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JL Sliding Roof Rack

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InfraPulse

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We have not yet come up with final weights...static closed, open or dynamic. We hope to be testing a lot here in the next couple weeks. I can say for sure that it will be at least 600lbs evenly distributed in the static closed position. May I ask, in what scenario would you need 800 lbs static?

Hopefully not 16 weeks lead time! We intend to pre-build so hopefully just a few weeks at most... But demand certainly can play a role here.

We are working on the JL version in parallel with the JK, so design wont take much longer. Creating all new instruction sets, media, jigs and fixtures, and packaging, and of course manufacturing... This takes time!

We are still on track for JK = Spring and JL = Summer. :fingerscrossed:
Thanks for the speedy update! Sounds great. I'll be checking in frequently -- I'm very excited!

The 800lb figure wasn't for any specific scenario I could reasonably think of. You'd have to pile a lot on there to get up to that weight. I'm just comparing it back to the gobi rack since they're similar (although I'm loving your concept a lot more).
A typical heavy scenario I can think of would be two people in a rooftop tent. While I haven't done more than a single google search for average tent weights (100-220lbs), I can come up with a rough number for things. Using averages for everything: 187lb male, 152lb female, and 160lb tent, you're looking at 499lbs for a male and female, and 534lbs for two males. I realize these are all still below 600, but I like to have as much buffer room as reasonably possible. I guess the 600lbs is a safety percentage of the real failing limit, but I like to know what I'm working with.

Really looking forward to this! :)
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Hey Jeepers! Sorry for the delay, but we have been working long and hard to get this roof rack ready for production! We’re making good progress on the Jeep JKU, just need to tidy up a few details and accessories, and hope to start on the production jigs next week. So it won’t be long now! We’re still shooting for mid to late summer for the JLU version. Stay tuned for more release info and photos! Questions and comments are always welcome!

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Dubeau9005

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Hey Jeepers! Sorry for the delay, but we have been working long and hard to get this roof rack ready for production! We’re making good progress on the Jeep JKU, just need to tidy up a few details and accessories, and hope to start on the production jigs next week. So it won’t be long now! We’re still shooting for mid to late summer for the JLU version. Stay tuned for more release info and photos! Questions and comments are always welcome!

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I can’t wait for this to be released. Was looking at other options but worry my wife won’t be able or want to lift up a rack to be able to open the soft top. She has a hard enough time removing the freedom panels only when we have our hard top on. Your rack is the only possible solution and am looking very forward to it’s release as well as seeing more pics and info about it. Awesome job guys. If you ever need someone to test it, let me know.
 

RubenZ

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I don’t get the point of this honestly? All that fab, and material, just to slide it out so you can flip back soft top? What if you had items on the top. How much can the rails hold?
 

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Dubeau9005

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I don’t get the point of this honestly? All that fab, and material, just to slide it out so you can flip back soft top? What if you had items on the top. How much can the rails hold?
Basically, yes. For some such as my wife, the Gobi rack and similar ones that have to be lifted up to open and close the soft top wouldn’t be very useful as she wouldn’t be able to do it herself and it is her DD. Or even if she could do it, I doubt she would want to do it every time she wanted to open the top. This one should be very easy to operate alone and slide out of instead of having to be lifted up. This is the only option for us for her without having to remove it every time we didn’t need a rack so she could open the soft top. Based on the stats they have provided, it should be able to slide out with at least 300 lbs on it. Which is more than we would ever have up there and need to slide the rack.
 

InfraPulse

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To add onto this, on longer road trips and adventures, I don't want to be forced to unload everything off the rack just so I can take the roof up or down. I put the soft top on in the summer because it's a lot quicker to put down than dealing with the freedom panels all the time. Having a rack on top that either doesn't move easily, or requires me to take everything off first, feels like it would cause me to not want to put the top down as often.
Plus the awning idea sounds kinda cool too.
 
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Here is a quick video with a few more pictures! Check it out and let us know what you think. We're doing some load testing over the next few days and hope to have some numbers soon.

 

Dubeau9005

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Here is a quick video with a few more pictures! Check it out and let us know what you think. We're doing some load testing over the next few days and hope to have some numbers soon.

Any chance of getting a function video as you guys are doing the load testing? Curious to see how it will open and close as well as some pictures of the rack. Understand it is not final product but haven’t seen many great pictures yet.
 

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@lodoffroad : will the rack be able to lock closed, open, or midway in its side "Drawer slider's" travels?
 

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Any chance of getting a function video as you guys are doing the load testing? Curious to see how it will open and close as well as some pictures of the rack. Understand it is not final product but haven’t seen many great pictures yet.
No Video yet, we are currently test fitting parts off of production jigs so kind of in disarray at the moment. So far looks like the static load limit will be 800lbs closed and dynamic (driving) load will be 300lbs. Below are a couple pictures, the skid is loaded with steel discs weighing 400lbs. On top of that we had 2 (200lb) guys standing on the top. Dont really have many good photos, but hopefully get some functional video soon. Also swapped the soft top for the hard top the other day. The whole process was simple and literally took about 15 minutes tops to get the soft top off and the hard top on! :like:

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Rahneld

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@lodoffroad: If I were you I would seriously consider creating a housing for those slides, such that when they are in their closed position they are protected from the elements. I'd even consider the opening in that enclosure to have brush hair material to keep out airborne junk.

While I can't speak to your specific slides aside from your more recently released prototype pictures, in general, the thing that makes these devices work, is also what in short order will have dust and dirt cling to them such that they'll "lock" all right, into the closed position for good. It is simply not enough to make them from rust/corrosion minimal materials--but then again--you guys know steel--so who am I to tell you. From pictures, the slides you're using don't seem to have sealed bearings. I'd be thrilled to be wrong.

Second, while all racks face two basic load thresholds, static and dynamic, yours facing a third: open/cantilevered and closed. Adjustable length vertical support members (at least two) that connect the open rack to the ground to account for owner's lifts/tires and height off the ground, that support that cantilever, IMHO are not an option.

I am curious to find out what the load limits are for your new rack fully cantilevered. It may turn out that this sliding functionality can't coexist well with all but minor weights on the rack. Even if this is the case, I'm fine to live with a fully loaded rack that can't let me take the top down, or require me to keep one of its sections of the rack vacant to do so.

I don't want to sound like a downer or competitor. I'm your hugest fan. But engineering doesn't lie. Even Dunn & Watson, the Australian leader in offroading slides (you may be making your own, using another vendor's) will tell you that their 500 lb slides https://dunnandwatson.com.au/shop/4wd/drawer-slides/heavy-duty-drawer-slides-227kg-titan-series/ (a.k.a. 227kg) are only rated on 500mm slides, not the near 1702mm ones you'll need in length, let alone fully extended.

I know you did this well with the original JK version of the rack, sliding to the rear with people sitting on top. But that was a different tracks mechanism (it wasn't [fully] telescoping) and it wasn't fully cantilevered--itself coming at a "price" of no storage ability above where the Freedom Panels are when the rack is closed.

LOD.jpg


I would be thrilled to be wrong.
 

msujedi

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No Video yet, hopefully get some functional video soon. Also swapped the soft top for the hard top the other day. The whole process was simple and literally took about 15 minutes tops to get the soft top off and the hard top on! :like:
I'd love to see a video of roof swapping with this rack mounted! I'm also interested in seeing how much weight it will support when fully slid out.
 

Rahneld

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I'd love to see a video of roof swapping with this rack mounted! I'm also interested in seeing how much weight it will support when fully slid out.
I could be entirely wrong Jed but I just don't see swapping tops without removing the sliding basket from the base, and disconnected the rear cross member of the base beforehand, unless you've got a ceiling lift that can take that hard top straight up.

: - )

~~~~~~~~~~

I hope I'm wrong.
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