Tracrac TracOne (Universal) Review/Build for 05+ Tacoma Bed Rack

Thanks Boyd

Nice avy BTW

 

Nice write up and customizing. I just go the Tracrac G2 with cantilever.

I had a few minor issues;
Need to chase almost every 3/8-16 tapped hole.
Bed pockets block the clamp from sliding into place so I had to remove them.

 

I didn't chase anything. Waxed up the bolts up and drove them home with a ratchet Your idea is much safer than mine and I know others have had the same issue with the powder-coating clogging the threads up.

No need to remove them. Just push the bed pockets in and slide the clamps past them. It is a tight fit, but you can do it.

 

Well perhaps your thread were not as bad as mine.. as long as it doesn't gall up!

My guess is the bed flexes enough to push it past... stupid me.. I already cracked one taking it off.. ugh.. will try to slide it past later..

Quality is real nice though. Love the channel as I can use it to fit Thule accessories.

 

What type of saw did you use to cut down the rack?

 

I used a 12" compound miter saw with a 120 tooth industrial blade meant for cutting aluminum. Waxed it up like I always do and it cut like butter. The less teeth you have the slower and more cautiouse you need to be. Aluminum tends to melt into the teeth so after each cut inspect the blade for this. If it occurs remove the build up and wax the blade before the next cut....and cut SLOWER so it doesn't happen again.


For the other guy who PM'd me while on vacation concerning the lengths I cut mine down to - they are listed in the OP.

 

Thanks, I guess a hack saw might take a while

 

Nah... 5-10 min tops with the right blade on it and a miter box. The extrusions are pretty thin.

I would do it if I didn't have a saw.

 

I like what you did here man , ive been looking for some ideas to customize my thule rack and I think I found them , let me ask you what is the primary use for the outside L tracks ? , awning ? tarp ? because that's something im interested in ..

heres mine :

 

The Trac Rac is holding up fine but overloaded it and tore the composite bed at the front corner.

I noticed that other racks have a plate that is the length of the bed. I am sure that distributes the load better. Or they have a strut that transfers load to the base on the bed.

 

The legs were forced outward most likely

Had a lumber rack on my old truck break the metal bed the same way

 

That makes sense but the struts shown only provide vertical support. I am sure this will help but then it's the next weakest point which is probably what your noting.

 

I carried my paddleboards a few times with my new Tracrac straight out of the box.
It was just a little bit too tall on my prerunner to reach without using my sidesteps or climbing into the bed. I cut 8" off the width of the crossbars(9" would be too much IMO), 3" off the front uprights and 4" off the rear uprights then filed and sanded the edges smooth. I used a fine toothed circular saw and they cut very straight and easily going slow. Tapping the threads was the hardest part of this whole modification. (it's really hard man work with a T-tap) After finishing the re-install and feeling exhausted it looks much better on the truck now and will certainly be more user friendly. Much props to the OP for his detailed DIY.

 

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Looking for rear sliding window latch for 2001 toyota tacoma

 

This thread helped a lot this past weekend thank you very much

 

Thanks XXXX for the post! Just did this TracRac One mod and it turned out great.

I took 2.5" off the vertical uprights and 4" off the crossbar. Worked perfectly for my 12' SOT kayak. The project took about three hours to complete. Cut the uprights and crossbar with one of those Harbor Freight horizontal metal bandsaws. Cuts were cleaner than the TracRac factory ends of the bars. Took about 10 minutes to cut threads into the aluminum per hole. Use a little WD-40 to lube the thread cutter and you're good to go.











If you go with a TracRac definitely replace the bolts for the mounting clamps as the OP suggested. I used 3/8" - 16 x 1.5" stainless steel hex socket cap bolt picked-up at Fastenal. These were the most expensive part of the mod. $40 for 25 SS bolts -- and you only need 8! I have a bunch of extra SS bolts. If you do this mod PM me and I'll send you bolts for the cost of the shipping charge. It's always good to save a few bucks.

 

UPDATE: If you add the TracRac with the intention of carrying kayak/canoe/SUP and want/need a rack pad check out Vitamin Blue. They make custom surf and paddle board items. They made two custom 60" rack pads to fit my modified TracRac and they are better than I had hoped for. Price was great and they shipped quick.

 

Putting one of these on my truck as well to haul more stuff (bikes, etc.) during family trips. Just a tip for those cutting down the legs. Use a drill on slow speed with the clutch set a couple notches back from 'drill'. Way easier than the t-handle and you will not break the tap, keep it straight, lubed and only go a 1/4" or so at a time before cleaning out the threads.

I cut my vertical legs into two pieces, basically 10" piece that gives me the top of the rack at about 12-1/2" from the top of the bed rail, and a 13-1/2" piece that gives me 16".

 

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