Problem mounting jhooks to maxmod bed rack

Can anyone offer up some suggestions or pictures on how they are mounting their kayak j-hooks to the maxmodular bed rack? I’m using TWS mounts but the bolt spacing to secure to the mounts to the rack seems shorter than the main cross bars for the rack, but when i try and position it to the load bars, the smaller bolts are squeezed up against the load bars. Seems like an unwise method for mounting. If anyone has suggestions or pictures I would appreciate it.




No replies, so I decided to get crafty with this and cut some wooden block spacers (1"x6"x4" wood blocks), oversize drill 6 holes to let the hardware drop in to the block and give me a nice flush mounting spacer with the bed rack while keeping the metal on metal contact to zero. I'll be covering the blocks including the drilled holes with a bed liner material which should make them in to invincible little weatherproof bricks. I went to the hardware store and got some long carriage bolts so i can connect up with the lower metal plate for the kayak mounts. If this method works, I have some solid aluminum stock of the right dimensions lined up that I'll replace the wood with maybe down the road.

Additionally, at the store I figured I'd knock out a different issue. I picked up some bolts to go in the rear of the bed rack where it mounts to the existing bed channel bolts (long bed max-modular bed rack on a short bed taco...). The existing bolts are unnervingly short for use with the bed rack. The new bolts are yellow zinc hex heads that match the thread pitch of the taco bolt, but instead of 20mm length, they are 25's so I should get 5 more threads in there. Also got 30mm's so I can see if they fit. Class 8.8 if I recall which is more than enough for the application. Anyway, I'm probably not the first pioneer, but maybe all this works out and someone will benefit from my efforts. Tomorrow we shall see. To be continued...

 

Got the spacers done today. Letting the spray cure for 24hrs, but it fixed the mounting problem. It was suggested i mount on this rack on the lateral main cross bars and not the smaller front to rear load bars, so this allows that method to work well with the spacers and longer hardware. Tomorrow i’ll get everything tightened and under a load and we shall see how it goes.