Roof Rack Questions

Going back and forth between Baja racks and Front Runner. They both look like quality racks. The Front Runners are a lot more expensive than the Baja racks though

 

Wow looks like you need the Taco's approach angle for that driveway..

 

Pretty simple task. OEM roof racks are pretty saleable, its probably the most preferred unless you want to carry really heavy gear or an RTT.

 

I am considering purchasing the Frontrunner rack for my kayaks. How much wind noise does it generate at hi way speeds?

 

i feel the factory roof rack makes it look like a minivan or like some SUV. Almost like the old ford explorer pickup thing they made.

 

I see you have a 2016. I have the same question about the

I see your response is for your 2016. In searching the web for the same question on my 2015 rack, I have found that they are only rated at 75lb. I wonder have you guys exceeded this capacity safely and without issue? How big is the risk to going over by 50 0r 60 lbs?

 

I stand corrected. Stood up and looked at the factory rack and there's a stamp stating that it's rated at 100lbs max cap. Still have the same questions thought (dumb as it may be)... What's the risk of going slightly over cap? And has anyone else exceeded cap without issue?

I want to use a Megawarrior and it's about 50lbs. Leaves me with 50lbs to spare...what if I go slightly over max cap? significant risk? Or NBD?

Appreciate hearing of your experiences...

 

Thinking of going Prinsu. But that will be after some other needs (sliders, bed mat).

 

Have a dealer locate one. A goof dealer will work with you to earn that sale.Tons of guys here have successfully ordered the manual config they wanted.

 

I have no issues using the OEM roof rack for my canoe. I probably over tighten the straps too because I had a canoe almost fly off on me when a friend tied it down. The factory shark fin antenna is a little bit of an issue loading, just need to pay attention. I just slide the canoe over the tailgate cap up over the roof until the point of the canoe is well over the truck, then lower the point down onto the rack. Overall I like it, but I never carry anything more than a canoe or kayak. I likely do have over 100 pounds on it when you include the extra weight from tightening the ratchet straps, but I've had no issues.

 

The OEM rack should perfect for a canoe unless it's an extremely heavy canoe! Kayaks tend to be s bit heavier but never 100lbs. You might even get away with 2 canoes on it if they are Kevlar. I'm planning on putting an OEM rack on next week so I'll soon know for sure! The OEM is the quietest of the racks and I consider it quite a good design from an industrial design perspective. I like the expedition look of some of the others, but it's a lot of steel mesh to have up there when it's not needed, creating wind noise, resistance, and catching bugs.

 

Has anyone used the factory rack as side rails and added thule/Yakima bars? Does it make the whole setup more substantial?

 

And what's the distance between the 2 rails when stowed?

 

I think if you're looking at that, you may be better served with just getting rails installed in the ditches and then use the Thule/ Yakima bars.

 

Oh I haven't found any side rails so assumed people were using the factory rack

 

I'm guessing that the 100 lb limit on the OEM rack is determined by the base anchoring points. A lot of factors go into something like this so it depends what you need to carry. Many of the baskets add about 25-35 lbs before you even start so there isn't much capacity up there in terms of weight. I put an OEM rack on my truck and it's pretty versatile. I limit it to things that I know it will carry eg a CVT awning, a canoe etc light stuff. I may use it for a solar panel. Everyone's needs are different. The advantage of the OEM rack is that it stows when not in use and is quiet - an important attribute for me.

 

I already have a basket that also anchors bikes so would be pretty close, but if where it anchors is the limiting factor people putting rtt's on heavy duty racks with 2 people in must be way over

 

You'd be surprised what factory stuff you can find on Amazon ...

$361 Toyota Genuine PT278-35130 Roof Rack

http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Toyot...45763&sr=8-1&keywords=tacoma+toyota+roof+rack

Some people have mentioned the limits to the factory rating, but I can tell you from experience (as an auto engineer with Ford) that these types of things from the OEMs are studied by engineers who make simulations/models of the vehicle in order to determine durability over the lifespan of the vehicle. They essentially look at a specific loading, and then the simulations will tell them if any of the sheet metal (or other components) in the area will *ever* be damaged at that load. You could over load it, and it probably wouldn't hurt anything even if you did this on a few occasions, but if you stay under the rating you know that there will never be any plastic strain to any component that could compromise the structure. The OEMs tend to have conservative estimates for a lot of this stuff, and also very powerful computers (multi-node servers ... basically supercomputers) that allow detailed models that would take a long time to run without that type of processing power. They're not perfect, but it does give some edge when developing certain things.

The OEM stuff is dependable, but sometimes there are certain features that make an aftermarket supplier's stuff more desirable. Most of the aftermarket companies make good stuff too, and they also do modeling that allows them to make dependable parts that last a long time. Some of the aftermarket companies even work with the OEMs and are given access to CAD files and stuff that helps with development, but that's completely dependent on which company and OEM we're talking about. Anyways, I guess I'm just saying that there is probably a lot more design and development that goes into some of this stuff than a lot of people actually realize lol ... sorry for the ramble

 

I've read that on some cars there can be a 15-20% drop (like a small sedan), but I suspect it wouldn't be as bad with a truck since you're already basically pushing a brick through the wind. Did you notice a drop in MPG with this type of roof rack? I really like that Baja stealth rack, and I've considered getting one of these eventually because it gives the most clearance since I like to park in my garage lol http://www.bajarack.com/?id=racks_list_inside&idRack=40

 

Yakima Whispbar and J-Lo kayak racks on mine.