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Maximus-3 JL Roof Rack System

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Maximus-3

Maximus-3

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Evening all - I have the Maximus-3 (short) rack mounted on my JL. My RTT (ARB Simpson III) is currently mounted on my trailer, but considering moving it to the roof rack... a couple of questions:

1) Hey Maximus-3! Is it possible to upgrade the short rack to the long rack without completely replacing the existing?
2) What are the crossbars that mount the tent to the Pioneer Platform? Can I get pictures and maybe a parts list (cross bars, mounting brackets)

Awesome setup.. thank you all!!!
Thanks @MRFISH,

1.) I'm going with no on this one. While it's not impossible..it would be just very difficult, expensive, and time consuming.
The hardest part would be sourcing dozens of components to morph a short into a long (Maximus-3 dose not carry/sell the individual components)

2.) Crossbars come in handy when mounting via "U-Bolts," which tend to come standard with many of the tents. Here is a link some of the crossbars. http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/prod...cessory-bar-hd-c-channel-1360mm-4-4ft-_43120b

Please see our previous posts about tent mounting solutions (lag-bolts, frontrunner quick disconnect, etc)
Maximus-3 provides a strong & sturdy base great for mount RTT's. But there is not a universal mount that works best for every tent and every person.
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Maximus-3

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@Maximus-3

Hey for those of you who have done this install I had a quick question. Wouldn't it be easier to mount the brackets onto the rolle bars first, place top on and just mark the holes where the bracket touches the inside of hard top. Then just pull top back a bit, drill and move it back forward and bolt it right up. It just seems like extra work to remove top, measure, and do all these measurements and then put it back on.
Maximus-3 only recommends following the installation guide (measuring and drilling from top-down) This method has many built-in references to help ensure accuracy.

Many people share your opinion, but it's not necessarily easier. If you drill from the inside you'd need to adjust the outside mounting legs to match your drill points. The low profile nature of our rack does not leave a lot of room to make outside adjustments in place. You'd most likely need to take the rack on/off the hardtop several times to get the adjustments perfectly dialed in. I have talked to people who went this route and it is definitely possible.
Also, drilling from inside is riskier because there are no built-in fail safes.

Regardless which way you choose: take your time, measure twice & drill once.
 
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I'm torn between sunrider top with short platform or no sunrider and long platform... .. Ughhh. Havent had either so hard to say. Also torn between 1 or 2 ladders. Did I mention I'm torn between flat top (longer items like ladder, boards sit better) or one with rails (added safety and looks cool). I'm not helping much with this thread am I???
Food 4 Thought
* Long provides a bigger surface (about 6 more sq/ft for cargo)
* Short can still carry large objects (kayaks & most tents) but they may overhang the platform itself. Nothing wrong with overhang, all that matters is the large object's mounting dimensions fitting the 60" x 54" of the short rack.
* After initial install, the rail kits would dismount/mount in about 15 minutes each. It's only about 12 bolts holding the rail to the Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform. You can easily switch between rail and no-rail.
 

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Maximus-3 only recommends following the installation guide (measuring and drilling from top-down) This method has many built-in references to help ensure accuracy.

Many people share your opinion, but it's not necessarily easier. If you drill from the inside you'd need to adjust the outside mounting legs to match your drill points. The low profile nature of our rack does not leave a lot of room to make outside adjustments in place. You'd most likely need to take the rack on/off the hardtop several times to get the adjustments perfectly dialed in. I have talked to people who went this route and it is definitely possible.
Also, drilling from inside is riskier because there are no built-in fail safes.

Regardless which way you choose: take your time, measure twice & drill once.
Thanks. I ordered my setup from Northridge but the brackets are backordered 7-10. They told me they will be drop shipping to me from you all I guess. I can't wait!!! I'll do it as per the instructions.
 

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I seem to have a water leak issue after reinstalling the roof rack. Used to keep the water out quite well at first, but after taking the rack off for a month and putting it back on, the seals got squashed during the first install and some minor leaks appeared.
Do you sell the washers kit separately?
Another thing is the tightening order. My HT started to squeak from time to time. I think I may have tightened the HT bolts too much. Some tightening order plus recommended torque would be much appreciated.
Otherwise, I could not be happier :)
 

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Thanks for bringing this to our attention @danwil,
This is the ever first report of leaking. I suspect it's due to over tightening that led to rubber gasket failure. Please direct message us with your shipping address and we will send you a complete set of rubber gaskets, free of charge.

Tightening Order & Torque Specs
1st - Top bracket to outside mounting leg (7-8 ft/lbs)
2nd - Bottom bracket to sports bar (17-18 ft/lbs)
3rd - Inside brackets, horizontal bolts (17-18 ft/lbs)


We will be adding this info to our install guide. As you can see these bolts do not require a lot of torque. Glad you are happy with the rack. We will get you back to waterproof status.

Cheers, Maximus-3
 

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Hi @cmmurray77

1.) Hoisting by the roof rack for storage purposes is NOT Recommend.
2.) You could hoist up the rack/roof, move the jeep out of the way, and then lower the rack/top safely to the ground.

Basically suspending the rack for any significant amount of time will greatly increase your chance of "fiberglass creep" or "fiberglass fatigue"
Is this any different than suspending the top without the rack? I don’t have the room to store the top on the ground. Maybe I could look for a different hook solution to reach around the rack underneath the top itself as if it’s not there.
 

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Hi @Dalingrin,

To carry multiple kayaks you'll need a holder such as the folding J-Style Kayak Carrier from Rhino Rack. I can get you any of their accessories.
Hope this helps

S512X-Folding-J-Style-Kayak-Carrier-Extension-01_lrg.jpg
I have a similar J style carrier that I use on another vehicle but was worried it would nearly impossible to get on the Maximus 3 rack due to being so low profile.
 
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Is this any different than suspending the top without the rack? I don’t have the room to store the top on the ground. Maybe I could look for a different hook solution to reach around the rack underneath the top itself as if it’s not there.
Hoisting by the roof rack puts the complete load on four roof rack mounting points. Our stance is the mounts and hardtop are strong enough to temporarily lift the top. But if suspended for long periods of time your hardtop may experience fiberglass creep, fatigue, warping, or potential damage. We are urging people exercise caution when hoisting from our roof rack to avoid damage to the multi-thousand dollar hardtop.

There are hoist products made by other companies, most of them hook into the bottom edge of the hardtop. I would contact them about how safe their products are for long term storage.

I'm sure there is something out there that will help you achieve your goal.
 
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I have a similar J style carrier that I use on another vehicle but was worried it would nearly impossible to get on the Maximus 3 rack due to being so low profile.
There is one easy way to mount accessories on top of the Maximus-3 roof rack...by using channel-nuts.
The Maximus-3 roof rack features the Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform which includes channels on the top of the planks. These channels allow channel-nuts to be inserted into the plank, and then you bolt the accessories to the channel nuts.

In most cases, channel nuts provide an easy and secure way to mount a variety of accessories. Maximus-3 has channel nuts for sale, give us a call if you want to order some.

upload_2019-4-3_13-46-6.jpeg

Picture (grabbed from google): featuring Rhino Rack's Pioneer Eyebolt Kit, which uses channel nuts.
 

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There is one easy way to mount accessories on top of the Maximus-3 roof rack...by using channel-nuts.
The Maximus-3 roof rack features the Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform which includes channels on the top of the planks. These channels allow channel-nuts to be inserted into the plank, and then you bolt the accessories to the channel nuts.

In most cases, channel nuts provide an easy and secure way to mount a variety of accessories. Maximus-3 has channel nuts for sale, give us a call if you want to order some.

upload_2019-4-3_13-46-6.jpeg

Picture (grabbed from google): featuring Rhino Rack's Pioneer Eyebolt Kit, which uses channel nuts.
Just for clarification, the Rhino Rack eyebolt kit is not using actual channel nuts. They are using drilled and tapped flat stock which is about twice as long as actual channel nuts. The Rhino Rack kit would be good for heavy loads to reduce the chance of distorting the rails. However, I used actual channel nuts, eyebolts, and ratchet straps to secure my RTT to the rack when I purchased it then drove 600 miles home with no issues. So...
 
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Just for clarification, the Rhino Rack eyebolt kit is not using actual channel nuts. They are using drilled and tapped flat stock which is about twice as long as actual channel nuts. The Rhino Rack kit would be good for heavy loads to reduce the chance of distorting the rails. However, I used actual channel nuts, eyebolts, and ratchet straps to secure my RTT to the rack when I purchased it then drove 600 miles home with no issues. So...
You are correct, the Rhino Rack Pioneer Eye Bolts use a longer channel nut.
 

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Hey all. I got my parts in, assembled pioneer rack, removed sound bar, marked the rear drill holes. We are supposed to get bad weather the next few days and can’t store hard top and Jeep in garage together. As I was going over things, is it actually necessary to remove the hard top? Doesn’t seem like it is.
 
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