# rod rack help



## rider3 (Jun 8, 2008)

well i can destroy anything. 

I got a rod rack put on the front of my truck in november, happy birthday to me. I have used it maybe about a dozen times since then and today i cracked it. Not bad, but it has a crack. I was in an accident and the rod rack was the first thing to hit the other car. The supports where it bolts to the bumper is ok, the tubes for the rods are ok(except for a little red paint on the one) but the top part bent in and the bottom cracked in a few places. The oval part that the rod tubes are welded to is what im talking about. I was able to bend it back straight, but i need to do something about the cracks.

I was thing about the marine grade J.B. cold weld. Anybody ever use it? What are your thoughts? Not trying to spend a lot of money or buy a new rack. THis rack is still like new.


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## RW_20 (Oct 16, 2007)

I assume the rack is made of aluminum, and aluminum does not like to be bent but one direction. Just find someone that is a good welder and have it welded. If it is structural and load bearing, JB weld probably would not do the job.
If you want, take a pic or two and post them so I can see better what you are dealing with.


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## rider3 (Jun 8, 2008)

like i said. its the oval pice that the rod tubes are mounted on. I bent it back, and she feels sturdy, but i would like to fix the crack just to be safe. Justed tried to get pics, but im gonna have to wait till tomm and get some in the daylight.











Passenger side. the main tube/support that runs to the bumper. The square oval pice that the other tubes are mounted on is cracked on the front and the top and bottom.(lower section to the left of the main suppor/tube) The upper pice was just bent in.


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## RW_20 (Oct 16, 2007)

Just get some good pics of the damaged areas tomorrow. After seeing the rack, don't attempt to fix with JB weld.


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## rider3 (Jun 8, 2008)

here is the bent on the top pice.












here is the crack on the lower pice. this is the top view. it goed down the front and around part of the bottom.


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## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

Been told I know a little about building racks and alum. stuff so here goes.
Don't try JD weld or any other type of epoxy because it doesn't flex and the first bump or two and it will break apart, the square tubing they use on that type of rack is almost paper thin and will hold up unless it takes a good hit but the problem is it doesn't repair very well due to how thin the tubing is.
You might find a welder and do some tacking but watch it closely after that.

Good luck.


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## RW_20 (Oct 16, 2007)

Shooter is correct. There are only two ways I would consider fixing this. One is to remove the tube at the crack and plate the square tubing on all four sides. the other would be, to replace the oval backer tube all together. Jb weld in no way would fix that. You would be asking for more problems. However there are epoxy bonding adhesives that body shops are using now in place of welding. you would still have to plate the whole assembly, overlapping the crack by a couple of inches on either side of the crack. The only problem with this method is that it's going to look like crap. Just find a good fabrication shop, metal fence shop, etc. close by and they will be able to fix you up.

Hope this helps


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## rider3 (Jun 8, 2008)

i found a guy by my mother inlaws house that said he could tig weld it for me wating on a response back from him. More than likely gonna go that route. Thanx for all your help.


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