First off a big thank you to WSI for offering these DIY kits. Now over a year ago i ordered a Do it yourself kit from WSI consisting of everything needed unpainted unwelded and uncoped. I have had an idea on how to mount my rack a little differently and wanted to build it myself. Using nutserts much like the WSI Rack:ONE system ironically. i started out by tacking it together as normal but i removed the plastic bed rails and measured where the rack set.
i then put the bedrails back on, mocked up the bar again from the measurement taken and traced the outline of the bar with no mounting plates on to the bed rails. i then took a pencil die grinder and cut out the outlines.
Then i traced the holes i cut onto the bed itself and removed the bedrails once again. i then used an air file and cut a line from the hole to the inside of the bed of the plastic bed rail. then i made up some mounting plates mocked them up positioning them to miss as many holes and slots as possible using my traced circles as guides. then i taped them down used some transfer punches to get my hole centers drilled the holes and installed the nutserts
i countersunk the holes for my mounting plates so everything would be nice and flush.
This picture shows the structure under the bed rails that allowed for my 3/16" mounting plates to set on top of the bed rail without bulging the bed rail, because i ground down the areas where this structure came in contact with my mounting plates after i cut the holes in the bed rail and figured out the final orientation of the mounts themselves.
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I then tacked the rack to the mounts removed the bar and finished welding. i added a mounts for an antenna and two rear facing LED pods. i drilled holes in the main hoop to run my wires and in the passenger front mount i drilled a hole to run my wires through the bedside and then down the frame.
this shows how the wires run through the top of the bedside
finally it was time to install the bar
I am sorry for the wrong orientation on this picture.
you can see the cut i made to get the bed rails back on in this pictures. my original plan was to run some type of sealant down this but once it reinstalled my tonneau cover it really didnt call for it.
another look at the cut.
tonneau cover on and finished up
again sorry about the orientation
you may notice that in some of the pictures i got a little impatient and excited to get the bar back on and the paint was not completely set up and when installing the bed rails it did mar it up a bit.
i hope this write up helps some others out. if you have any questions please ask.
thanks again WSI, and all the forum members.
i then put the bedrails back on, mocked up the bar again from the measurement taken and traced the outline of the bar with no mounting plates on to the bed rails. i then took a pencil die grinder and cut out the outlines.
Then i traced the holes i cut onto the bed itself and removed the bedrails once again. i then used an air file and cut a line from the hole to the inside of the bed of the plastic bed rail. then i made up some mounting plates mocked them up positioning them to miss as many holes and slots as possible using my traced circles as guides. then i taped them down used some transfer punches to get my hole centers drilled the holes and installed the nutserts
i countersunk the holes for my mounting plates so everything would be nice and flush.
This picture shows the structure under the bed rails that allowed for my 3/16" mounting plates to set on top of the bed rail without bulging the bed rail, because i ground down the areas where this structure came in contact with my mounting plates after i cut the holes in the bed rail and figured out the final orientation of the mounts themselves.
I then tacked the rack to the mounts removed the bar and finished welding. i added a mounts for an antenna and two rear facing LED pods. i drilled holes in the main hoop to run my wires and in the passenger front mount i drilled a hole to run my wires through the bedside and then down the frame.
this shows how the wires run through the top of the bedside
finally it was time to install the bar
I am sorry for the wrong orientation on this picture.
you can see the cut i made to get the bed rails back on in this pictures. my original plan was to run some type of sealant down this but once it reinstalled my tonneau cover it really didnt call for it.
another look at the cut.
tonneau cover on and finished up
again sorry about the orientation
you may notice that in some of the pictures i got a little impatient and excited to get the bar back on and the paint was not completely set up and when installing the bed rails it did mar it up a bit.
i hope this write up helps some others out. if you have any questions please ask.
thanks again WSI, and all the forum members.
