Roof Rack Capacity

[B_to_C]

i have always been interested in having a roof rack on top of my blazer but was worried if the fiberglass could handle the weight of whatever's on there. but last week i bumped into a fellow k5 owner in a parking lot who had an aftermaket roof rack on with a spare and a hi-lift mounted...the exact setup i wanted. he has had no problems and gave me some tips on installing it. so yesterday i went and ordered mine. basically how much can i put up there without worrying about cracking the top? for example could i put two 35" spares up there???

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I have an extra top that is sitting in the yard and my 85 lb dog jumps on top of it and lays on it constantly. /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif I cringe every time he does that. It hasn't developed any cracks or damaged it. A roof rack will put the weight on the outside edges of the top where it is stronger. Given that, I would guess that 100 lbs is all I'd put up there.

 

[Sandman]

I had mine full of firewood once. I also ran a 35" spare and a highlift for a few years. That top is pretty strong I've walked around on it carrying tires and stuff and it didnt break.

 

[Bone85K5]

I am 245 and have stood on mine numerous times with no worries

 

[jekbrown]

i can stand on top my top no problem... i weigh about 195. I think when it comes to a rack, if you plan on running a lot of weight up there and u r worried about the top, just have it mount in 6 or 8 points to distribute the load.

j

 

[Grim-Reaper]

There has been quite a few pictures show up here with K5's on their lids. Top is a lot stronger then you think. The key is the strenth is at the edge of the top. I have used my 79 as a photo platform and stood on it many times. Never even creaks with my 215 lb as long as I stay on the edge.

 

[Fry]

I have always wondered if I could chuck my spare up there. Now that the tops strenght has been discussed, do you guys think the stock rails are strong enough?

 

[Fubeca]

I have stock roof rack, the rails around the outside are strong enough -- but the inner part is just sitting right on the roof. I stuck my 31" stock spare up there for a few minutes and drove around the mile. It was bouncing the top and creaking so much I thought for sure it was going to fall through. I'm working on a rack that mounts to the outside frame of the top that distributes the wieght keeping it away from the middle. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[jekbrown]

roof oughta be able to support a spare... only question is, can you lift your spare that high? a 31 is one thing... a 40" tire is somethin else. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

j

 

[Fry]

I don't think a guy would be able to fit a 40 inside the rails on a stock roof rack would they?
I only have 33s for now, but am getting 3/4 tons so might step up a few inches

 

[jekbrown]

not in the stock roofrack AFAIK. I was just pointing it out cause I think some peeps think about mounting their spare up high somewhere and forget that those suckers can weigh a lot! My 39.5s + eatons are almost 125 pounds each. getting them into the bed of my rig is a serious trial.. let alone up on top! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

j

 

[Fry]

so I was a little confused I thought you replied to me