| wckrause |
| I've seen a couple people who have mentioned installing the 54" Yakima tracks on their MDX's. If anybody has done this and can help me out with some dimensions and locations of the plus nuts, please email me at wckrause@hotmail.com or reply to this post. |
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| TheyCallMeBruce |
quote:
Originally posted by wckrause
I've seen a couple people who have mentioned installing the 54" Yakima tracks on their MDX's. If anybody has done this and can help me out with some dimensions and locations of the plus nuts, please email me at wckrause@hotmail.com or reply to this post.
If you apply a forum search under yakima, you'll find a lot of detail, including installation dimensional details, and pictures to boot! Search first, then you might post any additional questions. |
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| wckrause |
Bruce --
I did the search a long time ago. Very little info on installing 54" tracks, but lots of details on 40" tracks.
But thanks for your help. |
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| TheyCallMeBruce |
wckrause,
You're correct, but I would think the process is the same. In addition to pulling the sunroof trim, I would pull the rubber trim along the upper portion of the door opening. I did this the other day and was able to view pertinent parts of the roof metal. I think the issue is to ensure there is no obstacles below the drill points. When I installed an extension piece to the Yakima rails on my 99 Explorer, I noticed it was important to create a depth-stop for the drill bit, lest you go into the headliner from above. I drilled through a wood dowel, lengthwise (holding it with clamping pliers), and sanded it smooth on both sides, and applied electrical tape to the bottom end to make sure it didn't scratch the paint. Worked great.
The problem with using longer rails is whether you can actually make use of the rear portion when carrying long items, especially if you also have a tailgate deflector. I guess if you're doing a kayak/canoe rig, it wouldn't matter anyway.
Ordered a pack of true bolts from Yakima today, will be installing the same tracks onto my MDX that come with the older Explorers, as I like the way the end caps allow removal of rail attachments, they snap right in and open up for removal by depressing a retaining doo-dad.
Good luck with your install. |
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| wckrause |
I was hoping to get either a drilling template, or a good set of measurements so that I don't have to get into removing trim to get a peak under the headliner. I'm a little concerned about damaging the headliner or the trim, but maybe I'm too worried.
Yakima says that they are going to fit an MDX for both the 40" and 54" tracks sometime later in the summer, but I don't want to wait. The people I've talked to a Sports Rack give the same advice as you.
I need the longer tracks because I will be carrying a 21 foot canoe, and a smaller kayak. I know this will keep me from opening the rear door fully, but I can live with that. The antenna location is another concern, but I think it will be in the middle of the two boats, so I just need to be careful with loading and unloading. |
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| TheyCallMeBruce |
quote:
Originally posted by wckrause
I was hoping to get either a drilling template, or a good set of measurements so that I don't have to get into removing trim to get a peak under the headliner. I'm a little concerned about damaging the headliner or the trim, but maybe I'm too worried.
I actually think its a lot more scary drilling into the roof of a car without taking a look for yourself to confirm what's below deck. Really, its no big deal to peel off the soft rubber trim molding that surrounds the door opening, and the headliner flexes sufficiently for a look-see. I think you should use the actual track as the template. Tape it down with fresh masking tape, and carefully center and mark drilling points with a center punch. |
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| wckrause |
I took your advice and pulled the rubber door trim away from one of the back doors, and could get a peek above the headliner. It was as easy as you described. The door grab prevented me from getting too far in, but I guess I'll have to take it off also.
Thule makes a track system similar to the Yakima tracks. I emailed them a question about installing on an MDX and here was their response.
quote:
Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunatly we do not have an approved installation for the top tracks on the Acura MDX. Due to wiring between the headliner and the roof of the vehicle we do not recommend the top tracks for your vehicle. We do have a removable rack option for your MDX. Please call us if you have further questions. 1-800-238-2388
Any idea why they are so concerned about the wiring? |
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| mgmdx |
quote:
I actually think its a lot more scary drilling into the roof of a car without taking a look for yourself to confirm what's below deck.
TheyCallMeBruce,
I completely agree with you on this one. Although I obtained diagrams from the local dealer that showed where (generally) the wiring harness passes underneath the roof of the MDX, I would not even attempt to drill into the roof if I was not able to verify this by looking under the headliner.
quote:
Any idea why they are so concerned about the wiring?
wckrause,
Before Yakima and/or Thule "approve" the installation of the tracks on a specific vehicle, they remove the headliner and verify that there are no obstacles for drilling/attachment points. When the recommended fit exists for specific vehicles, the companies assume that customers will not actually look under the headliner and will instead follow installation dimensions as recommended by track manufacturer. This way, any obstacles (including wiring) will be avoided and the manufacturer will be protected from liability.
Without having a recommended fit, customers may place the tracks in such a location on the roof that may potentially damage wiring or other components, if they do not check under the headliner first. This is especially true for cars with electric sunroofs such as MDX.
As far as installing 54" tracks, the installation is very similar to installing 42" tracks that I outlined in my original post (see my signature for link). Message #3 on page 2 of the same post outlines some tips for installing longer 54" tracks.
Basically, there is no single fixed location for installing either 42" or 54" tracks. The installation location is somewhat flexible and can be varied based on your needs, provided you verify that there are no obstacles by looking under the headliner.
Good luck with the installation. |
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| wckrause |
Because I'm a bit nervous about installing the Yakima tracks myself, I found a local auto customizer to agree to install the tracks. He took a look at the car, and at the installation instructions and even some pictures from this website, and told me to go ahead and order the tracks. He told me that it would cost $100-$150 for the install. I figured it was worth it to have some peace of mind. After the tracks and the other pieces came in, I made an appointment to get it installed. Dropped the MDX off. They call me later in the day and tell me that they don't want to install it. They're afraid they might do it wrong.
I found another local place to install it, but they wanted $400!!!! So I passed on that offer.
Looks like I'll be doing it myself.
If anybody has 54" tracks installed, could you please help me with the following information.
1. How far from the back of the roof do the tracks start?
2. Which hole locations did you drill and install plus nuts?
3. Did you have any problems clearing internal structures
Yakima says that they will have installation instructions for the MDX later in the fall, but it's not clear when, or if they will approve both the 54" and the 40" tracks. |
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| renov8r |
They have real live folks that answer their phones and I have been impresed that a) they can answer lots of questions b) if they don't know the answer they'll hand the question off to somebody who does.
Odds are they have installed the 54" tracks on some friends/employee's MDX, they can probably tell you how over the phone.
Good luck!
Yakima Products
1385 8th Street
Arcata, CA 95521
USA
Phone: 707/826-8000 | 888/925-0703
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (PST) |
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| wckrause |
| I've spoken with Yakima several times. They are planning on taking a road trip to San Francisco this fall to test fit tracks on the MDX. Until they do that, they can only give the company line that the MDX is not an approved installation. |
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| wckrause |
I finally got my 54" tracks installed. Here are some pics.
I have a set of 58" crossbars, which gives me enough room for a canoe, and a kayak on edge. I'm using a set of Yakima gunwale brackets to hold the canoe, and a Yakima kayak stacker for the kayak. |
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| MaD-X |
| That's the way roof racks were meant to be. |
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