K9 Roof Rack Features

• Fully Welded 1-3/8"H Low-Profile Platform
• Light Weight All Aluminum Construction
• All Components Are Anodized And Powder Coated Matte Black
• 5-1/8" Wide M8 T-Slot Slats, Running Front to Back
• Semi-Elliptical Bottom Cross Braces To Reduce Wind Noise
• M6 T-Slot Around Top Perimeter With Rounded Top Edge
• 5 Lengths and 3 Widths Of Platform Available
• Multiple Mounting Configurations Including Gutterless/Gutter/OEM Rack Mounts
• Full Compliment of K9 Roof Rack Accessories For Top/Bottom/Side Mount
• Infinite Gear Organization Configurations
• Includes All Installation Components & Hardware

Feet vs Legs

Installation Guide

K9 2M / 2.5M x 1250mm ROOF RACK FOR TOYOTA 5TH GEN 4RUNNER

A proper installation of the longer 2M and 2.2M K9 Roof Racks on the Toyota 5th Gen 4Runner takes a sequence of actions to ensure that the rail on the roof line lays flat to the roof. When installed correctly, the rail will hold tight to the roof.

STEP BY STEP

1. Remove the factory roof rack from the vehicle, and leave the black plastic trim in place on the roof. This trim covers what they call the pinch weld, which is where the sides of the vehicle are welded to the roof. It is also where the OEM mounting points are located.
2. Lay down the supplied K9 Roof Rack round aluminum spacers over the OEM mounting points. The goal of the spacers is to level the gap in the plastic trim to the top of the trim.
3. Lay the mounting rail on top of the trim, and over the top of the spacers. The mounting rail is the same width as the trim.
4. Insert and hand tighten the mounting rail bolts through the mounting rail and spacers into the OEM threads. The goal here is to make the mounting rail run smoothly across the roof of your truck. Tighten all bolts in place.

NOTE : Depending on the day the 4Runner was made, the height of the OEM mounting threads can be plus or minus a millimeter. Eezi-Awn provides the shortest spacer they have come across needing for the installation of the rail. When you tighten the bolts down, if you notice the rail recessing a bit to tighten, it will be necessary to add a flat washer (or two) to the top of the spacer to increase the thickness of the spacer under the mounting rail.

1. At this point, the front end of the mounting rail will sit proud of the roof line a bit at the front. This is okay, and we will address resolving this in a moment. Understand that there is about a foot and a half of rail that is in front of the forward OEM mounting points. Our goal here is to securely mount the rail to the front without requiring drill holes in the roof. When installed properly, the K9 Roof Rack System does not require drilling, but it does require tightening the components in a sequence to ensure the rail sits tight on the roof.
2. The next step is the installation of the feet to the mounting rail. Both the 2M and 2.5M K9 Roof Racks come with ten (10) feet, designed to be used as five (5) per side. Turn the rack platform upside down. Measure the distances from the back of the platform and each of the cross braces, then space the feet in the mounting rail to roughly coincide with the measurements you took.
3. Install the wind deflector while the platform is upside down. This will be much easier at this point rather than later.
4. Invert the platform right side up again, and lift onto the top of the feet.
5. Install hardware between feet and platform. Start to tighten all the hardware on the feet, but leave loose enough for adjustment.

NOTE : The sequence of tightening the feet to the mounting rail and platform is the key step to the mounting rail laying down on the roof. The logic here is to use the center feet as a fulcrum, the rear feet as an upward force and the front feet as a downward force. The goal is to use the rack components to push the front rail to the roof.

1. As mentioned before, there are five (5) feet on each side of the rack. Foot #1 should sit at the front and foot #5 should sit at the back with Feet #2, #3, and #4 between.
2. Go to Foot #3. Lower the mounting as low as you can. Tighten in place. Repeat on other side. This is our fulcrum.
3. Go to the rear most foot (Foot #5). Raise that foot as high as you can. Tighten in place. Repeat on other side. This creates an upward force on the back of the fulcrum, aiding in the downward force at the front of the rack.
4. Go to the forward most foot (Foot #1). Raise that foot as high as you can and tighten in place. This action will create even more downward force at the front of the rack, and will hold the front edge of the mounting rail down to the plastic trim on the roof.
5. Tighten Feet #2 and Feet #4 on both sides in their positions.

“The logic and sequence is easy after a few reads, but unfortunately it takes a lot of words to explain!  It’s a great setup that works well in all conditions.

I designed this installation specifically for the 5th Gen after using it extensively on my own vehicle. For more than 80,000 miles over the course of 3 years, my fully-kitted K9 Roof Rack sat ontop of my 4Runner from Alaska to the east coast, and I never heard so much as a squeak. It has also proven successful on both of the Expedition Overland 4Runners, from the Darien Gap in Panama and back to the states.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions--we are always happy to help!”

-- Paul May, Founder & Owner of Equipt Expedition Outfitters