AKennedy87

So after a nice day of Kayaking in the Essex River in Northern Massachusetts I go to put my 2 Kayaks ontop of my 87 4Runner and have them down securely. Than I move from the boat launch to let a dude with a trailor go down and I hear a massave Slam on my roof. BAD

The fiberglass weatherstrip snapped right off with the Thule foot. I dont know if it was from overtightning or too much weight but the thing took a good chunk off the strip.

Thinking of solutions I took one of the kayaks and put it in the back of the Runner (sticks out about 8 ft and ontop of your arm while shifting) and take the tie down straps and sinch it down real tight. Worked well though thankefully. After that I moved the bar forward so it was not on the broken part and put the longer kayak ontop. I figured that 1/2 the weight would probably help my cause. I also did not tighten the bar as much.

It was a really sketchy setup going down the highway at 75 but fortunately I made it home without any real problems. The only really crappy part is that I just bought the Thule setup and the thing snapped where I want it to go.

Whatever, Ya live and ya learn but all you 1st gens should learn from my mistake and not break your roof too.

Alex

dajabr

I've always been careful with this, I've had three people up there but I've never had anything seriously heavy on the rack/ rain gutters.
Any pics? Maybe we can get an opinion from a fiberglass guru on repair or pre-break reinforcement?

Lt. Dan

The gutter was broken on my 85 1st gen top when I bought it. I was able to do a decent repair useing Fiber Strand body filler. I used pieces of wood trim as a mold an a lot of carefull hand sanding to form it up.
It turned out pretty good, and after a coat of paint from Plasti-kote touch-up spray, it looks as good an new.
But I won't be trying to secure anything with it. It just looks and functions like a gutter should.

AKennedy87

I was wondering could i bend a metal piece where it broke and bolt it through, than have a good base for the foot of the rack? Its on one side right behind where the windows meet, pretty much right at the end fo the gutter.

Fahrenheit 451

I'd say your best bet is to pick a good spot and run a bolt right through the shell and plate it on the inside. The rain gutters on cab of the the 1st gens will eventually tear and need to be welded if you put the clamps on the rear section of them and the fiberglass rails on the shell were never meant for a load.
This also gives the benefit of being able to move the rear support bar farther back which makes for more secure mounting of kayaks/canoes.
You might surf around on Pirate4x4.com for posts of people that have bobbed their runners and reused the tops. Seems like I came across some posts a while back that showed some bobbed tops and that might help give you an idea of where to locate the brackets and the sort of structure you would be going through. I think there is an area that is actually hollow and bolting in that area might wind up sucking it together and cracking the shell.

Tacoma Dude

OUCH!
Sorry to hear about that!

Hope you get a good fix for that!

Lt. Dan

The 1st Gen cover top IS hollow. I picked up a box of "well-nuts" to secure my luggage rack and my rear spoiler. Little rubber grommets with brass nuts at the bottom. When You tighten the bolt, the rubber compresses, holding whatever you are mounting, secure and water-tight.

Be carefull and good luck!