Rear Seat Belts & Hooke Road Storage Rack

Breto31 · Aug 2, 2025

I recently purchased a rear interior storage rack from Hooke Road for my 2005 TJ. My thought was to use this rack on my camping/wheeling trips, and remove it all other times (I have little kids who ride back there regularly). It’s THIS RACK.

The rack utilizes the original Torx screw on the roll bar in the rear, but the screw is covered up by the plastic seatbelt retractor cover that is attached to the roll bar. Obviously, I can remove the seatbelts, but that would be a pain to have to do every time I want to use the rack….. I took the retractor off today to try to remove the plastic cover, but the cover is attached to the retractor via a rivet, so it cannot be (easily) removed without destroying it.

I am trying to figure out a way that I can utilize the rack without having to completely remove the seatbelts each time I need it…. Nowhere on any of the reviews, or anywhere on the website does it say that the seatbelts must be removed. It does state that the rear seat itself needs to be removed, but it doesn’t mention anything about the seatbelts.

Any ideas?

MikekiM · Aug 2, 2025

I camp out of the TJ a few times a month, year round.
I have yet to commit to removing the back seat so I just fold it forward and use the space between the seat and the Tuffy Security Enclosure to store most of my gear. I have two Baeur stackable locking tool boxes from Harbor Freight that fit in that space along with a Yeti cooler and a fold flat WinnerWell fire pit. I also use a Bestop HighRock 4x4 Over the Spare cargo basket for anything that is or might get wet. I used to use a Trasheroo too but it's more of a PITA than a benefit.

I couldn't imagine having to remove the seat belts every time I wanted to load the Jeep.

Breto31 · Aug 2, 2025

MikekiM said:
I camp out of the TJ a few times a month, year round.
I have yet to commit to removing the back seat so I just fold it forward and use the space between the seat and the Tuffy Security Enclosure to store most of my gear. I have two Baeur stackable locking tool boxes from Harbor Freight that fit in that space along with a Yeti cooler and a fold flat WinnerWell fire pit. I also use a Bestop HighRock 4x4 Over the Spare cargo basket for anything that is or might get wet. I used to use a Trasheroo too but it's more of a PITA than a benefit.

I couldn't imagine having to remove the seat belts every time I wanted to load the Jeep.

View attachment 634371
View attachment 634372

That’s a sweet setup! I should probably invest in a bumper/oversized spare carrier. Currently I don’t have one, so my spare goes in the back - then I stack my camping tote and tool tote on top of and strap it down (not ideal, but it works). I take the rear seat out for that, and then put it back in once I’m done.

My plan was to have this rack, and slide the spare under it - then I could put my totes/gear on the rack shelf.

But yea, if I have to remove the rear seatbelts every time it would be miserable.

dbbd1 · Aug 2, 2025

These are not cheap. You need the rack and the mounting kit but with a slight modification to the hardware (wing nuts, threaded knobs, or just the proper tool) they remove fairly easily. And they mount with the rear seat still in the jeep, just folded up against the front seats.

https://www.quadratec.com/products/12034_214_07.htm

Breto31 · Aug 4, 2025

I do see where Hooke Road makes a rack that bolts onto the tub at the hard top holes location vs onto the wheel well/rear seat belt location. I’m thinking I may try that one instead before I go a totally different direction.

gbirk · Aug 4, 2025

dbbd1 said:
These are not cheap. You need the rack and the mounting kit but with a slight modification to the hardware (wing nuts, threaded knobs, or just the proper tool) they remove fairly easily. And they mount with the rear seat still in the jeep, just folded up against the front seats.

https://www.quadratec.com/products/12034_214_07.htm

This is what I use and love it. You need the mounting kit to mount it over the spare, but if you mount it inside the cage, it comes with everything you need. Also, having the seat folded forward does lose a bit of storage space, but the seat makes a "wall" between the stuff in back and the front seats that offers some protection against flying 50 cal ammo cans if things go ...... poorly.

I can take the rack in/out in about 10 minutes with the top up. With the top down, it is more like 5 minutes.

Breto31 · Aug 4, 2025

gbirk said:
This is what I use and love it. You need the mounting kit to mount it over the spare, but if you mount it inside the cage, it comes with everything you need. Also, having the seat folded forward does lose a bit of storage space, but the seat makes a "wall" between the stuff in back and the front seats that offers some protection against flying 50 cal ammo cans if things go ...... poorly.

I can take the rack in/out in about 10 minutes with the top up. With the top down, it is more like 5 minutes.

This Bestop rack looks great! The description online states that the tray only holds up to 75LBS. My camping tote probably weighs 50LBS-75LBS itself, and then my tools/wheeling gear is probably another 50LBS or so too - I'd be afraid to come in significantly over the 75LB threshold. And it would take a beating if I've got the tools/gear on there while I'm wheeling.... I just don't want to spend $400 on a setup that can only hold 75LBS.

Hooke Road also offers this rack that hold up to 300LBS, but the Bestop one you guys have looks a lot nicer.

MikekiM · Aug 4, 2025

Breto31 said:
This Bestop rack looks great! The description online states that the tray only holds up to 75LBS. My camping tote probably weighs 50LBS-75LBS itself, and then my tools/wheeling gear is probably another 50LBS or so too - I'd be afraid to come in significantly over the 75LB threshold. And it would take a beating if I've got the tools/gear on there while I'm wheeling.... I just don't want to spend $400 on a setup that can only hold 75LBS.

Hooke Road also offers this rack that hold up to 300LBS, but the Bestop one you guys have looks a lot nicer.

The basket Bestop uses has nuts that are pressed into the plastic. Maybe that's the reason for the low capacity. I've had a few of those nuts strip and ended up pulling them out and thru-bolting them. The basket is otherwise pretty robust.

gbirk · Aug 4, 2025

Breto31 said:
This Bestop rack looks great! The description online states that the tray only holds up to 75LBS. My camping tote probably weighs 50LBS-75LBS itself, and then my tools/wheeling gear is probably another 50LBS or so too - I'd be afraid to come in significantly over the 75LB threshold. And it would take a beating if I've got the tools/gear on there while I'm wheeling.... I just don't want to spend $400 on a setup that can only hold 75LBS.

Hooke Road also offers this rack that hold up to 300LBS, but the Bestop one you guys have looks a lot nicer.

I load with the heavy tools and such on the floor, and just put the lighter stuff on the rack. I don;t like putting heavy stuff that high in the Jeep or that close the the back of my head.

I also designed some plugs for the through bolts on the tubes that lets me tighten them a bit more. Without the plugs the metal tubes were crushing. Adding the inner support really helped stiffen it up. I think it would easily hold more than 75 pounds now.

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Rear Seat Belts & Hooke Road Storage Rack

Breto31

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MikekiM

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Breto31

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dbbd1

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Breto31

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gbirk

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MikekiM

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