Just a general question, I'm about to start making a roof rack for my Disco following Safety Devices layout (I would buy one but they don't have anything in stock right now and I don't want to spend more that $500) and my question is, what you mount the brackets to the roof rails, do you have to cut the plastic trim or how do you clamp it to the roof without drilling any holes.

Also I noticed many people remove the stock roof rails so the rack fits snugly, and I was wondering what they did with the holes in the roof.

 

you can leave the plastic on no drilling required. it clamps to the metal behind the plastic.

can't help you with remove the roof rails my rack fits over them

 

try craigslist..bought 2 that way...you will get for $500.00

and don't take off the stock ones..your asking for trouble..

 

Just be careful when buying on line, many times you land up with a bunch of rusted joints.
Can't really buy and have one shipped to you cause that can cost from $150 to $200.
Good ones will run close to $1000.
Make sure whatever you buy, inspect it first and make sure it comes with every piece of mounting hardware needed.

 

Bought mine from a junk yard for $150, no rust, it is a SD.
Leave the roof rails alone.
It just clamps in place, the SD racks are set up so the brackets are overtop the "pillars", os the front bracket sits over the "A" pillar, then "B" pillar, etc. for the must load distribution.
I cannot speak of other brands.

 

Can I get some pictures of the clamps please? Some close ups? I'm going to fabricate my own rack for fun and I would like to see how the clamps are supposed to work instead of designing my own.

 

30more just picked one up in Colorado springs area on craiglist for cheap nice condition they are out there you just have to look around.... I haven't figured out how to post pictures yet but you can pm me your number and I will text you some pictures or you can look around the forum there are plenty already posted.

 

Did the best I could without actually removing one of the brackets.

Bottom, has threaded hole for pulling the rack down closer to the roof, I dont do that.



Sandwiches the rain gutter, I bought new stainless steel hex bolts and lock washers.



Top looking down.



Looking from the backside.

 

Thanks for the upload spike. I'm going to be designing a roof rack and hopefully begin construction in a few weeks. Right now I'm devoting time to building a solid rear bumper that I designed and hopefully getting a winch soon. So many freakin things to do, not enough time.