone on here... preferably local of course. All depends on what and how you trim though.

Its a cheap project if i can pull it off.
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Ok, I took a look but since I already have a roof rack, I couldn't position it freely. This is it just inboard of the rain gutter and lined up flush with the back.

 

003_zpsfj5g5fqk.jpg

 

This is the farthest back the front mount can go before it interferes with the sunroof, about 1" overhang with the rear mount.

Two ways I can see to do this is to shorten it about 1-2" by trimming down the front tube, making a plastic riser for the middle legs and a wedge for the front. It wouldn't be much, maybe 1/2" thick.

The other way I couldn't test is what if you just straddled the rain gutter? If you shortened the rack (maybe 4" estimate, via trimming the front legs) enough for the middle feet to touch the roof, you would be outboard of the sunroof and be able to move it back enough that the front foot sits flat without the rear hanging over the edge. If you are mounting from the top using rivnuts or jacknuts or whatever, it shouldn't make a difference.

 

005_zpsb5l3qztq.jpg

 

Can you position yours outboard of the sunroof and back like that and take a picture?

 

B

Check it out. I like the idea of putting above rain gutter. I understand the cutting the front. But im trying to keep basket.0d83c0e6587947cf3dc9f632058a2053.jpgbd46bc30b30623f4cf0946e53ebcb162.jpgbcc239a9592beb2a008197e77b1ec522.jpg

Cutting here is where i might try with a spacer. Ill measure and re-measure first.

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You can turn the middle mount so it sits inward, you would need to drill anew hole and use a rivnut to mount the middle mount. I reversed the middle mounts when I installed the rack on my former 94 pathfinder. I also used riv nuts to mount it to the roof.

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You can turn the middle mount so it sits inward, you would need to drill anew hole and use a rivnut to mount the middle mount. I reversed the middle mounts when I installed the rack on my former 94 pathfinder. I also used riv nuts to mount it to the roof.

Gotcha!! The middle mount will become the rear mounts. It will face inside. Id figured, once the pipe was cut i could just plug the with a rubber tip.
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Got it, I didn't realize that you had a roof rack already and that the basket was the point.

So, straddling the gutter (damn, bigger than I thought) lets the front sit level and retains the basket... Are the cross members long enough to permit this?

AhardB has it right about having to install a threaded insert, but I kind of don't like having just one screw/nut holding on the rear mount, especially with the middle one removed. I think that would reduce the capacity considerably.

Two other possibilities is to scare up two more middle feet so you can have them in the middle and in the rear (much stronger) or to cut the tube, and rejoin it shorter. For that you would need a welder, or at least a lathe to make a nice snug coupler (I'm thinking interior coupler with through bolts to secure it.

 

This is definitely doable! One other thought is to measure everything out and notch the old roof rack tracks where the new feet would sit, then reinstall it just to fill things back in and give it a more finished look.

 

B

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Just a thought I had for mine. If you are able to keep the full width so the basket could be incorporated, what if to trim the top of the basket down(including the mount) then drill a few holes in the side of the basket, bolting it to rivnuts that could be installed in the side of the rack bars. Effectively, you could trim the front of the rack so that spacers would not need to be used on the rear feet & although slightly shallower, the basket would still work & everything would have a clean look. If you want to run the faring, you can then trim the base.

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Im asumming you mean to pull the basket up hinced the cutting of the top mounts. If you notice the side shot the basket it is sitting flush on the sunroof. If you also notice that back how big the spacer is will be in back. Id have to trim alot of front piping to level it out. I dont mind the spacers. Im thinking whats. Bothering me is at the end with a open back. Of rack. Trying to figure out how to close it off.

Edited by GreenMachine96
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