anyone using Yakima Landing Pads and Skyline Towers on a JL hardtop?

[STW]

Has anyone found a Yakima Landing Pad model that fits the curve of the outer edge of the JL hardtop? Maybe a flat Landing pad like the #6 sitting right on that edge would focus weight there? Assumes drilling through the hardtop to bolt on Landing Pads which I'm reluctant to do, so just considering ideas for racks that can support a roof top tent on a JL two door Rubicon.

I want to put the load-bearing right on the outer corner edge of the roof where it seems to support weight best. The rain gutters support too, but it seems like the best load-bearing roof racks for the JL hardtop put weight on that top outer edge arch of the roof.

Any other drill-through roof rack options for the JL hardtop I should consider? Seems like there's a FrontRunner rack for JL hardtop that uses drill-through.

I'm not considering Yakima rain gutter towers which is the only roof rack Yakima approves for the JL. The gutter towers are taller than they need to be for the flat JL roof and they put all the weight on the gutter anyway, and I'd rather spread the load-bearing to the roof edge too for a heavy static load like a roof tent.

I'm coming from 21 years in a TJ (original owner) where this LandingPad hack is a successful way to rig a load-bearing roof rack on a TJ hardtop which has fewer roof rack options than a JL. In my forum search I'm seeing some good options for JL racks but wanted to check if anyone has tried LandingPads/Skyline Towers on a JL first since I'm familiar with that stuff.

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[Shark Attack]

I'm getting ready to install tracks near that outer edge so that I can use Landing Pad 1's and Skyline towers. Each track will be anchored with about 8-10 screws and yuuuge screw-on plastic nuts. I've got no qualms about drilling through the hardtop...did the same on my daughter's 2012 JK with no issues. I like the tracks for the flexibility they provide as far as where the landing pads need to be for various set-ups (bikes, basket/platform or RTT).

 

[Wkaz]

I'm getting ready to install tracks near that outer edge so that I can use Landing Pad 1's and Skyline towers. Each track will be anchored with about 8-10 screws and yuuuge screw-on plastic nuts. I've got no qualms about drilling through the hardtop...did the same on my daughter's 2012 JK with no issues. I like the tracks for the flexibility they provide as far as where the landing pads need to be for various set-ups (bikes, basket/platform or RTT).

What kind of tracks? Been looking ,haven't found any yet.

 

[STW]

I'm getting ready to install tracks near that outer edge so that I can use Landing Pad 1's and Skyline towers. Each track will be anchored with about 8-10 screws and yuuuge screw-on plastic nuts. I've got no qualms about drilling through the hardtop...did the same on my daughter's 2012 JK with no issues. I like the tracks for the flexibility they provide as far as where the landing pads need to be for various set-ups (bikes, basket/platform or RTT).

How much weight did you put up there on that JK roof on the Yakima tracks?
Yakima tracks would be my first choice for roof mount if they work on the vehicle.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to put my roof-top-tent on the JL hard top. The tent is not very heavy itself (125 lbs), but with two people sleeping up there it needs to hold some static weight.

I'm carrying this roof-top-tent now on a TJ hard top, drilled through with four Yakima landing pads. I think the Yakima tracks might give more support on a hard top than isolated landing pads(?).

This set-up seems to work fine so far on the TJ roof.

TJ roof wasn't designed to hold weight like that (so fingers crossed).
But the JL hard top was strengthened somewhat compared to the TJ (maybe JK too?)
I'm thinking the JL hardtop should hold more weight than the TJ hardtop, if you mount the tracks at the outer top edges of the roof. Maybe, but I'm less willing to experiment on a new JL hardtop than I was on my 21 year old TJ.

 

[Shark Attack]

What kind of tracks? Been looking ,haven't found any yet.

Rack Attack had Thule, said they were "better" than Yakima. I had them give me a bunch of the big plastic nuts that the Yakima system uses.

 

[Shark Attack]

How much weight did you put up there on that JK roof on the Yakima tracks?
Yakima tracks would be my first choice for roof mount if they work on the vehicle.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to put my roof-top-tent on the JL hard top. The tent is not very heavy itself (125 lbs), but with two people sleeping up there it needs to hold some static weight.

I'm carrying this roof-top-tent now on a TJ hard top, drilled through with four Yakima landing pads. I think the Yakima tracks might give more support on a hard top than isolated landing pads(?).

This set-up seems to work fine so far on the TJ roof.

TJ roof wasn't designed to hold weight like that (so fingers crossed).
But the JL hard top was strengthened somewhat compared to the TJ (maybe JK too?)
I'm thinking the JL hardtop should hold more weight than the TJ hardtop, if you mount the tracks at the outer top edges of the roof. Maybe, but I'm less willing to experiment on a new JL hardtop than I was on my 21 year old TJ.

Just paddle boards on the JK, but it had a body colored top (vs black on my JL) and looked to be as strong a design as the current model. At a minimum, I will carry bikes. I may one day get a hard shell RTT...in which case I'd likely carry bikes on top of it.

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