Trailrax Roof Rack - Taking Off / On

DennisGaudenzi

Sep 04, 2025

Thu at 11:45 pm

I'm sure that many of us have the Trailrax roof rack for the bronco. It's one of the only two that I know you can take the front and middle panels off. The other is the RCI. Overall, this rack is strong and you can do almost anything with it. Any size tent on top of it no problem with weight, etc..

But.... Those that have this rack, in Lord's name do you get those nuts on in the front? It's an incredible pain in the butt. The brackets in the rear are no problem but the front nuts? Wow. The wind deflector covers them and it's incredibly tight of a space so you have to use little quarter inch turns to lock down the nuts in a tight face where the wrench keeps falling off since it's so close to the edge (ford should really center the screw studs). It takes no less than 30 to 45 minutes to put on four nuts for me and I've even tried having the help of my neighbor my dad, my brother-in-law no one can do it faster. 😂

Does anyone else have this issue? Have you overcome it? I've been emailing back-and-forth with Trailrax making suggestions so that they can put the wind deflector on last so you have access to the front of the truck and can just ratchet on the nuts with zero issue but they're really not to responsive. It makes the idea of taking off the roof such a bigger chore. Taking off the rack is pretty quick maybe 30+ minutes. Putting it back on though? Minimum an hour.

I also have some staining on the rack from the bolts. Anything else have this issue? See photo.

Finally, has anyone done anything in their garage ceiling with a pulley system to be able to take off and raise up their rack behind their garage door opener? Then it can be a one man job.

Appreciate any feedback anyone has…

Thanks.

Attachments

IMG_9266.jpeg 4032 x 3024 · 2.24 MB

IMG_9268.jpeg 5712 x 4284 · 5.21 MB

IMG_9265.jpeg 5712 x 4284 · 3.7 MB

Sort by date

Reaction Score

Fri at 2:10 am

This has been covered a few times, especially on the other site. Have a magnet on the end of a string or stick to retrieve it in case you drop yours.
A Bronco buddy and I installed ours, together. On mine, Using slender needle-nose pliars, I very carefully dropped the nut onto the bolt (post), nice and even. Then with my index finger I gently turned it until it caught the thread, then finger-spun it down to the bottom. Then I used an open-crescent wrench (10mm? I forget) to tighten. An open-crescent wrench gives you just 1/8 turn, so be patient. Some people use a ratcheting wrench:

Whatever you do, don't over-torque! Don't! Snap that bolt and you're in a world of hurt. An entire thread on Bronco6G for fixing that problem.

So we got my TRMX up, and turned to my friend's. I'm right-handed, and without thinking started on the driver's side, and found from that angle, I could finger-position the nut rather easily. Strange! My buddy is left-handed, and he found he could do the same on the passenger side. See if that insight helps you.

Very happy with the TRMX. There are also threads on dealing with increased windnoise with the TRMX, so use your search field on that. Good luck!

TK1215

Fri at 2:34 am

BostonBadlands
This has been covered a few times, especially on the other site. Have a magnet on the end of a string or stick to retrieve it in case you drop yours.
A Bronco buddy and I installed ours, together. On mine, Using slender needle-nose pliars, I very carefully dropped the nut onto the bolt (post), nice and even. Then with my index finger I gently turned it until it caught the thread, then finger-spun it down to the bottom. Then I used an open-crescent wrench (10mm? I forget) to tighten. An open-crescent wrench gives you just 1/8 turn, so be patient. Some people use a ratcheting wrench:

Whatever you do, don't over-torque! Don't! Snap that bolt and you're in a world of hurt. An entire thread on Bronco6G for fixing that problem.

So we got my TRMX up, and turned to my friend's. I'm right-handed, and without thinking started on the driver's side, and found from that angle, I could finger-position the nut rather easily. Strange! My buddy is left-handed, and he found he could do the same on the passenger side. See if that insight helps you.

Very happy with the TRMX. There are also threads on dealing with increased windnoise with the TRMX, so use your search field on that. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. I'll look up the others.

Yeah, I get the nut on really easily the same way you mentioned, but Ford put the post of the screws so close to the edge that it's hard to get the ratcheting side around the actual nut with the steel mounting plate that trailrax provides. I just can't get my ratcheting wrench around it. That would be immensely easier. It's like I need an ultra thin ratcheting wrench.

Freaking solution is just to change the format of how the rack works. Their engineering team should easily be able to fix it and have the wind plate go on last. It would make this rack way way better than it is. It pains me that I don't want to takeoff the roof as much because of the stupid rack.

Fri at 3:46 am

I understand and sympathize. Part of my predicament is that I put the PaxRax side set up on, which is anchored by the three bolts (six, three each side) that secure the rear-most hardtop section.
I'm just resigned that I won't go completely topless.
Ever.
Life calls for choices.

TK1215

Fri at 9:50 pm

BostonBadlands
I understand and sympathize. Part of my predicament is that I put the PaxRax side set up on, which is anchored by the three bolts (six, three each side) that secure the rear-most hardtop section.
I'm just resigned that I won't go completely topless.
Ever.
Life calls for choices.

The thought of never seeing her topless again...
❤️🗡️

😂

Yesterday at 2:30 am

Just installed my Trailrax yesterday and what i ended up doing was taking the 2 most outermost fairing bolts out and that allowed me to get the box wrench in from the side with no problem. Easy peasy tightening. Then just line up the fairing with the tnuts and you are good to go.

Yesterday at 2:09 pm

As far as a pulley system on your ceiling to lift the rack. You can get a harbor freight or Amazon ceiling hoist/winch and mount it to the ceiling and use that to pull the rack or even the top off. I just use a ratchet strap, strap for my rigging to lift and store my top. Pretty simple. I also ditched my factory roof rack so I can take the top off easier. I will never use the rack anyway. If I need more room for stuff I built a trailer to haul that in.

Bronco Nation 1100. Everglades, Desert Sand
Res: 7/30/20 ordered 1/22/21 reorder 10/15/21 changed to Everglades 3/9/22 schedule 8/29/22 bumped to 9/5; 9/7/22 blend, 9/9 Mods, 9/26/22 completed, 10/7 shipped, 11/3/22 delivery

You must log in or register to post here.