How To / DIY: Touring Roof Rack – Thule Tracker 430 with TK2 foot pack

[stilljester]

This project took me about a bit more then a 1 hour so it makes for a great lazy Saturday project. Thank you to Hopefully this will help someone else out this is what you’ll need:

Thule 430 Tracker Feet
TK2 Foot Pack
Set of Thule Bars
Qty 8 – 6mm x 20mm Cap Screws


Note: You could use a TK1 foot pack and avoid having to sand them down flat or having to cut up the flats that I did. You’ll still need to modify the flat face to avoid interference from the factory rails. However after watching these on eBay for several weeks the Tracker 430 Feet with TK1 foot packs are averaging $90 to $120 where a Tracker 430 kit with TK2 feet are only $40-$60. So I went with the TK2’s Truthfully I think you could use any of the TK foot packs. Thanks to 530iTouring for helping figure out the differences.

You’ll need a belt sander – nothing fancy but a nice belt sander will make your life much easier. I used a 120 grit Aluminum Oxide belt.


Before Sanding


The feet are a 30% glass fill so the 120 grit cuts them nicely


Take the foot and orientate its back flat against the sander so that the foot is perpendicular to the belt

[stilljester]

Sanding – Keep the foot level as it removes the material


Nice and slow


Sand down until the entire surface is flat – you will need to stop every 10 seconds or so to clean off the extra material which is being removed.


Completely Sanded

[stilljester]

Comparison between original and modified


Another View

Next you’ll need to sand off a bit of the center face so the rack will fit squarely to the rail. You’ll only want to sand up to the mold line on the part.


Sanded

[stilljester]

Next you’ll need to cut the supplied mounting brackets down to fit the BMW channels


Cut off the threaded face about ½ inch long. The width is fine just cut the piece down small enough to fit inside the mounting hole.


You’ll need some longer cap screws


Install the front end first

[stilljester]

Insert the rear flat now


Tighten


Cut and reinstall the rubber seal


Close up of installed Tracker 430 with modified TK2 foot

[stilljester]

Finished Rack - Enjoy

[Elekta]

Archive in FAQ's.

First rate presentation. Looks exactly like my setup. Best part of this set up is the quick connect feature. Now all you need to do is get new load bars and feet for each setup and hang them all from the ceiling in your garage. Pull under it, crank down, load and go.

I have different bar spacing lengths for the windsurfers, so I cut my rubber inserts to fit my most used load bar set up which for me is the Evo 1600.

Also, those nuts that sit in the rails rust pretty quickly, so some preventative grease or something helps a lot. I also made little plastic protective gaskets for between the top of the rail and the footpack to give the footpack something to dig into when tightening. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN as the footpack will break. No need necessary to ask how I figured that out.

Great write up. This set up is like (what one friend told me after he gave implants to his wife after their third child) ..the gift that keeps on giving.

rack it

[brosher]

Excellent write up, thanks.