Adding a luggage rack to your rbv

[chayse brooks]

Original Poster: chayse brooks

Difficulty: 3 out of 10

Time to install: 30 minutes

Disclaimer: The Ranger Station.com, The Ranger Station.com Staff, nor the original poster are responsible for you doing this modification to your vehicle. By doing this modification and following this how-to you, the installer, take full responsibility if anything is damaged or messed up. If you have questions, feel free to PM the original poster or ask in the appropriate section of The Ranger Station.com forums.

Brief Explanation: To add an explorer luggage rack to the roof of your rbv you will need to drill holes to place nutserts into and then use a grommet around the bolts for water proofing

Tools Needed:
- nutsert tool
- some sockets
- hand drill and drill bit that fits the nutsert size

Parts Needed:
- explorer luggage rack from the early 90s (I used a 1992)
- nutserts and bolts
- wiring grommets that are snug around the bolt

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Steps 1:
Make sure the luggage rack is square and place onto the roof, making sure you measure from the same points on both sides (I used my roof gutters as a good point to measure, and for the front and back measurements I used the back hatch opening for a measuring point). Once it is square mark the factory bolt holes on the racks rails with a marker.
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Steps 2:
Drill out the holes making sure they are the proper diameter for the nutserts you are using and make sure you do not drill through your headliner.
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Steps 3:
Using the nutsert tool place the nutserts in the holes and secure them. Next bolt down the luggage rack adding the rubber grommets to the bolts between the rack rail and your roof
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After all the bolts are tightened you can now place anything you want on your luggage rack for me I chose a roof basket and my hi-lift jack.

--- This could work on a canopy of a ranger or roof of a ranger with some light modification to the rack its self--- in my example I used an 85 bronco II which the rack fit on perfectly.

 

[Mark_88]

Cool...do you have any pics of this finished?

I have an extended cab Ranger and wanted to put something on top for carrying extra junk when needed..so I would want to know how that fits if possible...or is this only for the BII style roofs that are not removable?

 

[chayse brooks]

I dont have pictures right now but I can get some next week, I believe it would work for a canopy as long as it is wide enough. Ill measure the length and with next week and take some pictures to.

 

[AllanD]

Some Jeep Cherokee use the same rail style as the Bronco2, but with longer rails and a different mounting screw spacing.

I used Cherokee rails to add a luggage rack to my Aluminum topper...

I also intend to mount rails to the roof of my Supercab this will facilitate my making a hail shield for my Sunroof...

That being said I have a Marson "thread setter" kit, so when I do it nobody will be able to tell that ford didn't install it on the assembly line...