KB Voodoo AluMax Rack Install with Diamondback Cover - Photo Heavy

@Papadave418 Quick question on the install of a Taco Max Modular long bed rack (58") on a short bed Tacoma with a Diamondback... The OEM bed rail isn't long enough for the separation needed between the tonneau support brackets. Any direction or advice on how to install with that set-up? Specifically I’m looking for where/how you mount the rearward bracket.

Thank you!

 

Remove the top bolt, where the bracket falls. Then you have two options:
1. Get a stronger bolt and screw it into the factory welded nut
2. Remove the bolt, drill out the factory nut. Replace with stronger/ bigger bolt, washer and nut.

 

@savin yours Thank you!

 

I chose option 2, the factory size bolt isn’t big so I drilled it out and put a lock nut on the other side. I leave my brackets on all the time. I had to loosen the upper screws on the tail lights to lean them out a little bit to access the backside. Now they are super strong! Years later I LOVE MY @KB Voodoo RACK SET UP

 

You're welcome. That’s why we are all here, to learn from other people’s mistakes and victory's. Btw, I went with option 2.

 

Thank you both. I will follow suit and go with option 2 as well. I just upgraded from the Voodoo cross bars to this max modular rack and I’m looking forward to the extra room it will provide.

 

@savin yours or @Papadave418 or @KB Voodoo I’ve got a 3/4” gap between the rear mounts and the rack. Any suggestions on what I’m doing wrong? Thank you.

 

Loosen the bolts at the top or on the lower crossmember if you have a cargo rack and squeeze the rack together

 

I just tighten the gap with the bolts. Is that bad??? Lol

 

I personally wouldn’t. We are driving thousands of miles and over crazy terrain so removing the flex from the design makes it withstand the test of time better. Even now when I get crazy off camber I watch my rack because it’s top heavy and before every trip I check and make sure the rack is solid and nothing has worked loose

 

My rack doesn’t have the bolts circled in yours @Papadave418. Maybe I just have an updated version, but maybe I’ve got the erector set assembled incorrectly. Either way, I suspect I can do what @savin yours did and just crank them together onto the brackets.

One more question (hopefully): my RTT is oriented with the T rails running lengthways parallel with the truck bed. On my old @KB Voodoo set-up the cross bars ran perpendicular so I just centered the tent and bolted it down. With the new max modular rack the top support bars run parallel, I can move them to be directly aligned under with the tent’s rails, but it seems like that would give less stability. Is that how you guys did it? Or do I need to look into reconfiguring somehow?

Thanks much for all the advice!

 

Same deal here

 

I have the AluMax rack which uses a huge 15 series 80/20 crossbar which is why it’s adjustable, I see your rack is a little different. I put on an iKamper which is longer than the rack so I just bolted right through the crossbars to the tent, but didn’t really use the lengthwise bars. They hold the rack together but aren’t used for mounting my tent. If you’ve got more questions no problem, I’ve done a lot to my rack.

My favorite mods- I have the cargo tray and extended it to be longer by adding a tray in the back and full extension sliders, and I added a telescoping privacy tent in the dead space between the rack and rear window. Works great.

 

When you hoist the entire setup, where(on the rack) do you attach the cables?

 

I usually do the 3rd hole down on all 4 corners.

 

Thanks

 

I had the same issue. With the rack up on your bed, slightly loosen the bolts where the uprights meet the cross bars. Then that gives you enough play to tighten the 4 bolts that secure the rack to the cover brackets. Finish by tightening every bolt on the rack.

Helps to have two people the push the two sides of the rack together while the bolts are loose.

 

slightly loosen the bolts circled in red. Then have two people push the rack together, tighten the four bracket bolts, then retighten everything.

(Please ignore the wooden blocks holding the rack up, I'm picking up my diamondback cover tomorrow morning from the freight terminal)

 

Thanks everyone for the great info! Here is how I’ve ended up so far:

This is how it’s sitting on the rear, small amount of the rack base actually resting on Diamondback. Does that look normal, and have you seen any wear on the cover? I could put a thin rubber base plate between the rack and the cover if needed.


Here is a photo of the front where the rack meets cover near the cab.


Here is my RTT hanging... the mounting extrusion bars are lengthwise and I could bolt them directly to the lengthwise rack bars. Each end of the RTT mounting bars would be bolted to the cross bars as well. I think I’ll give that a try and see if it feels sturdy.



Also, @Papadave418 do you have a post or write-up anywhere about your lift? I’ve got a manual lift system rigged up and use it to hoist my tent/rack all together. With the Alumax vs my old crossbars my set-up is getting heavier. I see you’re using electric hoist(s) and I’ve been trying to work out that engineering in my mind but haven’t figured out the best layout for even lifting yet.

Thanks again!

 

It’s looking good!!

My rack actually sits on my cover which I think makes it even more stable all around, I have rubber pads as well glued underneath and it’s fine on the cover.



I moved and made a new hoist system similar to a pergola. I used ceiling mount pulleys to direct the cable around laterally to my cheap HF winch. Hope this helps. I will say make sure your pulleys are symmetrical and that should make the pull even (some photos are upside down, I’m in a rush and didn’t take the time to flip them, trying to hit the trail this morning!)

New system


Old set up