[ninjamoses]

Chasing some opinions on what I should do with my roof basket.



Basically the fact it doesn't have a floor shits me to tears. I had a big plank of board up there for a while, but it looks crap and it squeaks something cruel when there is no load on it. I'm also not particularly taken with the fact the basket is a bolt together design as it squeaks/creaks every now and then.

Trying to decide whether its worth modifying this one to suit, or if I should get a rola vortex basket and weld some tabs on to suit?

If I was to weld in a mesh floor, I presume every contact point would need to be welded otherwise its asking for more squeaks. As powdercoated steel doesn't weld very well every contact point would need to be wire brushed back to metal also. While I'm at it I may as well cut the stupid brackets off and just weld the three pieces together at the same time.

I will then have to go get the lot powdercoated again, or just touch up the new/welded bits with paint. All in all it would probably turn out quite awesome, but it sounds like a shit tonne of work and not particularly cheap.

The alternative is a vortex roof basket and mod it to fit. Its already got a floor and its pretty much identical in size. I believe they are painted rather than powder coated so could be easily touched up afterwards. Main reasons for not going down this path is every man and his dog has one (but there is a reason for that - they look good) and the $$.

What would everyone else do?
- Keep using the wooden plank, buy some ear plugs and harden up?
- Mod the shit out of the current basket by welding in a new mesh floor
- Obtain a vortex basket and make it fit?

[laurie]

mod the shit out. of it then you get what you want.

[ninjamoses]

laurie wrote:

mod the shit out. of it then you get what you want.

I think you've convinced me already haha. I'll stop being such a girly man rip the grinder out this weekend.

[Fatzook]

If you were down the road from me I'd recommend putting a aluminium floor in that was dimple died for strength, weight and looks. Just run a thin bead of sikaflex along the top edges of the support bars, then just rivit the ally sheet down. The sika will stop vibrations, and the rivits will hold it all in place until the sika dries.

This also means that you won't have to stuff around welding shit or getting it powdercoated again.

[dano_mung]

Rola Vortex racks don't have a solid base.
Pretty sure they are powder coated too.
Mine has some dodgy welds with holes in them that I'm gonna get repco to look at and possibly exchange for another.


I have one.

[Chop]

dano_mung wrote:

Rola Vortex racks don't have a solid base.
Pretty sure they are powder coated too.
Mine has some dodgy welds with holes in them that I'm gonna get repco to look at and possibly exchange for another.


I have one.

I think ninja means it has more cross bars in it than his.

Your baskest is deeper and probably wider than a vortex?

And do what Fatzook says, no welding involved