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SUVs Lexus RX 300/330/350 How To Remove 2010 RX350 Roof Rack Cross Rails
20 messages, Last post on Nov 24, 2009 at 11:33 PM
You are in the Lexus RX 300/330/350 Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Replying to: wrahn (Jun 26, 2009 1:09 pm) Thanks |
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I bought 2010 RX450h just about a week ago. Oddly, the roof rack bars were not part of the package but I negotiated to buy them at cost as part of the deal. Having felt that I spent enough for the car and bars, and confident in my mechanical abilities, I was sure that I could save the dealer labor cost by installing these myself. My first attempt had me thinking I had to remove the pair of screws under the rail at the back end. This was useless. Next, I realized that the back end cap on each rail had to come off. Having read the posts here, I was ready to try again but found these posted instructions to be unsuccessful as well. Finally, having figured out how to do this myself, I cannot understand how any of the previous post instruction coudl work. Here's how you remove the RX350 / RX450h roof rail end cap. First however, a brief description of what's inside the end cap so you know what you are dealing with. 1) The forward portion of rear roof rail end cap, that sits on the rail, wraps around the top and sides of the rail. At the bottom edges it does not clip on to the bottom edges of the rail. There is nothing to pry here. 2) The forward-most portion of the rail end cap has a plastic tab or tongue on the very top that inserts under the roof rail. The tab is about 3/8" and deep, and about 1/8" thick. This should not concern you either as this will pull out easily once you get the rear of the cap off. 3) The rear of the end cap, that covers the bracket attaching it to the roof, has two spade or tongue-like plastic tabs inside that point down vertically from the top-inside of the end cap. These press-fit into slots in the underlying metal bracket, in-line with the rack and spaced about 3.5" apart from each other. They are each about 5/8" wide and protude down about 1.5". They are spaced equally from the bracket foot front and back edges. 4) On the inboard side of the end cap, the flat side facing toward the car's center, there are two small protusions or "catches" on the inside of the end cap along the bottom edge. These protrude in about 3/32" and are evenly spaced along the foot of the end cap about 3-4" apart. They each catch inside on lips on the underlying roof racket metal bracket. Removal 1) Prep: put duct tape on the roof along the inside and outside edges of the end cap. This will protect the paint from the pry tools. Also, put a rag or towel on teh roof to lay the pry tools on. 2) You will need a very blade with a curved end for leverage. I had some odd dental tools that had a spade tip that was about 1/4" wide and an inch long. I put two of these under the outer lip of the end cap, the edge that is closest to the windows. By prying up this edge, the center, vertical tabs will release. Leave the tools inserted. 3) On the bottom, inside edge of the end cap, facing the middler of the car, you will need to get a pry tool under and inside this edge (in the center) that can pull this edge outward. This disengages the plastic catches on inside this edge. The tool I used looked like a thin pick with a 90 degree bent tip about 1/8" long. Once inserted under the edge, I could turn the tip up to catch the edge and pull outward. 4) While pulling on this tool, lift the end cap up. When it desengages the forward tab at the front of the end cap will slide out as the end cap lifts up and your pry tools fall to the ground. 5) To reinstall, insert forward tab and whack the cap down wiith the palm of you hand. Now here's the sad part. I got the #  !**! end caps off but could not get the roof rack bars to fit in the rail slots. The slot did not seem large enought to take the diameter of the largest roller bearing. If I had tried to force it, I feared I would damage the slot (which seems to be made of plastic). I reinstalled the end caps. Decided that car was too expensive for me to mess it up and that it would be better for the dealer to muck with this. If they supplied me with the wrong roof rack bars it would then be there problem. At this point, paying to make it their problem is also worth my time and peace of mind. Nevertheless, I have posted these instructions because I could not find them anywhere on the web, and us "McGyvers" need to know we at least tried. Steve |
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Inside of Roof Rail End Caps and the tools I used
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Replying to: noduplicates (Nov 22, 2009 9:20 pm) Thanks |
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Replying to: noduplicates (Nov 22, 2009 9:20 pm) |
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 See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com  See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com
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Replying to: noduplicates (Nov 23, 2009 12:20 am) I went to the dealer today because, as noted above, it didn't seem like the crossbars they gave me would fit the roof rail slot. I got the blasted end caps off but the rollers on the crossbars seemed too big for the slots. I was right! They sold me the wrong bars! I have a 2010 RX450h and the sold me ones for a 2009. When they get the 2010's in I am going to let them install them. Less than 1 hour job at $125/hour. If I do it, it will be more than an hour, fraught with risk of breaking the end caps even though I now know how to remove them. If I didn't already have 2 hours into this I would consider investing more time. At this point, I need to get this behind me. So, the photos I posted of the end caps are for a 2010 RX. It may be different for 2009. Best of luck. Steve Nutso caveat: my next project is replacing the stock speakers (12 speaker system) in the doors. I am an audiophile and the bass sounds way too muddy/indistinct to me. So my next trick will be to figure out how to get the door panels off. Then find the right size and impedance speakers. I've heard that Lexus uses 8 ohm speakers when the industry standard is 4 ohms. Two 4 ohm speakers in series would do it, but I doubt there is room for this, or a 4 ohm resistor might be good to. Depends how much time as to whether I will really do this. 
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Replying to: noduplicates (Nov 24, 2009 6:14 pm) Thanks J2
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Replying to: jacks2 (Nov 24, 2009 11:06 pm) I'll let you know next week. I'll see if the dealer will let me back in the shop. Steve |
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