Originally Posted by SherpaEquipmentCo

We actually have a aluminum spacer inside the rubber. So, inside our seal is no different than any other rack on the market. This what most rack companies on the market uses to keep the foot up off the roof and what most tell you to glob silicone all around to keep your roof from leaking. In our design, the rubber is not what supports your load, but what creates the seal on your roof.

The problem with over tightening the feet is the metal on the roof is thin, and when you take a big wrench with leverage, you turn that spacer into a punch, you can easily keep tightening that bolt and pushing the spacer through your roof until it bottoms out on the nut inside the roof. The rack does not need to be as tight as say your lug nuts, the hardware isn't made for it, the factory nuts in the roof are not made for it and the metal on your roof is not made for it. But, once all 4 points are snug, rubber is compressed down a bit, you have a fully sealed roof, plenty strong rack system, and hassle free no mess install.

Hoping to just shed some light on the design, and clear up any confusion on the subject. I appreciate the question as well, lets us explain our thinking and how the system works.

Originally Posted by FourT6and2

Thank you

So if the metal insert is what really supports the rack and load, then over-tightening the mounting bolts isn't really compressing the rubber more and more after a certain point? It's sending the metal inserts through the roof's sheet metal? Then why doesn't this happen on other rack systems? I've at least never heard of it happening. When watching mounting videos for other racks, you can see people torque down their mounting bolts (with metal standoffs) until they basically can't apply any more torque by hand and it doesn't seem to damage the roof as you explain.

I'm not arguing against what your'e saying, I just don't understand how this actually works in practice and I'd like to before making a decision on what rack to buy.

Originally Posted by SherpaEquipmentCo

To push it through the roof requires a good bit of force, you'll absolutely know that you are doing it. The one time we have seen it happen the customer was installing their rack with an impact wrench. So, they had no idea of torque and just assumed the impact would stop itself once tight. It is not something you should have to worry about when installing the rack, just good to be aware of, especially if you use air wrenches or electric wrenches. It could happen when any other rack that uses a round spacer but definitely a rare occurrence caused by lack of attention.

Originally Posted by jp.vegas

Is there a published torque spec for these bolts?

Originally Posted by rageandlove

If someone can point me at a torque wrench that measures inch-pounds accurately, I'll buy you a beer sometime. The only one I could find at the local auto parts store was accurate +-100% from my testing ...

Originally Posted by rageandlove

If someone can point me at a torque wrench that measures inch-pounds accurately, I'll buy you a beer sometime. The only one I could find at the local auto parts store was accurate +-100% from my testing ...

Originally Posted by rageandlove

If someone can point me at a torque wrench that measures inch-pounds accurately, I'll buy you a beer sometime. The only one I could find at the local auto parts store was accurate +-100% from my testing ...

Originally Posted by rageandlove

If someone can point me at a torque wrench that measures inch-pounds accurately, I'll buy you a beer sometime. The only one I could find at the local auto parts store was accurate +-100% from my testing ...

Originally Posted by cripes

Just ordered a crestone today. Can't wait.

Originally Posted by sl0wd0wn

I'm on the other side of 8 weeks for my order. It seems like the combination of COVID-19 and the increased demand for camping, etc. has really slowed things down.