Truck rack

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Steve B 15 years ago

I have a '06 Dodge 2500 short bed. I need to make a mondo headache rack so I can utilize my trips to Vegas to save about 33% over local steel prices. Carry back 1,000# of steel.

My concerns over several truck racks that I have built is:

When I make them to mount on the rails, the rails or side pockets rip out. I need to take it from the front end of the bed all the way to the front bumper so I can get 20' sticks on there.

I want to make it so that it is removable without becoming a day long deal.

I want to make a combination of rail supports, pocket stakes, and verticals down to the bed, bolting onto any substantial crossmember rather than just sheet metal bed flooring to handle the weight.

Any ideas, or cites to plans that will incorporate this for a rack that will carry a heavy load of pipe/square tubing safely?

Gusseting, and do you do your gusseting rigid or gimbaled? That is, do you just weld in solid braces, or weld them in with drilled bolts so they will flex?

I also want to build gimbaled vertical supports down to the front bumper pulling eyes so that the unit will flex when going over curbs and filling station entries. Drilled gimbals will be at the top and bottom of the vertical supports on the front of the rack. I made one of the first racks in the Las Vegas valley to use this, and it was copied fast and furiously. The distance from the front bumper to the back of the cab is +50% of the whole rack, so needs front support.

Ideas on what you've built appreciated. e mail at snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com

Steve

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Ignoramus15921 15 years ago

Steve, why do you need a rack to carry 1,000 lbs of steel?

Can's you put it n the bed itself?

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Snag 15 years ago

He said it's a short bed , and he wants to carry 20' stock . Overhead rack is the only way .

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Steve B 15 years ago

6.5' bed ........... 20'0" lengths of steel.

Do the math.

Steve

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Pete C. 15 years ago

1,000# is way too heavy to put on an overhead rack, those racks are for modest weights like ladders, PVC pipe and conduit. I don't know about where you are, but around here you can rent an 18' or larger equipment trailer for about $50/day, and that would be a much better option for hauling a load of steel.

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Ignoramus15921 15 years ago

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PrecisionmachinisT 15 years ago

Its all fun and games till someone gets killed.

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Steve W. 15 years ago

Thule Ironman 360 rack. Built to handle up to 1800 pounds, with NO front supports.

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Bob La Londe 15 years ago

Rent? I just steal my dad's trailer when he isn't looking. I try to get it unloaded before he steals it back.

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Larry Jaques 15 years ago

You can't just fold it?

I have the 6.5' bed, too, and have them cut the stick in half before bringing it home. I also carry a roll of yellow CAUTION tape in the truck, using it to mark the ends of lumber and metal when I buy it.

-- It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctively native American criminal class except Congress. -- Mark Twain

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Larry Jaques 15 years ago

Just DO NOT GO AROUND ANY CORNERS WITH IT FILLED!

And IF the metal stuck to the rack during a panic stop, it might flip the truck. Happy Endos!

-- It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctively native American criminal class except Congress. -- Mark Twain

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Martin Eastburn 15 years ago

Hang the rack under the car and mount it from the frame. If you have lots of it - get a trailer. It will last better and can be used as temp storage - while the truck has to be offloaded when tired or before daybreak.

Mart>> Steve, why do you need a rack to carry 1,000 lbs of steel?

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Existential Angst 15 years ago

What the others said.... BUT.....

Do you have a roof rack? If you do, I'll pass along what I've done, for 20,

24 footers -- 04 Nissan Frontier, 6' bed, crew cab. But like the others said, for mebbe a few hunnerd #, not 1,000. Heh, and not exactly a pleasant ride, either......

You could carry a couple hunnerd pounds of 20-25 footers with a supported roofrack, and have the rest cut to 8-10 ft, and fashion a "bed extender", basically a rectangular box, chained or fastened to the bed, to keep these pieces from sliding off. You have to make sure the material is well-constrained, so there is no possibility of s*it rolling/slipping/flipping out.

10 feet on a 6.5' bed is 3.5' overhanging, which is doable, and would be just one cut from 20 footers, ie, not too much of a cutting charge.

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dan 15 years ago

Existential Angst wrote in rec.crafts.metalworking on Sun, 15 May 2011 09:20:16 -0400:

I've seen a cargo support that goes into a 2" receiver and supports overhanging loads.

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Sunworshipper 15 years ago

I've seen guy's trucks that do swimming pool steel and they hang it off the sides about axle height.

SW

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Dave, I can't do that 15 years ago

Steve,

Do you **really** need the 20' in single lengths? I live 200 miles from our aluminum suppliers and I have a SWB Dodge with extended cab. The tray is barely 8' long. I get the metal people to cut everything in half and they do it for free. Drop the tailgate down, rope them so they can't slide out and a couple of red flags they also supply and I am off home.

I have 3/8" x 2" U-bolts mounted standing up on the rear bumper either side of the tailgate as rope loops. I can get everything really tightly roped through those. The rear bumper is rated to haul a 5000- lb trailer so nothing is coming loose.

I used to haul the 18' car trailer down and back until I realized that only about 3 of the 16' and 20' sticks in a load of about 1200-lbs, were used in the full length, so now I weld two halves if I ever have to have 16' etc.

Dave

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Sunworshipper 15 years ago

Dave, your talking to me not Steve...

Me, well I don't like committing and open the hood and put about 4 wires trough a hole and slam the hood shut. Then wire over the front corner of the bed and more wire at the tailgate and let it hang on the side of the truck with rags between.

SW

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