How to Install a Calmini Roof Rack
Calmini started doing business in 1986 making suspension parts and lift kits for Suzuki and Isuzu sport utility vehicles. It also started making body accessories for these vehicles, such as replacement carpets, seats and roof racks. The Calmini roof rack is securely mounted to the top of your Suzuki or Isuzu and is strong enough to carry 200 pounds of cargo. The rack is made from tubular steel and has a powder-coated finish for durability. The Calmini roof rack uses some factory mounting holes in your vehicle, minimizing the amount of drilling you need to do for this installation.
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Things You'll Need
- Calmini roof rack kit
- Blocks of wood
- Flat screwdriver
- Putty knife
- Philips screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench
- Electric drill
- Rag
- 4 rubber washers, 1 1/4 inches
Instructions
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1
Place the roof rack on the roof of the vehicle. Level the roof rack by placing blocks of wood between the surface of the roof and the roof rack.
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2
Remove the plastic trim pieces from the rear corners of your vehicle above the tail lights by prying them off carefully with a flat screwdriver. Clean the areas underneath with a putty knife. Remove the screws from the tail light lenses with a Philips screwdriver turned in a counterclockwise direction. Remove the lenses from the vehicle and place them aside.
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3
Install the right and left roof rack support brackets to the factory drilled holes revealed after removing the plastic trim pieces. Thread the holding bolts through the brackets and into the holes and tighten with an adjustable wrench in a clockwise direction.
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4
Attach the rear roof rack support rods to the brackets (installed in Step 3) and to the mounting holes in the bottom rear of the roof rack. Secure the support rods with the nuts and bolts provided, but do not tighten the fasteners yet.
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5
Move the roof rack, if necessary, so that it is longitudinally in line with the roof of the vehicle and the rear support rods are straight and plumb. Drill through the mounting holes in the four roof-mounting brackets on the roof rack and into the roof of your vehicle. Lift the roof rack slightly and wipe the metal shavings from drilling off the roof with a rag. Slip a 1 1/4-inch rubber washer under the rack's mounting brackets and the surface of the roof to prevent water leaks and vibrations.
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6
Secure the rack to the roof with nuts and bolts provided with the roof rack. Insert the bolts through the mounting bracket and into the hole drilled into the roof. Secure the bolts with a washer and nut from inside the vehicle and tighten with an adjustable wrench in a clockwise direction.
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7
Tighten all remaining connections on the roof rack, including the rear support rods, cross bars and roof-attachment bolts. Install the tail light lenses and tighten the holding screws with a Philips screwdriver.
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Tips & Warnings
All hardware and fasteners come with this kit except for the 1 1/4-inch rubber washers, which can be obtained from a hardware store.
Follow the directions that came with your Calmini roof rack for assembly of the rack before installation. Leave all bolts loose so that the rack can be adjusted and moved around during its installation. Tighten all the bolts with an adjustable wrench once the rack has been installed on your vehicle.
