OEM and Aftermarket Roof Rack Modification with Truck Cap
I have a 2011 Crew Cab Pro-4X and I ordered a LEER XL Cap for it. The roof rack options for this brand of CAP was THULE systems. With the OEM Nissan Rack side bars running parallel with the truck and the THULE bars running perpendiculat to them - it just doesn't look right to me! SNUGTOP makes a cap with what looks like NISSAN OEM bars on it but, no dealership this side of the Mississpii River and they want $750 to ship it to me sight-un-seen! No way!
So, what I'm thinking of doing is buying a "POWEFUL UK" knock-off ($about 400 + shipping) of the OEM rack kit and installing it thusly (if "thusly" is a real word?):
1). Disgard the front mounting pads.
2). Remove the end caps of the OEM rack on my truck.
3). Assemble the POWERUK rack with cross bars installed and place on truck cap roof for sizing reference. Place the side Bar with the aft mounting plate on the CAP as far back as allows the rear door to fully open with out hitting it.
4). Then check to see how much of the forward end of the side bars overlaps the rear end of the OEM roof rack tubes on the OEM truck's roof; any length over about 6" cut off.
5). I may have to also hollow out the rear cross bar tubes end cap and cross bar security stuff to do the next step.
6). Now here is where I need some help. The NISSAN OEM Side Bar and the POWERFUL UK side bar are both 55 mm in diameter. I want to taper down the ends of the two POWER UK roof rack side bars so they will slide about the 6" (aforementioned overlap) in to the rear of Truck's roof OEM Bars from the rear (Male/female connection type). For about $25 I can get a tool to Flare out the ends, but I haven't seen tools I can use at home or found any techniques to reduce the size in the opposite direction (aka Swager). Anyone have an idea about how this can be done?
The only one I have is to take a pipe cutter for 2" or greater pipe diameter, remove the cutting wheel, put roof rack tube in a vise to secure it, and using some propane heat and the (wheelless) cutter keep making tighter turns around it to compress it from the outside evenly starting from the end and working my way in (use a caliper measuring tool to check amount compressed as I go along).
7). Then once modified I can just slide the ends of the POWERFULUK tubes into the OEM tubes, maybe drill oneor two hole(s) (seal 'em) to place a flush fitting bolt to secure the NISSAN CAP OEM Rear Cross bar, and the newer POWERFUL UK and the OEM tubes together.
8). Then with the use of the Rear Mounting Plate hole, line up where I have to drill hole sin the CAP roof to secure rearend of the PowerfulUK Roof Rack to the vehicle. I'll probably make hole matching brackets/plates for the inside of the CAP roof attachment points. I can even make them with a tab to the outside that has a hole that can support an after market clothes bar.
So, any ideas how to modify.reduce the end of the side bar tubes would be greatly appreciated, because I will only have one shot at making it work or waste about $500 bucks! Do machine shops have the capabilities/machines to do this? I'd gladly pay a few buck to get it professionally and precisely done right the first time.
When done, I'm hoping to have a nice secured smooth looking OEM style Roof Rack the full lenght of the vehicle's combined roof's without any added coupling, etc showing.
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer with this matter.
