Well i got an 01 blazer 4 door 4x4 and decided to start upgrading it going the cheap things first. So i am building my own roof basket. I will go in and weld it all up tomorrow, since the shop with my welder is closed today. Anyway here are the pics....

lower frame work

Upper Framework

Cross bars positioned

Cross bar mounting holes all drilled out, bars in position.

Vertical lift bars cut, holes drilled and in position

Everything mocked up with duct tape lol.

Front angle. I got the front sticking out about 12 inches further to allow my 7 inch off road lights to be mounted between the front bars. and it brings it further forward on the roof line of the truck. I dont like them sitting so far back. I will weld it all up tomorrow and rino line it, then get her all mounted. hit me with any feedback you got.

 

Looks great. I wish I had better fabrication skills to make something similar. The only thing I would have done differently, is to extend the top section towards the front as far as the lights would allow.

 

only reason i didn't extend the top further is that i did not want it to go further than the factory rails. That way the weight is supported by that instead of it being too far forward and risk it bending down some.

 

looks great, one thing.
is that very front upper bar have enough support with only the angular supports?
i guess it depends on what you are gonna toss in it.

 

i will probably add matching vertical supports as the angled ones, just for the strength. I thought about that too after posting pics and such... good heads up though. thanks.

 

If a roof rack were extended that far forward, it looks to me like it would need a couple of legs in the front for support. I imagine you would have to drill into the roof to mount those, though.

 

yea it is forward more, but that is why the only thing going up that close to the front is my lights. May mount a jack or something else up there but that is about it. Main loading will be above the other rails.