Roof rack - using t-track

[schnaxxl]

I have a Tesla roof rack on my Model 3
I installed my Thule bike rack on it as soon as I took delivery - that was interesting, forcing the t-track fittings in the slot, but luckily not too far
now I’m keen to mount my kayak rack, a Thule Dock Grip
it’s also a t-track mount with four parts of which two have to be pushed a fair way toward the middle
I’ve tried with one of them and gave up after about 150mm in - it just wouldn’t move any further
is there a trick to this?

 

[Twiddle]

I regularly take my kayak cradles on and off the racks, it gets easier as the rubber strip in the t-channel gets a bit of wear. The only trick I can think of is don't unscrew the nuts on the cradles too much otherwise you are pushing the rubber down more than required when sliding them on - hope that makes sense.

 

[schnaxxl]

I regularly take my kayak cradles on and off the racks, it gets easier as the rubber strip in the t-channel gets a bit of wear. The only trick I can think of is don't unscrew the nuts on the cradles too much otherwise you are pushing the rubber down more than required when sliding them on - hope that makes sense.

I’ll give it a shot
these are the racks I’m trying to install

on the bottom are two things that both have to slide in the track: a fixed one like a button and the usual t-track thing
I have other options, having tried different solutions over some years
I think there’s an adaptor for these ones to allow a bracket to fit around the rack - not as elegant, but if it works …

 

[Twiddle]

It does take a good hard push to get it on

 

[paulp]

There is a product used in the woodwork industry called ‘silver glide or ‘seiber gleit’. Its only available from specialist tool stores (so not total tools etc, more carbetec). It’s a non oily paste that is usually placed on the base of tools like circular saws, jigsaws, planes, thicknessers etc to make the surface very slippery. It doesnt leave an oily residue and no dust sticks to it. Can’t help but think some of it may help fit your tight componants.

 

[schnaxxl]

It does take a good hard push to get it on

it finally worked, car carried boat, all good
the racks are coming off again in a few weeks in order to fit the roof box

 

[bcarp]

I don’t have a Tesla roof rack or your particular roof devices. However, on my current T-track roof rack system, it’s almost importable to get things on unless you take the T-device itself off the overall piece first. That is, you hold in your have just a single piece of solid metal , having unscrewed it from everything else. Once these are on, then put the bike/kayak/whatever holder onto the top of that metal piece and screw them together again.

 

[schnaxxl]

I don’t have a Tesla roof rack or your particular roof devices. However, on my current T-track roof rack system, it’s almost importable to get things on unless you take the T-device itself off the overall piece first. That is, you hold in your have just a single piece of solid metal , having unscrewed it from everything else. Once these are on, then put the bike/kayak/whatever holder onto the top of that metal piece and screw them together again.

that would work in most cases
with my kayak racks, there’s a fixed button that can’t be separated from the body