Expedition Rack Tinkering

[BldrRover]

Can anyone tell me how to take the top section off of the expedition rack? I have seen one or two trucks with the upper section removed and it appears to be an interesting solution. I need to get a ski rack and Yakima box up there, but it doesn't work with the upper section attached.

Also, how is the wind noise with the top section removed?

 

[AdvRide]

The risers are surrounded with the plastic material you see. They are simply pop-riveted in place with aluminum pop-rivets. Take a drill and drill the heads off and remove the plastic. There is also a plastic cover on the rear end of each side of the rack which will require drilling of the pop-rivets

For the front air deflector there are some large pop-rivets holding the metal brackets to the bottom and top sections. And some in the plastic air deflector piece as well. You will need to drill those as well.

Now the side risers should be exposed. They are aluminum extrusions and are simply bolted to the bottom portion of the rack. Simply remove the bolts. At that point you should be able to lift the entire top section of the rack off.

Let us know how that works for you.

Since I have taken the top portion off I have never installed it back. The wind noise is much less but still not as quiet as an LR3 without one. I sometimes attach my Yakima Load Warrior basket to the remaining rack when I need it. LR3 will not fit in my garage with it in place.

Forgot to add that when I first got the LR3 with the full EXP Rack in place I used my Yakima Towers that attach to the upper side rails of the EXP Rack. By the time I had installed my Yakima cross bars you just about had to use a step ladder to get a MTB on the bike rack.