'Exo Rack' With Soft Top Concept

[HoldMyPocket]

I don't own a soft top yet (eventually going to buy the Bestop) and was wondering if it would be possible to fab up something like this to sit on the bed rails with the soft top in place. How much give is in the soft top frame to allow for a length of angle iron on the bedrail underneath the soft top rail?

 

[PolarrrBearrr]

So, I've been considering one of these not only for my EB but also for my FSB. On the FSB I cut down a hard top and attached the softop to that - but in the case of the EB, couldn't you fab the bracket so that the "exo rack" bolted to the body, but the mount for the sofftop was incorporated into the top of the plate that bolts the exo rack to the bed rail?

This way, you don't have to worry about the give of the softtop rail.

I don't know about the one you have shown, but the one that was built like that for the FSB had a huge plate that sat on top of the entire bed rail - its much more than just two brackets like a contractor rack for a pickup. It ran the whole length of the bed rail. (It was also a dealer option from Ford. It is normally referred to as a "boat rack"). This is probably the best picture I can find that shows the mount to the body. http://chrisb.users.superford.org/Bronco/Projects/Boat_Rack/Boat_Rack_11.JPG

 

[DirtDonk]

They look like they could be the same rack. Hard to see for sure in the first pic, but it looks to have the full mount brace over the rail as well.

I would think you could do it either way though. The soft top's own bottom rail bolts to the stock bolt holes and runs pretty much the full length of the bed rail. So raising it up 1/8" or so (or whatever the thickness of the new plate is) should not cause too much trouble.
The will be a natural misalignment of course. And the thicker the steel of the rack, the more the misalignment with the doors. I would think the mounting points between front and back wouldn't be too effected. But the seal around the doors would have to be addressed, as well as anything else you can think of.

The rear window/liftgate area would be a tiny bit tighter, but with a Bestop that might be a good thing.
There should be enough material slack to not have any negative effect on how it attaches to the front windshield frame.
The main bows mount to the bed rails struts, so go up an equal amount, so main tension adjustments there would be relatively unaffected.
I just can't picture what you'd have to do at the door ends to compensate. Maybe nothing, maybe more than nothing!

Obviously, the thinner your rack's brace is, the better. But it sounds doable.
Maybe someone can get you shots of their Bestop's interface there between the bed rail and door/window frame. That'll be the key.
Along with installing it on a warm day too of course.

Paul
Paul

 

[HoldMyPocket]

So, I've been considering one of these not only for my EB but also for my FSB. On the FSB I cut down a hard top and attached the softop to that - but in the case of the EB, couldn't you fab the bracket so that the "exo rack" bolted to the body, but the mount for the sofftop was incorporated into the top of the plate that bolts the exo rack to the bed rail?

This way, you don't have to worry about the give of the softtop rail.

I don't know about the one you have shown, but the one that was built like that for the FSB had a huge plate that sat on top of the entire bed rail - its much more than just two brackets like a contractor rack for a pickup. It ran the whole length of the bed rail. (It was also a dealer option from Ford. It is normally referred to as a "boat rack"). This is probably the best picture I can find that shows the mount to the body. http://chrisb.users.superford.org/Bronco/Projects/Boat_Rack/Boat_Rack_11.JPG

Thanks, this picture shows it A LOT better! I definitely agree that having a plate all along the bed rail would be much better.

 

[HoldMyPocket]

They look like they could be the same rack. Hard to see for sure in the first pic, but it looks to have the full mount brace over the rail as well.

I would think you could do it either way though. The soft top's own bottom rail bolts to the stock bolt holes and runs pretty much the full length of the bed rail. So raising it up 1/8" or so (or whatever the thickness of the new plate is) should not cause too much trouble.
The will be a natural misalignment of course. And the thicker the steel of the rack, the more the misalignment with the doors. I would think the mounting points between front and back wouldn't be too effected. But the seal around the doors would have to be addressed, as well as anything else you can think of.

The rear window/liftgate area would be a tiny bit tighter, but with a Bestop that might be a good thing.
There should be enough material slack to not have any negative effect on how it attaches to the front windshield frame.
The main bows mount to the bed rails struts, so go up an equal amount, so main tension adjustments there would be relatively unaffected.
I just can't picture what you'd have to do at the door ends to compensate. Maybe nothing, maybe more than nothing!

Obviously, the thinner your rack's brace is, the better. But it sounds doable.
Maybe someone can get you shots of their Bestop's interface there between the bed rail and door/window frame. That'll be the key.
Along with installing it on a warm day too of course.

Paul
Paul

I wonder if I could get by with just adding additional weather-stripping to make up for the gap.

 

[DirtDonk]

No, I would think you'd have to add a matching-height strip of metal or other solid material. The soft top uses a complete full-length rail with channel on it that the top hooks in to. If it's lifted only on the ends, anything soft used as a filler in the middle would bow the rail.
Whatever height the rack brackets are then, will have to be matched equally with solid material to keep the top rail straight and level.
And again, keeping the whole lift to the bare minimum would be better.

Paul

 

[matt w]

I had a wilderness rack that I used with both my hard top in the winter and sun shader top in the summer time. I really liked it and had it for years Someone should design a similar product for broncos.

Although I made my own design for my sun shader top for my current set-up if I ran a soft top I would like this wilderness rack set up for the Bronco!

AND actually in the summertime I would attacj my breezer material to the bottom of the wilderness rack so no need to attach to the windshield frame!

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/gav-34098?seid=srese1&gclid=COCJko_iqbsCFU3hQgodfToAlg

 

[xcntrk]

I had some ideas to fabricate a rack assembly just like this using bed rail plates for verticle support and even considered using the windshield channel for a frontal support. Never got around to doing anything with the idea and it's still sitting in the "lots of things to fabricate" pile. I did get a roof cargo/gear basket made which lends well to this concept. I was surprised how easy it was to build the basket and think a rack such as this wouldn't be too difficult to build.

 

[PolarrrBearrr]

In regards to the gap for the top, I'm not sure how it would work with the EB, but I've spoken to the two gentlemen who've had them on their Broncos and asked about leaking around the rear of the cab - considering that over the rails would be raised by the height of the steel bracket.

If I recall correctly, he told me that the gap was minimal, and that the weatherstripping was thick enough to keep water out. However, there is also a lip in that area that even if you didn't get a good seal, the water would hit the lip and run to either side of the truck.

I thought that there would be massive gaps, but I was overestimating the thickness of the bracket plate at the top of the rail.

While I am no where near being ready to fabricate one of these, I plan to so that I have a little extra storage and can slide my hardtop and softop on and off as I wished, without having to disassemble the half the truck. I was also considering modifying the design a bit, and extending the rack area to reach the top of the windshield (at least on the FSB - we'll see about the EB) which then gives me a place to mount roof lights, and an anchor point for limb risers should I go that way. It will also give more stability for when I have to mount my fishing kayak up there.

 

[Broncofan76]

SO this occurs to me. Its takes some "nerve" (maybe some beers) but what if you were to CUT the soft top rails and section out the space for the roof rack brackets to attach? The soft top material would still run flush over the top of the roof rack brackets and it would look great from the outside. And there would be no gaps above doors or along the center of the bed rails to consider. Additionally, you could weld "wings" to the brackets as seen from the inside of the truck to overlap the original mounting holes for the soft top rails. These extensions would have holes in em that lined up with soft top rails/bed rail holes and a bolt could be run through the all three holes to fiirm everything up and secure the rack well.

Not sure if that makes sense as I'm tired! I'll have a look at my truck in a few to see if this plan makes any sense at all! I'm gonna slam some redbull and head out to work on my roof rack now. I'll check in with you guys later.

 

[xcntrk]

It wouldn't be difficult to modify an existing soft-top rail system to support an Exo-rack. You'd definitely have a unique one-off that would only work with said soft-top, but wouldn't be too much work. The downside is I think my soft-top rails are all aluminum, so you'd have to work with that material.

 

[matt w]

anyone...?Class....? Anyone?

does anyone make these for an EB so that we can use over our soft tops or do i have to throw down!? Can't someone offer these PLEASE! You can use me as the "test rig" ;D....

 

[SurfCityEB66]

I wanted this same thing... so I developed a removable surf rack with the soft top and will be buying and modifying a Solo Chase rack to fit into the same holes... www.solomotorsports.com


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[matt w]

I wanted this same thing... so I developed a removable surf rack with the soft top and will be buying and modifying a Solo Chase rack to fit into the same holes... www.solomotorsports.com
View attachment 395468 View attachment 395469

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Now THAT rack looks SA-WEEEET! But, forgive me -- how do you keep the top from leaking or even tearing in the wind around the holes that go through the soft top? Does someone make some sort of bullet proof seal kit? If so how much would that cost? Do you have a link to that?

 

[sykanr0ng]

Look at the exo-racks made for the Land Rover Defender and Camel Trophy Land Rovers for some more ideas.

I've had something like this in mind, with the planned use of a BC top.
I asked them at PNW Broncos about using their rear quarter guards with a soft top since they are 3/16 inch thick and was told that a strip of metal along the top of the windshield frame would be a very good idea.

 

[chuzie]

Track down Paul Perry. He is a Carolina Broncos guy and is on facebook. He has a rack attached to his roll bar. The legs from the rack go through the soft top and I don't think he has water issues. It is pretty darn slick.