Rhino-Rack JL Wrangler Products & Build [SEMA 2018 - JLWF Coverage]

[RubenZ]

So this is "drill through your hardtop" to support it with your hard top? I'd rather drill through and mount to the sport bar. Either option means a no-go for a soft top, and I have both.

Both the Rhino Rack and Maximus mounting brackets require you to drill through your hardtop to connect to the Sport Bar. The Hard Top alone is not the only support.

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[ghorman]

So, I have a Lange power hoist-a-top. Wonder if it will work with this rack?

 

[DToxic]

just curious, if you're going to drill anyways, what are the advantages of this kit vs the maximus-3 rhino rack combo?

 

[TIDALWAVE]

The front stantion supports for the JK backbone just rested on the roof brace. So only the back four supports were bolted to the frame.
It appears that JL front supports bolt to the frame rather than being just resting pads?

 

[DToxic]

The front stantion supports for the JK backbone just rested on the roof brace. So only the back four supports were bolted to the frame.
It appears that JL front supports bolt to the frame rather than being just resting pads?

So better load distribution. Thanks !

 

[RubenZ]

Ya the appeal to the backbone system was so that rack and mounts could come out with hard top when you went topless but either way you have to unscrew pieces. So honestly I see no real advantage to this over the Maximus-3 system.

 

[Deltabarone]

the new backbone/pioneer system is top notch. cant wait to get my tent setup

View attachment 105464

Have you ever removed the rear hardtop with the rack on? Im assuming it’s a little heavier? Are there any other snags when removing the rear hardtop? Thanks I’m advance.

 

[s.i JEEP]

Ya the appeal to the backbone system was so that rack and mounts could come out with hard top when you went topless but either way you have to unscrew pieces. So honestly I see no real advantage to this over the Maximus-3 system.

With the JKU Backbone system all you had to do was remove the original 6 bolts in the rear and the 2 in the front to remove the hardtop and roof rack so no added work besides the weight increase. I currently have the maximus 3 jlu roof rack and I can tell you right now that my hardtop is never coming off because of the amount of work involved in removing it now. So hopefully Rhino Rack maintained the simplicity of their backbone system.

 

[Vegas_Sirk]

I still would like to see one of these in a full length.

 

[DToxic]

With the JKU Backbone system all you had to do was remove the original 6 bolts in the rear and the 2 in the front to remove the hardtop and roof rack so no added work besides the weight increase. I currently have the maximus 3 jlu roof rack and I can tell you right now that my hardtop is never coming off because of the amount of work involved in removing it now. So hopefully Rhino Rack maintained the simplicity of their backbone system.

how do you like your maximus-3? Any wind noise/noticeable change in driveability?

 

[s.i JEEP]

how do you like your maximus-3? Any wind noise/noticeable change in driveability?

The maximus 3 is well built and solid. I haven't noticed any increase in wind noises over the normal noise that comes with driving a jeep.

 

[aml]

It is hard to tell from the photos...it looks like the 6 lower bolts would be easy to disconnect like the regular hardtop, but I can’t tell if the forward bracket will need to be disassembled in order for the hardtop to be removed. I obviously am hoping for no.

 

[s.i JEEP]

It is hard to tell from the photos...it looks like the 6 lower bolts would be easy to disconnect like the regular hardtop, but I can’t tell if the forward bracket will need to be disassembled in order for the hardtop to be removed. I obviously am hoping for no.

I hope not as well. That's what sets it apart from the Maximus 3. I'm planning switching from the maximus 3 to the backbone if it maintains the simplicity.

 

[American Jeeper]

The maximus 3 is well built and solid. I haven't noticed any increase in wind noises over the normal noise that comes with driving a jeep.

There is a tiny bit of extra noise, but it would be the same with this solution. Based on what I see here, I am glad I went with Maximus-3.

 

[JeepGA]

With the JKU Backbone system all you had to do was remove the original 6 bolts in the rear and the 2 in the front to remove the hardtop and roof rack so no added work besides the weight increase. I currently have the maximus 3 jlu roof rack and I can tell you right now that my hardtop is never coming off because of the amount of work involved in removing it now. So hopefully Rhino Rack maintained the simplicity of their backbone system.

That's good to know. I must have misread / miswatched something on it that led me to believe it was simple.

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