Mopar gladiator roof rack

[Craig rubi]

Hi all. Just got the Mopar gladiator roof rack/cross bars. Gonna install them tomorrow. Anyone got any comments/hints/tips/ problems?

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[TennesseePA]

I ordered some too and they have been sitting in the garage waiting. Guess I need to leave the top on long enough to try them out. I have seen many people do it but I am just going to run mine on the back half of the roof. Just not very comfortable with having a big ole wind catcher attached to the freedom panels.

 

[Craig rubi]

Yeah... I got ya on the freedom panel thing. They are pretty obvious about how they shouldn't go on there... Sometimes though for a short trip with my canoe at low speeds I would consider it. Anyway, couldn't wait and installed them tonight. The flat screwdriver locker plastic items for the cover plate are kinda weak and won't be surprised if I end up looking for

replacements for those. 3 outta 4 went back in fine and 1 needed to be turned around and around until it gripped, although not at the suggested angle.
Be careful with those when putting the cover plate back on.

 

[Craig rubi]

And also,look out for the rubber seals at the door/ roof points for pinching when installing.

 

[MontanaJoe]

For locks instead of the flimsy plastic piece I used the
Yakima - SKS Lock Cores Car Rack System Components.

They worked great

 

[Bobzdar]

Yeah... I got ya on the freedom panel thing. They are pretty obvious about how they shouldn't go on there... Sometimes though for a short trip with my canoe at low speeds I would consider it. Anyway, couldn't wait and installed them tonight. The flat screwdriver locker plastic items for the cover plate are kinda weak and won't be surprised if I end up looking for

replacements for those. 3 outta 4 went back in fine and 1 needed to be turned around and around until it gripped, although not at the suggested angle.
Be careful with those when putting the cover plate back on.

I believe Yakima lock cylinders fit the rack, I had one on my JLUR and that was a planned upgrade but traded it before I got around to it. If it whistles, you can cover the seam along the bottom of the bars with gorilla tape or vinyl and it should cure it.

 

[Craig rubi]

I believe Yakima lock cylinders fit the rack, I had one on my JLUR and that was a planned upgrade but traded it before I got around to it. If it whistles, you can cover the seam along the bottom of the bars with gorilla tape or vinyl and it should cure it.

You read my mind...the whistle is definitely there. I'll look later for the seam you mentioned. Thanks.
Will totally look for those lock cylinders too.

 

[Bobzdar]

You read my mind...the whistle is definitely there. I'll look later for the seam you mentioned. Thanks.
Will totally look for those lock cylinders too.

Yup, there's a long thread on the JL wrangler forums (sister site) that details all of that stuff, but those were the two main things. It's a nice rack and I got good use of it on my JLUR. The whistle was disappointing for a factory rack, but luckily not too difficult to fix.

 

[Domsgarage]

Thinking about these myself. How comfortable are you guys with it being mounted to the fiberglass top. Seems a bit weak to me, makes me slight concerned to put two kayaks up there...

 

[jurfie]

Thinking about these myself. How comfortable are you guys with it being mounted to the fiberglass top. Seems a bit weak to me, makes me slight concerned to put two kayaks up there...

Manufacturer Recommended Weight Limit is 150 lbs, which I assume is while moving. Depending on the weight of your kayaks (the one I'll be getting is <50 lbs) I wouldn't be concerned, but I'd be sure to use front and rear tie-downs if I was hitting the highway or bumpy roads.

 

[jlg]

How does this ACTUALLY mount to the hardtop? Drill, clamps, ??? Pics?

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