2002 Luggage rack install

[kev2809]

I wanted to show a quick write up of adding a luggage rack to your truck if it does not have one. I did follow this write up which was the most detailed I could find..

https://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php?threads/06-luggage-rack-install.151690/

I couldn't follow exactly since I used a rack from a 2002 yulon xl, which obviously doesn't fit.


So, first thing I did was lay it on my roof completely assembled, and slid the stock crossbars as close to the front as possible, then lined up the rear mounts where I thought they should go after referencing stock pictures. This is where I measured to see how much needed to come off.

After knowing what needs to come up, cut away!. I didn't snap any pictures of the cut but I want to say I ended up with 42.5" of length from beginning of rail to end of rail (not counting the plastic mounts).

Once they are cut to length, assemble them back together. On mine, only the front mounts stayed original, as they have a square hole for the plastic to snap in and I didn't want to try and replicate that, which is why I decided to cut off the rear of the tracks.

Once these are cut down and reassembled, you now realize the middle mount is not centered, so I opted to move them forward to center them...and here's how I did them.

Take off all the mounting pads and measure exactly half of the rail and make a mark. Now, flip the rail over and place painters tape over the stock pad holes and cut out the holes in the tape with an exact knife or blade. After cut out, line up the middle hole of the tape with the mark you made on the rail (the halfway mark).

Here is where you re drill the new holes. I used 7/32 bit for the small hole and 5/16 for the larger mounting hole...which both needed just a little reaming. After drilling them, test fit your mount. The clips will not snap all the way in because the rails are double walled...if you notice the old mounting spot you can see the top layer of the hole is bigger than the bottom layer, allowing it to snap in. Once the middle mounts are finished, you can redrill the new holes for the rear mounting pad.

This one is a little tricky. You have to make sure the hole orientation is the same as the stock pad and not flipped, or they will not line up, so pay attention that your using the LH or RH pad with the left or right side. Use the same tape method above for these holes...bits are the same size as well.

 

[kev2809]

After getting all mounting holes re drilled, you can mount them to the rails and assemble the entire rack. I opted to sand and paint mine satin black as the previous owner slapped some brush on paint and it looked hideous....but you will end up with something like this if done right.

 

[kev2809]

Now the fun part! Now you figure out where you think it should go on your roof. what I did was look at stock pictures and winged it. Since this whole rack is one off, you can't use any stock mounting locations so put it where you think it should go.

Once it's laid out, put painters tape on the mounting spots and along the rubber weatherstrip as the metal will fly everywhere. Lay it in place and start with the SECOND to the last hole on the rear, of either side. Mark it and drill it. For the jack nuts I used, it required a 7/16 bit. After drilling, I put silicone around the lip of the jack nut and installed it. On most of these holes, I hit the double layer roof, so keep that in mind when installing these jack nuts. I used my angle grinder collar removal tool as a hold down on the jack nut while running the bolt in with my impact..you can feel the nut getting tighter under the roof skin when it's biting. Here is the tool I used on my tailgate to my other truck, but it's the same concept.

 

[kev2809]

You can go in either direction, but I believe the next hole should be the second hole from the front in the front pad. same process.

Once the entire side is done, you can start the opposite side. Take your time when aligning the holes, you only get one shot. Mine did not come out even close to perfect. I was off on the drive side middle bracket by about 1/4" and couldn't even use that bolt (shot some silicon down the hole)...also it was off towards the passenger side about half an inch and even the front narrowed in a bit. It's really hard to notice so it doesn't bother me at all but try to be careful and take your time! I did rush it a little because it kept trying to rain. Be sure to coat the bolt threads with silicone before final install.

 

[kev2809]

Again, this rack came off of a 2002 yulon xl, if you want to skip the whole cutting down part, then just buy a stock one off the avalanche then im sure it will make the install a lot easier and there is probably more reference pics available. I used it because the truck is my donor for another project so hey, it was free.. I will post up the jack nuts I used, if anyone has any questions let me know and I'll try my best to help.

I'm not a pro or even close to it (as you can see from this imperfect install lol), so please..make sure you are OK with drilling in to your roof!

25 Metric Jack Nuts M6-1.0 Thread Zinc Plated For GM 1635218, 10014363 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B0O9UB...abc_EZ0JVKDJ1AF2QGF3YED1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1