DIY: Roof Rack Delete (w/ pics)

[Ray Dunakin]

Yeah, this helped me a lot recently when I removed the stock rack prior to installing a Gobi.

 

[ADK Explorer]

Appreciate this as I am going to pull mine to Plasti-dip them. Good to know about thread lock before hand.

 

[JDSmith]

Awesome thread, I have a 14 mag grey TPE. Just ordered the parts, $68. I'll post before and after pics


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[JDSmith]

And done, I like it better. And it's going to be easier to get the snow off the roof this winter. Until I put a gobi stealth on...

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[Heavy_GD]

I did mine this weekend... I didnt realize these fancy caps existed so I will be ordering them and updating my bolts with the caps. :biggrin1:

 

[BajaSurfer]

Can you move the factory rails forward?

Found out the hard way...

After doing the roof rack delete. I took my 4runner to a automated car wash deals at chevron. And my weather stripping came flying off... I guess with out the roof rack theres absolutely nothing holding these long strips down. So I just add some 3m double side automotive tape and re-installed them.

Hi, Did you notice any other bolt holes under the weather stripping? I want to move my factory rails forward on the vehicle but I'm guessing there is only one set of bolt holes..?

 

[BajaSurfer]

Neither Yakima nor Thule makes anything that will clamp on to the 4 Runner so that you can spread your cross bars apart to carry a longer canoe/kayak properly. Their racks will only clamp onto your stock rack rails, with about 3 feet of cross bar spread. For this very reason, I put a Gobi rack on my 4 Runner. Gives me 6 feet of space between bars. Expensive solution, but I paddle nearly every day and take my boats on the highway in the winter.

It looks like the two rear brackets for your new rack bolt to the factory bolt holes, but how does the front bracket attach to the vehicle? thx. (looks great, btw.)

 

[TheWraith]

Hi, Did you notice any other bolt holes under the weather stripping? I want to move my factory rails forward on the vehicle but I'm guessing there is only one set of bolt holes..?

there are no other bolt holes ... sorry

 

[Wingsuit]

sorry for late reply: the front of the Gobi is fastened with 3M tape, or something like it. the whole rack is so rigid it probably just needs a pad under the front brackets, not sticky tape. I just removed my gobi, and the front sticky tape came right off, ie, it wasnt adding anything to the rigidity of the system.

 

[4RunnerAZ1]

watch out while prying the covers off

Great write up, I ordered and installed the roof rack delete kit. I want to also warn about using a screwdriver even with a rag I managed to put a small dent in the upper roof area below the cover, I used a plastic dent tool to pry the covers off after seeing what I had done. Good thing I bought the paint/dent insurance, they will remove that dent I knobheadingly put on my vehicle. Reason I removed the rack, it's silver, nothing on my truck is silver, and I will never have a need to use it, and as others have mentioned, it's a pain to wash/wax the roof with that rack in the way.

 

[rocky.mtn]

Does anyone know which way the metal bars go when you re-install the roof rails? I can't figure out which one is left and right, as I had mine powdercoated.

Thanks!

 

[eHaze]

anyone have a pic of the roof after the delete? top view

 

[MissouriBreaks]

anyone have a pic of the roof after the delete? top view

Just did the delete this morning. Here are some photos of the completed job.

Rear Cap

Front Cap

View from several feet

 

[eHaze]

you make the caps or are they oem?

 

[MissouriBreaks]

you make the caps or are they oem?

The caps are OEM. There is a roof rack delete kit, which includes new (shorter) bolts, a bracket to hold the caps, and the caps. I found it on ebay for around $50. The ebay listing was titled "04-17 4RUNNER / 06-17 RAV4 ROOF RACK REMOVAL DELETE KIT NEW GENUINE TOYOTA PARTS" and was listed by a Toyota dealer, who listed multiple kits under the same listing.

The only thing I added was a bead of silicone around the white plastic shafts that the bolts go in. Just wanted to be extra sure of no leaks.

 

[SantaFeTrailer]

I did this mod. It looked really slick, and I had it on for about a year until I decided I needed the functionality and got a PrinSu. My kit's in the flea now of anyone else wants to try it.

 

[TexasTJ]

 

[Bm3r1]

Looks great!

Does water and debris get into the delete chanels?

Do you happen to know the weight of the oem rack?

Happen to see improved mpg?

Thanks

 

[Sublimeyota]

That looks amazing

 

[TexasTJ]

Looks great!

Does water and debris get into the delete chanels?
I didn't technically do the delete, this was just during my Gobi install.
Do you happen to know the weight of the oem rack?
I have the OEM crossbars as well, and I could lift it like a feather. It is very light weight.
Happen to see improved mpg?
Since the OEM rails aren't very heavy, I'd be extremely surprised if you noticed any MPG gains.

Thanks

That looks amazing

Thanks!