Chase Rack Tech

[BarrelRoll]

I'm getting ready to bend up a chase rack and figured we might as well get some discussion going. There's all ready a bunch of pictures in the chase truck thread for ideas.

How is you chase rack tied into the bed/ frame? I'm thinking about starting with an angle iron frame at the bed rails to attach the rack to. Then under the bed sides running 4 L shaped pieces of tube frame the angle iron to the frame, hidden under the bed sides so they don't take up any room in the bed. Is it worth it to take some of the weight off of the bed it's self?

Another "feature" I want to add is a removable basket over the cab. For races in the US where you are staying in a hotel you don't "usually have that much crap and it would be nice to fit in a Vegas parking garage. Anyone ever make that basket removable? I figure I'll bolt it on with a couple flanges.

Throw any other ideas/ chase rack tech up please.

[BigWoodyWag]

You sound like you got a good start and good plan. My feedback and experience is dont mount anything to the bedside, any weight on them and bouncing peals the bedsides down and out from the rest of the truck. To frame only....

Sorry cant remember the team (white trucks w/ orange racks is what I remember), but they had these slick/sick removeable racks that had a center pin that dropped the whole rack into their "gooseneck" ball reciever. Then had several turnbuckle type fasteners that they hooked to the tiedown points on the bed sides and then pulled up.
My thoughts was if the gooseneck hitch is rated for 5k of Tongue weight and 20k of trailer it should do for a chase rack as long as you secured it well enough.

And it made it so as long as the truck was the same configuration "i.e. Longbed" the racks were interchangeable from truck to truck. just an idea I saw

good luck, and bring it with the pictures.

[BroadSword]

Originally Posted by BigWoodyWag

My feedback and experience is dont mount anything to the bedside, any weight on them and bouncing peals the bedsides down and out from the rest of the truck. To frame only.....

^x2

Here is a chase rack we built on a friends truck in 2009. All of the weight is transfered to the frame rails, and two guys can unbolt it and slide it in or out.

[BroadSword]

[Berne]

well, you've seen my truck.

the unpopular answer is.....it is NOT tied into the frame.
The 'frame' of the rack is angle iron that goes all the way around the bed, both sides and the front, and its bolted to the bed rails.

--B

[binderbound]

What about some 'support' bars that run from the underside of the bed rails to the floor of the bed? that would help carry the load some wouldnt?

[shawn t]

Originally Posted by binderbound

What about some 'support' bars that run from the underside of the bed rails to the floor of the bed? that would help carry the load some wouldnt?

that's how mine is done.

Absolutely no problem with bed spreading etc. even with actual prerunning the truck in baja.

[Murfman1967]

I missed this post







Glass bedsides mounted to the bedframe. A couple of storage boxes in the rear of the bedsides. The spare is on there for DD and general trail riding, I can mount 2 spares along the centerline in the same location I have a 24" cross bed box that is as tall as the bedsides up front, and room for another behind it.

[Wrightracing.net]

Is it just me or I'm just feeling old, I have been racing down in baja for many years chased for a bunch of people built chase racks and I never ever have wanted to put the tires way up I where can't even reach spare tires from outside the truck.