ok, so ive decided to give up on finding a decent roof rack (that i can afford)in upstate SC anytime soon. that being said im going to try to make my own out of 3/8" rebar. ive found some good info online for working with rebar and i think this has a decent chance of working and maybe even looking good. if the LOWES website is right i can pick up 50' of 3/8" in 10' sections for about $30 so im estimating a total cost of about $50 (this includes the plate stock i plan on usign to make the gutter brackets, a few nuts/bolts, spray paint) so naturaly itll end up being $200. ANY INPUT AT ALL is greatly appreciated. ill be following up shortly with steps/instructions and testing. im planing on taking pics along the way, with any luck i can get my fiance to show me how to load them on here.

 

Rebar is not a good material to make a roof rack from, it's very high carbon and very brittle, especially after welding.
If I saw someone driving down the road with a rack made from rebar, I'd get as far away from them as possible.

 

Don't give up on finding a rack. I just found a rack on Craigslist for $250 that was custom built for a Chevy van, fit my DII like a glove.

I agree with Tom that re-bar sounds very unsafe, I just think of anytime I see exposed re-bar sticking out of concrete, it's rusted and has razor sharp edges.....IMO, it seems like a lot of work that would end up frustrating the crap out of you if it didn't work out. Racks are expensive for a reason.

If you are set on making your own, you could try starting with some high gutter mounts made for work van racks and go from there...

Good luck with whatever you end up doing!

 

Are you thinking of just a cargo rack or an actual safari expedition rack. Rebar is very forgiving , but I believe you will find the weight will be the issue. Check your local Metal supply outlet and keep a close eye on their Boneyard or miscut piles for stock. Rebar is normally used for hidden gussets for added support. If you are just doing rock crawling and you are just packing gear on the trail , rebar would do for now. If you use your rover as a daily driver, you probably would rather have a conversation piece than a pat on the back for ingenuity. 1" 0.78 square tubing runs here for about $20.00 for a 20' length. I just did my hood rack and purchased from their boneyard 40' for $21.96. Long story short , the rebar rack would last you a lifetime, but in the end I do not believe it will get you the response you are looking for.

Todays Mod

 

Rebar is not used by anybody who knows anything about the metallurgy of rebar or who cares about the safety of other people on the road.

Yes, a lot of "backyard f**kups" (as a weldor I worked with called people who do such things) use it in inappropriate places, but that doesn't make it a good or smart choice.

There is a reason rebar is rarely welded in construction. Only low alloy ASTM A706 rebar is suitable for welding and a statement from the mill saying it's suitable for welding is required.

 

Antichrist is correct that only "W" grade rebar is welded in bridge construction applications. He is also correct that rebar will become brittle when welded. Most rebar is like pot metal from secondary smelters, a mix of garbage. Engineers hair would stand up if you even suggested rebar and for good reason in their world. Rebar has worked well for me on trail fix's, to get me home to do a proper repair. The "springiness" alone will deter you from making a rack from it. As for gussets, I would rather see a rebar gusset , than no gusset at all. It is a mute point, that dwells in the engineers world of structural failure in which forces are involved that would destroy a rover.

Just keep checking the metal supply houses for stock for miss cut tubing or lightly oxidized stock. It wont be long till you have enough material to do a good looking rack, Please post pics of your build.

 

We're not talking about a trailside fix where the only thing available is rebar.

That is no different than using chain, ratchet straps and shackles to relocate an axle because of a broken spring in order to get back off the trail. That doesn't mean it wouldn't completely stupid to build a rig using chain and ratchet straps in place of radius arms.

 

Nothing beats a good looking rack, please post pictures.

 

well guys looks like i doesnt matter what i build out of at this point. i spent the better half of thursday cutting and bending bar only to find out that my crappy chinese welder isnt working! seems that the wire feed motor is shot. so...until then all things are on hold. oh, and yes i do agree with everyone that rebar is not the best material to weld, but i dont plan on putting more than about 100-200lbs of camping gear on top and since this is my daily driver the off roading will be light at most. anyway. by the time i get the mig up to par...or have to buy a new one it will prob end up being more cost effective to just buy a rack.

 

If it was used off-road I wouldn't give a rat's *** what you use.
It's on the road with other drivers you obviously don't care if you're endangering that concerns me.
I'm glad your welder is dead.