OEM Roof Rack Leak and Fix

Definitely do that. My oem roof racks were leaking too so i took em off and fulled the holes with silicone. Put butyl tape on it before hand if u want. It doesnt hurt to do more. And a suggestion that helped me out was when ur ready to screw the bolts in, puts some silicone on the bolts. When ur ready to thread them in make sure to thread them all in at the same time. It helps with making sure they will evenly go in the the threads without striping them. Good luck.

 

Make sure you take out the the brackets that hold the roof and make sure those suckers are siliconed up too

 

Also replace the shitty factory foam washers with rubber ones.

 

Will do. Rubber washers. Butyl Tape. A generous amount of silicone. Thanks to all of those who helped out. Let you know how it turns out.
Gene

 

I bought a NIB rack from a member on here haven’t installed it yet waiting for weather to be warmer. Those of you who replaced the bolts with SS what size and pitch did you use? Did use phillips,square,flat, head . I already bought the silicone after reading the leak problems im almost hesitant to install

 

I just got a prinsu rack and ordered butyl tape, anything else I should get to secured it from water?

 

Hey guys, know this is old thread but would like to ask in regards using black permatex silicone, what is the best way to use it? .. just filling the hole with silicone and then put the bolt in it? .. or what would be the best technique to seal with silicone? .. I just found Im getting water coming trough the racks, damn.

thank you

 

I put a glob in the hole, tightened the bolts then put another glob over the heads, if I remember correctly. Almost two years later, no leaks. Hope that helps

 

Thank you sir, Ill give a try

 

On the flip side, I was going to install a factory rack on my 2014 until I read this. Hat's off to all of you who did, had problems, and then posted about them here. It changed my mind about doing this project.... so my sincere thanks to you.

Water leaks are the worse. I'm the one who got a water leak through the shark-fin antenna on my 2014 two days after I brought it home. Water was pouring off the head liner at the center of the rear slider. It took them two tries and 30 days (free loaner) to solve/fix it. My advice: don't look at it, fiddle with it, talk to it, and especially don't hit it with a snow brush or something you throw up on the roof... Like a pair of gloves. You'll aggravate it and it will start leaking. If mine ever leaks again, I will silicone some kind of matching clear Tupperware container over it and call it a day. I don't do XM radio anyway.

 

I just notice my driver side leaked after a rainy night. As you mentioned, Toyota should offered better quality screws because the ones that come with the rack are very shitty quality. I pull appart the driverside rack, cleaned, put some good all weather silicone and let it drive. It should fix the issue.

My recommendation when you doing this is don't drink, You will break something and curse the shit of Toyota.

 

I'm getting ready to take the rack off my 2005 Tacoma and seal it (from current and future leaks,...); but I wanted a little more input from those who have experience (before I tear into it...). I'd hate to get the rack off the truck, and then find that I'm missing a critical item or piece of knowledge that I need to finish the job.

1. Is there a trick to taking removing or installing the "yellow tab" fasteners without breaking (or damaging) them?
2. I've read several ideas for replacing the "stupid worthless mastic washers" (from the Toyota factory) with several types of (e.g., after market) replacements. I've also spent several hours wandering around the local Home Depot, Lowe's, and other stores trying to find suitable (e.g., rubber, fiber,...) gaskets, but didn't find anything that looked like it'd do the trick. A week or so ago, I thought that I stumbled upon an actual part number (i.e., that someone was recommending,...) in a thread somewhere, but can't find it again. Could someone provide better descriptions, photos, part number(s), and/or where they were located them in the stores? Anything would be appreciated.
3. Is the consensus still that the "better" washers (e.g., to seal under the rack and screws) are made of rubber or something else? The only ones I've found at Home Depot thus far are labeled "Fiber Washers", and the reference to "fiber" makes me nervous that the might not seal; plus they didn't look big enough.
4. In general, I have discounted the idea of using something like butyl tape as the primary junction between the rack and the roof of the truck; because my rack often supports significant loads (e.g., over varied road conditions,...), and my experience has been that butyl tape does not remain consistent over time and varied loads and weather conditions. If someone has other thoughts and experiences with respect to using butyl tape (or other similar materials,...) I would like to hear about it.
5. Is the better ID still 1/4" or will other sizes (e.g., 3/8" ID) also work (e.g., if care is used to not blow them out with too much torque,...)? What is the preferred OD of the washers?
6. Can someone tell me where they found the "gasket maker" kits at Home Depot (e.g., someone described it as "a square rubber pad (comes in a clear bag) that's about an 1/8 inch thick that you can cut to your needs"), just in case I can't find the pre-cut ones? In the past, I've made certain gaskets out of things like old inner-tubes; so I could even revert to that if I can't find anything better.
7. After trying several stale URL links, I did find reference to an actual (.PDF) Installation Manual, so (thankfully) I now have the recommended torque settings. If anyone else also needs this, I can attach a copy to this thread (for others' convenience).

Thank-you, in advance, for any and all the wisdom, guidance, and constructive suggestions.