[FL 4.0L]

Any advice before I drill 12 holes into the rear of my otherwise intact tub? Does anyone have a closeup of the rear brackets to see where they are positioned in relation to the lip for the soft top? I think I 'll leave them 1/8 to 1/4" below the lip in order to make it easier to get the plastic lip of the top in. Thanks for any help.

By the way, it got here in good shape. The powder coat is intact. The only hardware I found missing is 2 of the longer mounting screws for the windshield frame to replace the factory ones.

[NEWtoTHEjeepLIF]

Only advice would be to make sure you drill in the right spot the first time. Extra holes in what you want to be a pretty jeep don't help the matter. Also try some tape over where you are going to drilll to help save the paint some damage. And don't drill into anything you don't want to drill into.

[The_'ster]

Measure it, then measure it again, then check your measurements. I just installed some rocker guards this week and must have spent an hour just checking where my holes were going to be. Once you are sure where they are, drill them and then apply a zinc primer to the metal to retard rust, and also some RTV or undercoat sealer between the body and the rack hardware to keep the water away from the holes. The better you seal them the longer they will keep from rusting. I pulled an olympic rack off a jeep and it had started all kinds of rust behind the brackets cause they didnt prime or seal the holes.

[bryans98tj]

If it requires brackets, get a few clamps to hold it to the body so you can mark it with a paint marker or Sharpie prior to the drilling. If the bolts are say 3/8", don't just jump to that size. Get your self a set of bits from a place like Home Depot and start small. When I drill 5/8" holes for my bumpers I start with like 1/16" and keep stepping up the size. It helps keeping them accurate as well as makes the drilling easier.

[FL 4.0L]

Very good. Heading out for some primer and bits now...

[The_'ster]

A stepped bit is what you want. It's like a bit that steps up a 1/16th or 1/8th of an inch each time.

[bryans98tj]

Originally Posted by The_'ster

A stepped bit is what you want. It's like a bit that steps up a 1/16th or 1/8th of an inch each time.

Yup those work great too. I would be less apt to use primer and more like a paint pen or sharpie is this is more accurate for finding the middle of where needs to be drilled.

[FL 4.0L]

The primer was for after drilling the holes. The only bare metal I wound up with was on the inside of the hole. I used the red fingernail polish that I use to mark timing spots when I change the belts on other cars to mark where to drill. I progressively used larger bits which led to A LOT of drilling (12 holes in the tub and 12 holes in the cross bars to mount the basket). I used primer and sealant around the holes to keep the water out. I like the look and the utility the rack and basket will give me. I did not yet try to put the soft top up. I'm curious to see if I have any issues sliding the plastic tab into it's slot where the mounting brackets are. Glad it's done!

[FL 4.0L]

This weekend I put the soft top up and the windows in for the first time since installing the rack. The only place the rack interferes is with the lip of the windows. However, it is very easy to slide the plastic tab in from the side. It does not need to be modified in any way. I would say this is a non-issue with this rack. I am very happy with the stability of the rack. It was easy to remove and replace with the help of my 11 and 13 year old. Hope it helps someone decide on their rack purchase.

[Reelm n Rubi]

my gallery has a pretty good picture of where I drilled my holes for my warrior rack (picture with my two dogs). I went as high as I could to give me clearance for the removal of the hard top. I love the rack I'm sure you'll like yours.