Ditch mounted tracks on double cabs.

Maybe a dumb question, but if you’re going to pull the headliner, why not forego the rivunts?

 

I did. Used SS stop nuts, washers, and button head cap screws as well as caulking i/o plus the bitumen patches on the outside. Because of the lack of a B-pillar the headliner is much easier to remove from the cab on an AC than a DC. Still tedious, but not difficult. Since I also wanted to add noico it made sense to do both jobs at the same time.

The best reason I can think of for not doing it is the holes at the back are all but completely hidden by the side curtain air bags and to actually get in there I had to remove enough of the bolts that hold the air bags up to drop them out of the way enough to get the caulk and wrench in there. Offsetting and imho vastly outweighing that inconvenience was being able to choose exactly where to drill and seal properly. Since the tracks had to be shortened to fit the AC roof anyway I lined up the predrilled holes with my chosen locations and then cut the excess from the track ends. At least on an AC the riskier holes are the ones over the clamshell doors. There's much more empty space over the front doors.

 

This pic was taken after track install while doing the noico. The noico stops at the ditch. You can see how close the air bags are to where you have to drill the holes.
Here's a close up of one of the holes at the back of the track and how I strategically located it through a tab. Another went through the tabs on each end of the cross roof brace.

 

Great pictures, great post of ditch track mounting. I would love to see the same great pictures of a Double Cab as I'm sure the rear half is slightly different.

 

Like the one in this post? See post #69
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-and-insulating-sound-deadening.394469/page-4
Actually post #51 in this very thread has pics with better resolution showing the oem bolts poking through as well. I would think that should be enough. What appears most in the drill path is the yellow air bag wire loom which is ~1/2" - 1" below the ditch. Just use a drill stop set for 3/16" and increase drill depth 1/16" at a time until you poke through. Rhino made these tracks to install without dropping the headliner and to avoid hitting anything when drilling if proper drill depth is observed. I'd use some heavy duty tape in the ditch (or track if it's used as a template) to keep the stop from marring the paint or ano.

 

Scott, not as detailed pictures of track mounting location in ditch as you provided for on the Extended Cab. It's still unclear where the actual middle rivet comes into play on the Double Cab location. Wouldn't it be nice if someone had posted the underside of the track showing the drilled holes prior to installing the rivets as did you, but on the Double Cab and non modified Rhino-Rack Ditch Track part number

$79 RTS547 Rhino-Rack 47" Aluminum Tracks Compatible with Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 2005-2022, Includes Hardware & End Caps, Black (RTS547)

RTS547

 

I agree but that's the only one that I recalled seeing and had in my watched threads list. From it though you should be able to measure from the factory rack screw locations to the 3 rivet spots and compare them. You shouldn't have to completely remove the headliner to do that, only drop each side in turn near the B-pillar to look. Since Rack Attack installs them without problems I don't imagine there's as much of an issue as with an AC. I would lay the track in the ditch and put masking tape on the roof next to each rivet location so I could see both from underneath. If you do, take some better pics and pay it forward, that's how this forum got so awesome.

Also, if you zoom in on pics 9,10 you can see where the oem roof rack screws come through so either he has one of those or some other rack mount using them. Comparing those locations to the pics showing the cross braces might help.

 

Looks like the front screw of the rear pair lines up with the rear grab handle bolt.

 

This was very very helpful for me recently. Thanks!

 

"INSAYN, post: 17316327, member: 203898"]Bumping this thread to see if there have been any more Rhino Rack installs on Gen 3's with any additional tips and tricks learned along the way.

Also, anyone made their own rack system to mount on these ditch channels?

 

Man I've been really dragging my butt on getting this done. I've had the tracks installed since last summer, and haven't moved any further since.

 

Simplest solution is diy side plates and 8020 or t-nutz crossbars. There are several vendors for the extruded bars as well as useable side plate possiblities with any number of options for mounting on tracks. It's not rocket science.

Or just get some Thule or Yakima bars to put on the tracks. I stayed with this to keep them easily removable since they knock my mileage back whenever they're up there.

 

Which Yakima landing pad did you use?

 

I did this install a few months ago, super happy with the result. I took the leap on some Yakima #1 landing pads matched with Yakima control towers and they work perfectly!

I was wondering if anyone has been brave enough to run their truck through a car wash with the crossbars still attached to the ditch tracks? I have been removing the cross bars each time before going to the wash for fear of the roller brush ripping everything off and that is getting a little old.

 

They don’t generally want you to do this so at most I leave only the mounting pads and covers. For me the whole point of the tracks is so that they are removable and not up there wrecking aerodynamics. As well as allowing for longer loads. If not in constant use I’m pissing money leaving them up there.

 

bumping this to see if tracks are still available to put into the weather stripping "ditch" on top of a double cab and attach yakima landing pads on top

 

Check with Rhino. They make them. I doubt there’s much difference between 2nd and 3rd gen channels but I made them fit an access cab so at most it depends on your diy game. The best thing about them is once installed you’re set for any rack or array of racks you might want to use whether it’s a kayak, rtt, bars, a tray, or all of the above at different times.

 

+1 on the above.