DIY Aluminum Extrusion T Slot Rack for BAK Revolver x4s

[arskemp]

Just got all the parts in and put it on yesterday. Extremely happy with how it turned out.

I was having trouble finding a rack that fit my needs. Requirements were:

- Low as possible while still allowing room for the Revolver x4s to open.
- Utilize the t slots (be able to adjust and slide forward/back)
- Easy to take on/off
- Carry lightweight items (my main purpose is to hold 2 bikes)
- Budget of around $500 or less
- (bonus) height adjustable

I decided to go the DIY route since I couldn't find anything to fit my needs. This led me down the path of aluminum extrusion.

Cost was way under budget, being a bit under $250 after tax and shipping (I had all the material arrive cut). I also have some smaller 1.5" legs if I want the rack lowered to just above the tonneau cover (obviously it doesn't open at that height though). Rack feels very stout and actually feels like it reinforces the tonneau cover rails so they flex a bit less.

Should be testing with my bicycles in the coming weeks (rain is in the forecast this weekend). I have two older yakima racks that I plan to use with this.

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[TomH]

I like it. Where did you get the materials?

 

[arskemp]

I like it. Where did you get the materials?

Purchased from tnutz.com. 8020.net is another possible option (I've heard they are better quality) but they were significantly more expensive, especially if you want it in black (pricing is a bit more comparable in the basic anodized coating).

I'll post my parts/build list later to help break down what I purchased.

 

[XraytecH]

SWEET!!!

I have the same tonneau cover

 

[arskemp]

For anyone wondering, here is my receipt/parts list from tnutz.com. Took about a month for everything to arrive. Not entirely happy with their support, since part of my items were backordered (the corner gussets) and they waited 2 weeks to notify me about that (and didn't respond to any of my emails when I asked for an updated ETA) nevertheless, they came roughly the same time as the rest of the parts. Not included in the list is a few flat and lock washers I had lying around (probably < $5 worth).

Some info:

The rack bars are 59". This gives them just a little bit of overhang on each side.
The legs are 9"
The square gussets are cheaper if you buy the bolts and tnuts with them
I bought secondary 1.5" legs in case I want it as low as possible
I bought extra bolts just in case
I bought spring loaded tnuts to keep inside the rack for mounting random items - the reason I went spring loaded here was so that I could always keep them in the rack and they wouldn't slide around/rattle. They will be what my bike racks will mount to.

 

[arskemp]

Some thoughts after the fact:

- I'm using a lockwasher + a flat washer to keep them raised up enough for the m8 bolts I received to not touch the bottom of the x4s t slot. Not an issue, just an FYI.
- I could probably go slightly lower on the 9" legs. If I did it again I would probably do 8.5"
- I would also get longer legs (just in case) I wanted to transport something that was would overhang above the cab (and then get a rack the clamps on the rear hard top). I may still do this in the future If I require this scenario but I lose out on shipping buying it seperately.
- I'm probably going to add lockwashers + locktite to all the bolts other than the feet just as a safety precaution in case they rattle themselves out.
- I'm probably going to buy some security m8 bolts (at least for the feet, or even maybe a combination of types) to make it slightly harder for a thief to remove. I know it won't prevent someone with basic tools but it would at least make it slightly more difficult to take.
- The tnuts for the extrusion (barely) fit the tslot on the x4s when turned upside-down from how they are inserted in the extrusion. I was actually expecting them NOT to fit and was going to fab up something (I may still do this just to have a single bar with 2 threaded holes so it's easier to line up at each leg).

Don't have more to add until I actually use it for something (hopefully soon).

All in all, their is a LOT of expandability aluminum extrusion. I could add crossbars to the sides forward/ back for additional bracing (and add more legs too), change the legs out to change the height, add other bracketry to the tslots on the extrusion, etc. It could truly be a half rack if someone wanted to put some additional though into it or expand upon it.

 

[azmojave]

Thanks for all the info! Did you consider the four hole gussets? I’ve been looking at the different parts on tnuts site.

 

[arskemp]

Thanks for all the info! Did you consider the four hole gussets? I’ve been looking at the different parts on tnuts site.

Yeah, I remember seeing that one. The reason I didn't go with it was because I wanted to reuse the set I bought for the shorter 1.5" legs for the "low" setting on the rack. If I end up buying a second set of legs that go a bit above cab height I might buy those longer corner gussets to go with it (or if things change and I carry something heavier than bikes regularly).

There are definitely a ton of ways this can be designed. All in all, the one I made is very simplistic and if people want to DIY a rack like this I'd encourage experimenting and would love to see what others could morph this into. To me, it feels a bit like adult Legos or erector sets.

 

[mx5red]

@arskemp
Thanks for posting this

 

[arskemp]

Test fit my bike rack retrofit before the rain started to come. No bikes yet, probably next weekend I'll test fit those and depending on how they sit move the bars forward/back.

Basically, I have two yakima racks that were designed to mount to yakima's bar/old style system. They use a strap/clamping style system. They also sell something to convert this to a universal bar system called "mighty mounts". I found those for ~ $50-$60 online per set. Since I only paid $50-$80 EACH for these racks used I decided I could DIY this as well pretty easily.

What I ended up doing was:
- In the front, simply using the holes where the clamp went through and replacing it with an M8 bolt directly into the tnut
- In the rear, I took a piece of scrap aluminum I had and cut it out in a T shape. I then replaced the sliding carriage bolt that came with the yakima rack with a shorter one and used the knob from the original mount to tighten the "T" mount I made onto the rack. The T mount then has holes that mount directly to the t slot. Since I am using a carriage bolt in the rear, this lets me still slide the T mount forward/back based on the distance between the aluminum extrusion.

My T mounting adapters

How things mount in the front

How things mount in the rear (racks are different models, but the T mounting adapter works with both)

 

[mx5red]

- I'm using a lockwasher + a flat washer to keep them raised up enough for the m8 bolts I received to not touch the bottom of the x4s t slot. Not an issue, just an FYI.
- The tnuts for the extrusion (barely) fit the tslot on the x4s when turned upside-down from how they are inserted in the extrusion.

so the nuts that fit in the bak4 slot are the “DB-015 drop in T nuts with spring ball”?

 

[arskemp]

so the nuts that fit in the bak4 slot are the “DB-015 drop in T nuts with spring ball”?

No, they are the standard tnuts that come with the corner gussets.

 

[arskemp]

so the nuts that fit in the bak4 slot are the “DB-015 drop in T nuts with spring ball”?

One thing I noticed so far when using the standard nuts, is that while they fit in the slot, they don't slide very easily. At least on my x4s, the paint isn't completely covering the interior of the slot. What looks to be happening is that the edge of the t nuts are getting caught on the paint (or lack thereof) in the slot and pulling it up on the inside top of the t slot, which then creates a raised spot that the nut gets stuck at. I'm going to try beveling the edge of some of the nuts this weekend to see if that helps and will report back.

 

[gstipton]

I'm going to try beveling the edge of some of the nuts this weekend to see if that helps and will report back.

Interested in hearing what you learn. I've got a cart just about ready to go, but I need to think a bit more about how I want to configure things so I can maximize what I get for the shipping.

 

[McDaddy0502]

This looks like a great solution.

Checking to see if you looked at the Yakima OutPost tower setup. I already have the Yakima towers from a previous truck and want to order the Bak X4s for the Gladiator.

The Yakima towers are 13 inches in height but lean towards the center of the bed. They also have a tiedown loop on the inside of the tower that might get in the way of the X4s. I was not sure if there is enough clearance for the X4s to fully open with the OutPost towers installed.

Hoping someone has tried this solution with sucess.

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