T-Slot 8020 Roof Rack DIY - 3D Print Your Own

[MrMoparMan]

Here is my DIY T-slot roof rack. I made the risers out of TPU with 10 walls and 50% infill, they are super stout yet have a little give.

No change in efficiency noticed with only the mid cross bars. Just added the front bar with a deflector, no data yet on range hit.

All 8 risers are unique to get the bars level.
Files here ----> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nycNY6jZD9laz632Lr6vFt-UWwN2OPsj?usp=sharing

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[WheresMyCybertruck]

Looks great, thanks for sharing the plans.

If possible, though, I would recommend printing the parts on their side to change the layer orientation and reduce the risk of them shearing/failing over time.

 

[MrMoparMan]

Thanks,

Yeah print orientation can definitely be important. Being TPU, they have very good adhesion and toughness so I went for the cleanest look. As of yet I have been unable to break one in bench stress testing, but I will of course keep an eye on them. They also have a couple additional levels of sheer resistance...40 mm long stainless sleeve nuts for lower reinforcement, and additional ports to add screws for upper reinforcement.

Tying all 8 points together makes for a very strong platform.

Prototype draft prints pictured.

 

[WheresMyCybertruck]

Thanks,

Yeah print orientation can definitely be important. Being TPU, they have very good adhesion and toughness so I went for the cleanest look. As of yet I have been unable to break one in bench stress testing, but I will of course keep an eye on them. They also have a couple additional levels of sheer resistance...40 mm long stainless sleeve nuts for lower reinforcement, and additional ports to add screws for upper reinforcement.

Tying all 8 points together makes for a very strong platform.

Prototype draft prints pictured.

Ah, didn't realize the bolts went most of the way through. Even without them I'm sure it was mostly fine (especially being TPU like you said), but thought I'd share

What printer did you use? It did a good job with the TPU

 

[L3it3R]

Well now I have another reason to hit MicroCenter this weekend.

My wife and I were just talking about setting up a system for attaching a sun cover sail from the light bar mount to poles mounted from the rear-most points, and these risers will definitely do the job. Can’t wait to print them and start testing ?

 

[Razorcrest]

Where did you source the T slot rails? I may try to do this, but shorter as to not use the top rack slot which I'm using for a lightbar.

 

[MrMoparMan]

What printer did you use? It did a good job with the TPU

Yeah it did, I used the Bambu A1 with Overture 95A TPU

 

[MrMoparMan]

Well now I have another reason to hit MicroCenter this weekend.

My wife and I were just talking about setting up a system for attaching a sun cover sail from the light bar mount to poles mounted from the rear-most points, and these risers will definitely do the job. Can’t wait to print them and start testing ?

I love microcenter! Can't wait to see what you come up with. The risers vary in height but fit anywhere, they only need to be in specific positions for straight rails.

 

[MrMoparMan]

Where did you source the T slot rails? I may try to do this, but shorter as to not use the top rack slot which I'm using for a lightbar.

I found a local T-slot store, but I know you can order materials online. These are 10 ft lengths for reference.

 

[mongo]

Thanks,

Yeah print orientation can definitely be important. Being TPU, they have very good adhesion and toughness so I went for the cleanest look. As of yet I have been unable to break one in bench stress testing, but I will of course keep an eye on them. They also have a couple additional levels of sheer resistance...40 mm long stainless sleeve nuts for lower reinforcement, and additional ports to add screws for upper reinforcement.

Tying all 8 points together makes for a very strong platform.

Prototype draft prints pictured.

It makes it more complicated, but one could use the part as a spacer and drill through the 80/20 for vehicle fasteners.
Or, add a plate with countersinks for the nut head. Then there is a metal load path, just in case.

 

[MrMoparMan]

It makes it more complicated, but one could use the part as a spacer and drill through the 80/20 for vehicle fasteners.
Or, add a plate with countersinks for the nut head. Then there is a metal load path, just in case.

Yeah there are many ways to get the job done. I wanted everything concealed and decided to keep all the fasteners the same length since the risers vary in height.

These parts could also be machined out of aluminum or stainless, but I like some slight flex/isolation. It's really strong, grabbing ahold of the rack you can rock the vehicle with no flex in the rack.

 

[REM]

What kind of static and dynamic load failure tolerance do you think these have?

I highly skeptical about the idea of printed plastic resins being used as anchor mount points for something like a roof rack. I think it's asking for trouble.

 

[Razorcrest]

Depending on print orientation, printed parts can be pretty robust. If I make one I'll probably use polycarbonate. If printed with layers aligned vertically (printed on its side) I would expect static loads in the hundreds of pounds. Polymaker publishes alot of data around their filiment load tolerances.

https://airwolf3d.com/2017/07/24/strongest-3d-printer-filament/

 

[Razorcrest]

For anyone reading this, do NOT use PLA. It will deform and fall apart in moderate summer heat.

 

[Kryptek]

Yah i dont know if thats true, I have some PLA rifles ive printed, 22lr of course and they have sit in the sun with no issues. Great job creating the design tho, I would love to have more time to design and print things out of my own ideas also for the CT

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