I was just wondering what you guys used to mount your Yakima poles on your 3G. I was looking for some towers that attached to the factory rack so I didn't have to use the Q towers to mount the cross bars all the way up over the doors. I would like to use the Yakima cross bars in the factory rack location. Is there any towers that allow me to do this? Thanks for the help.

 

The new product for factory rails is called the 'control tower.' It allows your to put Yakima round bars on your factory roof rails.

If you go the used "rail rider" that is what I have and they work great. I'd stay away from Q-towers - they are pretty noisy.

good luck

 

www.rackattack.com has the personalizer tool (automated fit guide as they call it) for Thule and Yak and will tell you just what you need

 

I used the Rail Riders as well. Stay away from the Q towers they just don't seem as sturdy and they are harder to install, plus the rail riders look better if you ask me.

 

ok...thanks for the help. I will give it a shot.

 

yeah, what the other guys said is right on. that's the setup i have. you can see some pics on my website.

 

My Yakima rack from my old Explorer fits right on. The towers have Ford ovals (not that noticeable), but at $80 (from Ford dealer) complete it was much cheaper than any Yakima rack I found at other places, and it works the same.

I think one of the reasons it was so much cheaper is because nothing is quick-adjust. Too bad I have not seen a similar model at a similar price anywhere else, I think it would be a big seller. It is a Yakima, built for Ford.

Poor picture is attached of when it was on the Exploder.

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...97506942ByPJjd

I just used the factory ones

 

I just put the first of my two Yakima bars on the truck to see how wide they would be. It's like 6 degrees outside so I did it in a hurry. I got the Control towers, and let me say, I definitley need to buy the locks. You just fold them back and they pop right off. Certainly not secure.

the best price I found was at rackattack.com and that's where I bought them from.

I went with the 58" poles instead of the 48" to see what they'd look like. They're the same price so I figured I'd just cut them if I didn't like the way they looked, and it's looking like they might get cut. 58" seems a little wide to me at the moment.

I went with 58" because I was wanting to make sure my canoe comfortably mounted on the truck along with a bike or two. I can't decide if I'll just permanently leave them on, or if I'll take them off and put the factory rails back in the day to day driving.

Bill

 

You can modify your exiting Q towers to fit in the factory rack.

My Yak rack came off my Jeep Cherokee I used to have. It used the Q towers that clipped onto the rain gutters above the doors. When I put it on the 4Runner, I modified the brackets on the Q towers to fit into the factory roof rack rails. If I didn't do this, I would have to get the locking rail riders you mentioned. I like the way mine turned out since the rack isn't as close to the roof as it would have been with the rail riders.





More pics on my site

 

I'm using Yakima Locking Railrider. Just click on the link in my signature for the picture.

-- Andrey

 

HERE is the thread I posted to show the setup I added to my 3rd Gen. All the particulars are there along with purchase locations...

 

When you put that plastic piece back on your rails, did you glue it down at all or just slip it back on and screw the torx screw through it?

I snapped the f***ing tip off one of those black parts that goes in, and I'm not looking forward to taking the front rail off now that I'm switching over to the yakima racks.

Bill