Placement of Thule Roof Rack Crossbars on 2007 Toyota Tacoma

Updated 06/26/2019 | Published 06/24/2019

Products Featured in This Question

Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 53" Long - Qty 2

(1281)

$279.95

Fit Kit for Thule Evo Clamp and Edge Clamp Roof Rack Feet - 5107

(483)

$159.95

Evo Raised Rail Feet for Thule Crossbars - Factory Raised Rails - Qty 4

(228)

$264.95

Evo Clamp Feet for Thule Crossbars - Naked Roofs - Qty 4

(410)

$264.95

Question:

I recently read a question about the crossbar spacing of a Thule rack. You noted that Thule recommends 24 - 30inch of spacing. My question is, if you want to max out the spacing of the cross bar, do you leave the front rack 13inch away from the windsheild and move the rear one further out, or do you just move both of them? The Thule manual says the front crossbar should be 13inch from the windshield. Thanks.

asked by: Dan S

Expert Reply:

The spacing of roof rack crossbars on any given vehicle will depend on the specifics of the vehicle and roof rack. For some racks there will be one "right" place to mount the bars which is based on the roof is constructed; Thule is very diligent in making sure their rack fits use the strongest parts of the vehicle's roof structure.

Some roof racks like Thule's Evo Raised Rail (parts # TH711420 and # TH710401) which mounts on raised side rails is recommended for a bar spread of 40-inches when installed on a double cab. Other Thule racks such as the Evo Clamp Feet (parts # TH711420, # TH710501and # TH145107) which clamps on above the door jambs on the access cab will require closer bar spacing of 26-inches in order to be on the strongest part of the roof.

These racks have differing bar spacing because they mount in different ways on different points on the vehicle. For racks that mount to the raised side rails you have some flexibility in where the bars are placed; for the other racks such as the Evo Clamp you do not. All Thule roof racks for your Tacoma appear on the linked page.

expert reply by: Adam R