Looking to add something like this to the top of my 99 Cherokee...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004R34HDC

Right now I have a bare roof without the roof rails. I can not find any sort of roof rail system for the Cherokee on the internet. I am sure I could find one at a junk yard but I figured I would look here for answered from you guys first.

I have seen the gutter mounts for roof racks before but would like any ideas on how to securely mount this Rola roof rack to my jeep. And keep it low as possible!

Thanks!

 

I don't recommend gutter mounting it. It's pretty weak right there. There are some carnage pictures of the corners piercing through the gutters. I recommend getting the factory roof rack rails with the two crossbars. The rack gets clamped down to the two crossbars. It would be a lot stronger and safer than using the gutters.

The holes for the rack are in every xj? Right?

 

Uh, not quite.. gutter mounting isn't bad at all if done properly. It's all about properly distributing the force... If I were making my own rack, I would use SEVERAL of the gutter mounts. It's better to over-kill it than not. B. Lee makes some pretty sweet racks and uses gutter-mounts. I think 3 per side.

 

I just installed a Yakima rain gutter base rack on my jeep. It's pretty ridged to my surprise but has a weight limit of 165 pounds.

 

I disagree.

 

I don't know what vehicle you're talking about but it's certainly not a Jeep Cherokee XJ. The stock rails just go onto the roof sheet metal. The stock cross bars are incredibly weak (held together with plastic) and the entire system should not be used for more than 200 lbs. I've put about 180 lbs up there before and it was very sketchy.

The holes are not present of the XJ was shipped without a rack from the factory. You can grab one from a junkyard and drill holes if you like, do it properly or you'll get leaks. Take the time to verify how it's mounted.

The gutter is the strongest location on an XJ to mount anything on the roof. Every single aftermarket basket uses them and easily will carry 500 lbs.

 

Seriously, I don't know how somebody can think a piece of plastic held into thin sheet metal by nutserts (right?) is stronger than the gutter mounts...

 

Meh, I would rather have the plastic break than the gutters.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/showth...730&styleid=15

Maybe if it's setup properly.

 

I saw the same thread, but the links are broken... again it all boils down to being done properly... I would rather NOTHING break, because then you could kill/injure somebody and I wouldn't want to be liable for that. I would never trust that to the stock roof bars...

 

There shouldn't be enough weight up there to break anything in the first place.

 

Seams like operator error. Two mounts on each side and to much weight. I'd say six mounts should be the minimum.



He is prepared.

 

Gutter mounts! My rack is attached with 8 mounts and I load that thing down with all kinds of crap. VERY STURDY!

 

There are no pictures in that thread anymore. Regardless, I've seen damaged gutters in the past. It's not pretty, indeed, but it happens when they are over stressed and improperly loaded, which takes a LOT more than it does to kill the stock cross bars. As in 500 lbs worth of gear and driving at speed over washboarded roads. And when *part* the gutter DOES fail, all the **** on your roof probably isn't going to fly off and kill someone on the highway.

 

Yeah... that's not going anywhere. My stock 1999's rack starts to creak and flex when you get 50 lbs up there.

 

That's an opinion... keep in mind people keep spare tires on their racks... and high lifts... and lights.. it adds up fast.