Yakima SmarT-Slot Mounting Kit for Yakima SkyBox NX, GrandTour, and CBX Cargo Boxes

Video Transcript for Yakima Cargo Boxes T-Slot Kit Review

Hey everyone, it's Evangeline here at etrailer and today we have the T-slot adapter kit for your Yakima roof boxes. This works with specific boxes from Yakima and we're gonna talk about that as well as its features, why you might want a T-slot adapter kit and how to install it. I have this installed on our Yakima SkyBox NX but it'll also work with your CBX boxes, your GrandTour roof boxes. Now this requires a specific style of clamp, so later on in this video when I show you how to install this that will further explain what to look out for and why it's very specific for a certain box. So why would you switch to a T-slot adapter kit Well, I personally would not do it unless I absolutely needed to because the clamp that is included with your SkyBox, your CBX or your GrandTour boxes is already very low profile and very easy to use. So it has to be a special situation that would call for the T track adapter kit.

One situation is if you wanna make it easier for you to reach the box off of one side of the car and you have a roof rack with overhang so if you have the clamps, you can't clamp around the tower or maybe you just have barely enough space on the overhang to mount the box. So with it being further out with the T track channels you then get to fully utilize your crossbar spread if you have T-slots. T-slot adapters are also helpful if you wanna maximize your crossbar space. So maybe you want your roof box all the way to the passenger side, so you can carry a kayak or a bike rack or maybe even a roof basket on the other side. With the T-slot adapters, you don't have to worry about if the clamps will fit, just push it all the way to the end.

The third reason someone would use a T track mounting kit is if they have zero clearance underneath their crossbar. This Tesla already has a low profile roof rack and it has a glass roof. Those are all reasons why you would want to avoid a large clamping system and get something that's low profile too like this T track adapter. So even while our old clamps we're low profile you can see the big difference between low profile and no profile, completely open. The clamp still makes contact with the glass roof.

So if you find yourself in one of those scenarios or similar situations and you have a roof box that is appropriate, like a SkyBox and CBX or GrandTour, or the more modern Yakima boxes then this might be a good kit for you. Fortunately, the install is simple once you know what you're doing, let's take a look at that. To install your T-slot adapter you're gonna have to take off the clamps. Fortunately, this is gonna be a very simple process. This is what one of the clamps looks like out of a box so make sure the box is off of your vehicle.

I just put it onto the floor. Let's get started. First, take out the tool that is stored in the side of your box. Use this tool to loosen the clamp. Go all the way until you can remove that bolt. Then with the Allen key included with your adapter kit you're then going to remove the smaller bolt on the other end of the clamp. With that loose, you can then lift this entire metal plate up and out. This frees up the clamp as well as the seal from underneath the box. Now you're not gonna need this part anymore because this is gonna be replaced with the T track adapter. Now you're going to get the piece included with your T track adapter so that's gonna be the little cradle or saddle whatever you wanna call it. And this is gonna line up with your seal strip. So remember there used to be a clamp there. Well, now you have the saddle and secure the two together with your bolt and your washer. So to make this look easier. I put this on two carts. You can still do this on the ground although you may have to lift the bottom up. So we're gonna put the seals back and fortunately since this is dual access, you can do it one side at a time. So with the new seal in cradles we're gonna then put them underneath the box. Notice the direction of the longer end. So you want these facing the back of your box as you lift them up and into the tracks. Once those seals are on there you can then secure it with your top metal bracket. So where the Yakima logo is, that's where you want to put in your bolt from above. So you don't get confused, make sure you use the small bolts included with your kit. These have a finer thread and they are shorter. So compare this to the one we took out of the clamps. These are the new bolts. The bolts go in from the top and then are secured with a wingnut at the bottom. With the help of a friend, go ahead and get your box and just place them gently or it gently onto the crossbars. No worries about getting things lined up. You'll figure that out later. Depending on your crossbar, you may need to take off your end cap to get access to the T track channel in your crossbar. Now slide your T bolts through. So two for the front and two for the back. And depending on the type of crossbar, this may or may not be easier or more difficult to slide through. Now get your cradles lined up with your crossbars. So that lifts up on the box and you just push the cradle onto the bar. Next, push those T bolts into the cradle. So try to get them lined up with the middle. And depending on your T track style, if it's just a push down and you are struggling, then I do recommend using some soapy water. Put a towel underneath the crossbars and that will help push those T bolts through. Make sure that your box is centered on your roof rack, or at least not skewed one way to the other. You can put it on your overhang, meaning all the way to the passenger side if you want, as long as it's level. To secure the T track, make sure this is centered over the T track, and then you're gonna drop this bolt in and thread it by hand at first, and then tighten it down with the tool. So unlike the first bolt, which only needed to be hand tightened, this you're gonna tighten down until the torque tool clicks. If your T track is offset, then you have to push your cradle forward just a little bit too so that it really is in the center before you tighten it down. So personal thoughts about this whole system is I do like how everything worked together pretty much seamlessly meaning you didn't have to sacrifice the looks of the old clamps in order to get the functionality of the new T-slot adapters. You can still use a torque tool to tighten things down. It looks really good and streamlined and low profile and everything just works together. Now the downside to this is it was definitely a lot more work than just clamping down clamps. I had to take off the end caps, slide the T bolts through and for some Yakima crossbars with those rubber tracks those T bolts can get stuck and then you're gonna have to push real hard to get things all lined up. So hopefully this video showed you that process, what you might need to do when you encounter those obstacles and see if it really is worth switching from your old clamps to these new ones, depending on what situation you're in. And if you're still not sure if you have the right box that matches this or maybe you find you need a replacement part instead of an adapter or whatever situation you might be in, check out our product pages and descriptions and pictures here at etrailer to find the right fit for you. But this right here right now was a look at the Yakima T-slot kit for your Yakima roof boxes here at etrailer. My name is Evangeline and I hope you enjoyed the journey.