EcoTechne Roof Rack Installation (5th Gen)

I finally have my EcoTechne roof rack sorted out and installed, and I wanted to share my thoughts as well as some of the work and parts I've selected for it. Hopefully this post can be used as a resource for those thinking about buying this rack system.


First, the pros:


- In my opinion, this is one of the best looking full-length racks you can get for the 5th Gen. It has a sharp, chiseled look that complements the design language of the truck. Yet at the same time, it has a low profile and doesn't scream "mall safari" like some other, more popular tube basket racks.


- The side rails are probably the strongest part of the design. They are CNC plasma-cut and brake-formed steel, about 0.100” thick. Cutting them flat allows the bottom edge to follow the contour of the roofline, and brake-forming (cold working) with boxed ends creates a ton of strength without much weight. That’s why they’re inherently stronger and more supportive than simple flat side rails like the Prinsu or SSO designs.


- The crossbars attach using the hardware in the stronger “tensile” direction of force, rather than shear. Also, I have some reservations about threading bolts directly into extruded and tapped aluminum crossbars. They’re probably strong enough for most purposes, but I wouldn’t take it apart more than necessary. Once those threads are worn out or cross-threaded, you need new bars.


- No drilling. This was a big one for me. I have a background in welding and fabrication, but I didn't want to risk drilling crooked or leaky holes in my roof. The side rails (besides being very beefy) actually rest on the roof seam weatherstripping, so it’s well supported without resorting to extra drilling or bumpers.


- Lightbar integration seems like it will be very easy, if you want one. There are plenty of mounting options and they are already integrated into the front fairing. It looks like it can fit a 40” bar maximum (with the brackets turned inward). The fairing/front crossbar is structural and very stout, so there isn’t a separate fairing to worry about. It does look a little empty without lights though.


- Price- on the most recent group buy I paid $760 shipped for a bare metal rack with an extra crossbar. But, as you’ll see below, that ended up being a wash after factoring in replacing the hardware and powdercoating it myself.


Here are the cons:


- The rack is built in Venezuela. That means that communication is a little tougher, and lead times are stretched out due to shipping and customs. That’s a long way to journey, and the boxes that my parts arrived in were super beat up (one box was even mostly broken, thankfully no parts missing). However, after reading all of the posts in the GB thread I was pleasantly surprised that my rack arrived one month after paying Rorck. That’s a lot better than even some of the other group buys I’ve been in.


- The fit and finish is NOT top notch. Plasma cut parts are known for raggedy kerfs (edges) and jagged holes. There was one weld that missed its fillet for about a half inch, there was MIG spatter all over that needed grinding, and sharp edges abounded.


- I wouldn’t trust the powdercoat from the company itself. If they coated the parts just like I received them, I understand why rust is a huge problem for others. The parts are made of sheets of hot-rolled steel and were still covered in dark scale, which flakes off easily and allows rampant porosity to the base steel. I only saved $20 by forgoing their powdercoat, so I am inclined to think it’s not the best part of their work.


- Ease of attaching items: after all, that’s what the rack is for, right? It’s not great. It’s certainly not as easy as some other racks with T-slot bars or complementary accessories already made up. This rack is pretty bare bones. The V2 rack definitely made some improvements over the V1 version, with slotted side rails for more mounting options. The crossbars and tray also have a few slots cut into them, allowing things to be strapped or bolted in place, but you’re still largely on your own. If you’re not mechanically inclined, you might find creating or adapting your own mounting systems to be intimidating.


- I disagree with their choice of hardware. The holes in the roof are M8x1.25, but after that they start mixing 10mm and standard 3/8”x16 for no reason that I can figure out. All of the bolt threads are way too long as well, creating unnecessary clutter and weight. The instructions I found online were extremely vague about attaching the brackets to the roof, asking the end user to find and add their own rubber washers (what kind?) and smearing silicon everywhere to avoid leaks. This is a bad idea, as silicone sealants can kill paint and eventually will harden and retract, limiting water resistance. Also, I have no idea what grade or corrosion resistance this hardware is. I ended up not using any of it and ordered my own.


So, here are all the adjustments I made to the rack to kill its weaknesses. Starting off with the hardware list, all ordered from McMaster. I played around with a few options before settling on these:


1. 94500A245 316SS button head cap crews. M8x1.25, 25mm long (about 1 inch). (QTY 1) pack of 10. This is for attaching the brackets to the roof.


2. 93237A106 316SS Belleville spring lock washer. These have an unusual “cupping” shape for gripping parts tightly. (QTY 2) packs of 5.


3. 99604A123 Silicone rubber sealing washer for 3/8” hardware. (QTY 1) pack of 25.


4. 99604A119 Silicone rubber sealing washer for 5/16” hardware. (QTY 1) pack of 50.


5. These silicone washers are rated for sunlight, ozone, and water resistance!


6. 90909A534 316SS flanged button head screws, 3/8”x16 and 3/4” thread length. You will need to order at least 16 for the rack, and you need 4 for every crossbar and tray you order. For example, I have three crossbars and one tray, so that’s 16 additional screws for a total of 32. I ordered (QTY 7) packs of 5, so I have 3 extra in case I lose some. Dang, these are expensive!


7. 94238A103 18-8SS flanged nylock nuts, 3/8”x16 threads. (QTY 2) packs of 25.


8. 12335A25 (OPTIONAL) rubber push-on seal for killing the front fairing to roof gap. I am experimenting with this to see if it reduces wind noise. This is also rated for exterior use and exposure.


Here are some of the quirks that I mentioned above. The MIG welds are boogery in some spots; this one missed the fillet entirely in the corner.





The edges and corners have cuts on them. The one furthest on the right is likely where the machine started cutting the part, and the other ones are added so that the metal won’t crimp or crack during brake-bending.





Here is an example of how I “fixed” one of the brackets. Again, the cuts in the bend corner are not cracks; they are intentionally cut as crimp reliefs during bending. But since I don’t want them becoming stress-risers and cracking later I rounded off the corners and TIG welded the reliefs. This may not be totally necessary, but I wanted all of these to be very robust.








Also, you may want to check all of your brackets for equal bend angle. They are not perfectly 90 degrees; they’re a little more like 100°. One of mine was over-bent, so I tweaked it back to match the others.


I mentioned rough edges earlier, they are EVERYWHERE on these parts. I want to be able to grab my rack and pull myself up without cutting my hands. I set the parts up on sawhorses and attacked them with a dull flap wheel on a cheap harbor Freight grinder, smoothing down sharp edges and grinding off excess weld spatter. Now my parts look smooth and uniform.


One of the other weaknesses is the difficulty of adding new parts. I wanted to be able to attach stuff in the future without drilling holes through the powdercoat, so I drilled them ahead of time. I set them up on a Bridgeport and drilled 9/32” holes on the top faces, arranged in 3.5” squares, and 13/32” holes every 3 inches along the bottom face. Each series of holes was started in the center of the part and then moved outward to the next. These parts have pretty terrible tolerances, but any capable machining shop should be able to do this if you’re so inclined. Basically, I can make mounting accessories in the future and attach them with ¼” or 3/8” hardware.








After the parts were massaged, I did some quick fit checks on the truck to make sure everything looked right. Actually, I should have done this FIRST. It would suck to do a bunch of work and then find out they’re the wrong parts, or that some are missing or don’t fit. Everything looked straight and fit together well.


After this work, I was pretty satisfied with how the parts were coming out. Now they were ready for sandblast and powdercoat. This is where I believe EcoTechne should do the most improvement. I sent my parts to Andrews Powder Coating in Chatsworth, and they did a phenomenal job. Notice here why I chose bolts with integrated washers: I had them coated at the same time and they are a lot less complicated to coat and assemble later. Honestly, the bolts could just be spray-painted with a similar black, since they are stainless and won’t rust. But if you are sending all the parts for coating, you may as well do the bolt heads too. Andrews sandblasted the parts down to fresh clean metal. After that, they performed a two-stage process with a zinc-epoxy base coat and a micro-texture flat black top coat. This ensures that the coating is super durable and resistant to rust.











(Continued in next post).

 

Now it’s time for final assembly! The first thing is the roof mount brackets. I spent some time with different washers and sealing methods, and finalized with the process below. If you haven’t already removed your roof rack, start now.


After you take off the stock rack, you’ll look at something like this at all 4 corners. Clean it up well with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Go ahead and clean a bit under the weatherstripping too, it’ll probably be the last time you’re here for a while.








Good. Also, if you have any deformed tubes like mine, trim them with a razor to make them clean and straight. I messed this one up while playing around with different hardware and testing sealants.








Ok! Now we need to make sure water can’t leak in around the tubes. At first, I tried butyl rubber tape exclusively for this, but it just squished out like toothpaste during tightening. Butyl rubber is a great sealant; it stays tacky and pliant for decades. OEMs use it to seal windshields, headlights, etc. But using it by itself isn’t the right application here, especially with the tubes sticking out of the roof. It deforms too easily and lets the tubes get crushed, it’s basically like Play-Doh. By the way, here is the sealant I ordered.


Butyl tape


It can be butyl tape from pretty much anywhere though. Sorry you have to order so much and use so little. Remember making snakes in arts and crafts? You get the idea. By the way, butyl rubber is also nice because it doesn’t glue into place. If you mess up, you can try again. And you can go back to stock if you don’t like the rack.








Basically you’ll want to squish it around each tube and create a little fillet. It will get squeezed into place in the next step. Get the 3/8” silicone washers and snug them around the tubes. They have an ID of 0.355” (tubes are about 0.375”), so they are another layer of protection against water intrusion.





Now you can add your brackets. The tall part of the bracket faces the outside of the roof channel. I believe they were all made the same size for V2. Two of mine said 4R and the other 2 said 4L. I couldn’t tell the difference, but I put them on the left and right sides accordingly. There’s a bit of play to how these can be snugged, so I made sure mine were in line with the roof by setting the flat foot against the INSIDE edge of the roof channel when tightened.


Now you’re ready for the bolts. Take your M8 bolts and add the Bellevue washer (cup downward, facing the threads). Then, twist on your 5/16” silicone washers. I know that these are for standard bolts, but 8mm is nearly the exact same size as 5/16” (0.315 vs 0.313). The washers are snug at 0.290, so you actually can thread them on until they are snug against the cup washer. This is our third method of protecting the interior from water, and a healthy application of blue Loctite (242) is the fourth and final. This is more of a means of keeping the bolts from moving, but it also acts a mild sealant just in case water makes it past the rubber washers.





Now, this is why I selected the cup washers: As the bolts are tightened, they squish the silicone washers into shape and basically fill the entire space under the bolt head. This ensures that the threads are also squeezed very tightly, preventing water intrusion through the threads.





I tightened each one until I started to see the smaller rubber washers squish out the sides, then a little bit more. The brackets are now very snug, but the firm silicone pieces should help damp any rattling or vibration from the rack. The top washer is also sealing the top of the plastic tubes, and hopefully not deforming them.


Here is another view from the top. You can see how the two silicone washers snug against each other, even over the irregularly shaped hole. You can also see some of the butyl rubber extruding out from under the bigger washer. Hopefully most of it is still doing its job, squished into the space around the plastic tubes.





Now you can add the side rails, using the 3/8” hardware. You don’t have to buy the bolts and nuts with the integrated washers, but they do look nice and are easier to install. I recommend that no matter what, you get hardware with 3/4” thread length. That’s enough to put two pieces together, engage all of the nut threads, and have a little bit of thread tail hanging out. Assemble things loosely at first. I put a couple of moving blankets on top of the truck so I could put the pieces down until they were ready to bolt in. It helps to have another person with you, but I did these myself slowly. Everything goes INSIDE/UNDER the side rails.





If you have anything that you want to check for crossbar spacing, do it now. For example, I’m going to haul snowboards up front, so my crossbars are spaced out for when I eventually order rack mounts.





See what I mean about the bolt tails? They look much nicer if there isn’t a huge amount of threads poking out the back end.





This is pretty much done, and looking nice.





You can see what I mean about this rack’s design being complementary. The front end of the rail mimics the geometry of the A-pillar, while the rear shape continues the same line as the hatch cut. The rack is actually kind of tough to spot at first, which is why I like it so much. It blends in well with the design of the 4Runner.

















I took it to the car wash today and didn’t see any water in the headliner. I will update this thread with any long term rain or snow events, to see if my seals are working as intended.


Also, I ordered the rubber bulb seal mentioned above, to close the gap between the fairing and roof up front. To answer any questions about wind noise, these are my impressions: the noise is there at 65-70 MPH, but only if you are listening for it. At 80 MPH, it becomes very noticeable. I want to see if the seal will help here.


As is, I don't think that this is the best rack available for the 4Runner. If you want the best fit and finish right out of the box, you should probably look elsewhere. But after all the tweaks I think it's a very strong contender.


I will report back with MPG loss soon as well. If anyone has any pertinent questions, I will try to answer them and update the main post. Thanks!

 

Thanks for a very thorough part . I've stumbled on this reac and really like the low profile design. Thanks for the upgraded parts list as well

 

Great write up, thanks.

 

So this weekend I visited my best friend in Simi Valley, a round trip of about 100 freeway miles. I had sliders strapped to the roof of the truck on the way there (on the front of the rack actually), and bolted in place for the drive home.

I averaged 19.6 MPG, driving about 65-70mph. This is even with 275/70 KO2 tires. The best freeway average I'd been getting before the rack was about 20.5, and I'd bet I could squeak out an even 20 again if I tried. All of these measurements were at the pump, not using the MPG display.

I think a real difference-maker was this rubber bulb seal on the front fairing. I didn't get a chance to do any MPG testing before it was installed, but the difference in wind noise is very noticeable! I can hardly hear any noise from the rack at all. Opening the sunroof on the freeway used to be deafening, now it's nearly as quiet as stock. HUGE difference.

Here is the part: 12335a25


The minimum order is 10 feet.

You can see that the bulb seal is offset to one side, I placed it on the fairing edge with the bump facing down. It's not a perfect fit, there's a little gap on each corner- but it's close enough. It has a spiral wire core in the pinch, so I put it in a bench vise and used a hacksaw to cut it. Using a razor, I also cut some reliefs on each side of the bulb so that it could extend to each corner.







Super happy with how it turned out, and the MPG/noise hit is almost negligible.

 

I did the same as you did and got mine off of Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BKT5892/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I think this is a little bit bigger and sealed all the way across. You did a LOT BETTER JOB on notching the ends! I'm going to redo the ends on mine like you did! GREAT JOB!! It looks like your fairing didn't have as big a gap that I had.

 

Thanks! That seal trim on Amazon looks like a better choice, with the little extra wiper blade on it. Plus you can order a smaller length, which is nice. If anyone wants the remainder of mine, I can ship it to them for $20.

 

Tory......U did a great job with your installation and offering advise part. The rack is one of the best designs I have seen so far for the 5th Gen. However after reading your post, I am starting to re think if I want to go through such bad workmanship from it being overseas. Too bad no one in the US has picked up on it. I will try to find a fabricator in town to build one here in No Cal.....THX again

 

I agree it's not ideal. There are a ton of hoops to jump through, the first of which is actually getting ahold of the group buy organizer (Rorck). It's definitely not as straightforward as ordering one from a local supplier.

I've often wondered if there would be enough demand to bulk order these and then perform all of the finishing work here, then resell. But even without charging for any of the labor it would still get expensive. The cheapest way to build (and mass-produce) parts is to apply all of the primary and secondary processes correctly the first time- not to buy and retrofit and refinish afterward. I think they would end up being too costly for people to consider if I tried.

 

I was SOLD on buying an Ecotechne rack... Then, they raised their cost. At $950 shipped, it's just not worth it though the rack looks SOOOOO good! Kudos on your info and the thorough step by step direction. Your rack looks much better than some out there.

I purchased a full rack from another company out of Venezuela called RCR4WD. They're on Instagram and appear to be making some quality products. The guy who runs the company seems to be a solid dude and very good with communicating. I'll post my reviews on the rack once I receive it. It cost a total of $550 shipped and he also provided some free control arm guards as well as shock guards for free.

 

Interesting, looks like a similar design and a great alternative, especially for the price and better communication. Can't wait to see your write up!

 

Here is the site ANNIE_GOT_A_RUN mentioned.....Don't know if the correct one because there are no roof racks listed.....

http://www.rcr4wd.com/rcr4wd---store.html

 

Great write up Tory! I am saving for the SSO rack but I have a question for you concerning your install. I like how you sealed the holes and bolts better than say slapping silicone all around the the holes. My question is with the silicone washers, is there any flex in the mounts? If there was a heavy RTT up there would the rack slightly flex? Does that make sense???

 

Wally...is this what you were referring to?
https://www.southernstyleoffroad.com/product/5th-gen-4runner-roof-rack/

It is nice and also super pricey....>WOW
$1500 plus

 

There was a small amount of yield when the brackets were by themselves, but with everything bolted together and tied in, it doesn't move at all- I can rock the entire truck using the rack. But remember than these side rails rest directly on the roofline weatherstrip, SSO and Prinsu do not- so it may be different. These washers are fairly firm, like the sole of a sneaker.

 

Yeah that is the one. I priced one for $1373 shipped. It's a lot of money and that is why I don't have one yet, still saving, but I believe that price is equivalent to the Gobi is it not? If you start adding lights on the SSO watch out, it gets pricey real fast.

 

Ok great, thanks, I like how you mounted yours using those washers and the tape better than slapping messy silicone everywhere.

 

Got these pics from RCRW Contact Raul thru email......He quoted 599$ + 200$ shipping to your address. Hardware include. Let me know what you guys think......It needs the rubber supporting part for front part for sure.....

 

Looks good for that price- that's the price I paid during the last EcoTechne group buy. It has brake bent side rails as well, which is better for strength than flat geometry like Prinsu or SSO. The one thing I am unsure about is the two-piece construction for the side rails. I know that EcoTechne also released a version like this to make shipping easier, but I think they've reverted back to single piece since then.

 

From the look of the pic I posted.....it uses 3 mounting points on each side with 2 boths/nuts at each location?

 

Yeah drilling more holes is an option I will avoid.

 

Sure his website has the email address : rcrwd@gmail.com, Raul Rodriguez.

I asked if we get a group buy of 10, Can he discount the full rack for $500 plus shipping $200........Pending his reply....Stay tune

if anybody is interested, please provide your full name, email address, etc.....

I want to have it ready if he is willing to negotiate the bulk buy offer. THX

 

Here is the latest from RCRW Raul
Half Rack

His Reply:
Hey my friend, I'll give you 599$ if you find 10 people. Maybe 550$ if I send all the racks to the same address. Will be a little cheaper the shipping.

And you can choose Matt black, glossy, textured black, aluminum, white, red all in powder coat.


It's a great price.
Also I'll include shocks guards for free for everyone

 

Start a group buy thread (on 4R and T4R.org) with pictures and details .You probably should be able to get ten bites. Always good to see new aftermarket options!

 

Yeah, Raul is a great dude to work with and communicates well... Just a word of advise... BE PATIENT. I was quoted 3-4 weeks originally on 9/20 and am still waiting for my rack to come. Raul was great with communication of the delays but due to an influx of orders and difficulty with shipping via Fedex, I'm still waiting. Fedex is horrible to deal with out of Venezuela. I've called to try and get updates as on 11/8 I was told I would have it by 11/9 at 0800 via online tracking. Well, that time passed and now online is telling me delivery is still "pending." When I reached out to Fedex on the phone, they stated that the products were in Venezula and going through customs.

I've reached out to the guy with the silver 4runner that you have pictured above... He likes the rack a lot, however he is worried about the potential of rusting as he lives very close to the ocean in the LA area and feels that the powder coating is not as good as we've come accustom to getting here in the states. I'm not as worried as I live in AZ, however I have a friend that owns a powder coating company here and will help me out if I think I need it.

Will keep ya'll updated on when I receive and my thoughts. I'll include pictures and create a new thread that illustrates the pros and cons with pics included.

 

It's not just FedEx, it's EVERY shipper dealing with Venezuela. Mine was shipped with DHL and sitting for weeks before switching to FedEx and starting all over again. The reason why is because their government is mandating that ALL packages going to and from Venezuela must be opened and thoroughly searched for contraband. Since their economy has tanked, people are switching to other illicit black market items to keep cash flow going.

As for the powdercoat, I wouldn't even think twice. With the money you're saving you can get a really sturdy PC job done here and avoid rusting. Arizona has a monsoon season too.

 

Also, an interesting design feature of this RCR offering is that the half rack appears to be the same part as the full rack.

That is, if you order the half rack and change your mind, just detach the fairing and add on the full-size extension. That's a good idea and a means of keeping part mix to a minimum (easier to manufacture).

 

Right here, a few posts up.

There's no sunroof insert, it's not a full mesh bottom like the Gobi rack. You place the crossbars wherever you want. If you have a sunroof and you want to see out of it, don't install them there.

 

This is the full...

 

I am thinking about staying in the USA for the Roof Rack:RPMFAb sold by Vividracing......
$750-850

Thoughts?