Roof Rack Rails Delete / Removal Tutorial for 6th Gen 4Runner (2025+)

[SR5CampLife]

I have compiled a list of parts and instructions to delete your roof rack rails below. Thanks!!

Tools needed..
Small ratchet
10 mm socket
12 mm socket
microfiber cloth
flathead screwdriver or plastic pry tools.

With a plastic pry tool or flathead screwdriver and microfiber cloth, start by gently prying the plastic cover at the base of the cover closest to the roof bar. The corner should pop and allow you to get your fingers underneath and remove the cover. Completely. Do this at all four corners to expose the bolts holding down the roof bars.

Next with a 12 mm socket gently unbolt the roof rack being sure to alternate back and forth between bolts evenly as you remove them. Leave them finger tight and move to the back side of the bar to remove the other two bolts remembering to leave them finger tight. "DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THE BOLTS AS YOU ARE REMOVING THEM BECAUSE YOU WILL PUSH THE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER AND YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE HEADLINER TO REPLACE THIS PART"

Gently remove the four bolts with your fingers and pull the bar upwards. Make sure you clean the area around the white retainers inside the cavity. From here you will place the bracket with the tabs facing upward towards the center of the roof line. Make sure you use new bolts from the list I provided because they are much smaller compared to the ones that were removed. There is no need to add silicone to these bolts as the factory supplied OEM bolts have rubber seals built into them. Also the brackets with the tangs also have seals on the bottom to make sure that the roof will not leak.

Once the bracket has been installed and the new bolts are gently screwed in finger tight. Use a 10 mm socket on your ratchet and begin tightening. The bolts alternating left to right evenly. "ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THESE BOLTS. IT WILL PUSH THE WHITE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER." When the bolts are snugged tight, and will no longer spin. You are ready to clean the surface area around where the cover will snap in. Do not over tighten these bolts. Snap the cover in place by hooking plastic end without the metal first and then pushing down on the metal tab. Be sure to have the arrows facing towards the front of the 4Runner. That's it! Easy peasy, and now you no longer have roof rack bars!

Sponsored

 

[Tytlynz]

Great write up. Ironically I thought about doing the same but have used the roof rack 4 xs in the last few weeks and think I will keep it

 

[Joe Dirt]

I have compiled a list of parts and instructions to delete your roof rack rails below. Thanks!!

Tools needed..
Small ratchet
10 mm socket
12 mm socket
microfiber cloth
flathead screwdriver or plastic pry tools.

With a plastic pry tool or flathead screwdriver and microfiber cloth, start by gently prying the plastic cover at the base of the cover closest to the roof bar. The corner should pop and allow you to get your fingers underneath and remove the cover. Completely. Do this at all four corners to expose the bolts holding down the roof bars.

Next with a 12 mm socket gently unbolt the roof rack being sure to alternate back and forth between bolts evenly as you remove them. Leave them finger tight and move to the back side of the bar to remove the other two bolts remembering to leave them finger tight. "DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THE BOLTS AS YOU ARE REMOVING THEM BECAUSE YOU WILL PUSH THE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER AND YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE HEADLINER TO REPLACE THIS PART"

Gently remove the four bolts with your fingers and pull the bar upwards. Make sure you clean the area around the white retainers inside the cavity. From here you will place the bracket with the tabs facing upward towards the center of the roof line. Make sure you use new bolts from the list I provided because they are much smaller compared to the ones that were removed. There is no need to add silicone to these bolts as the factory supplied OEM bolts have rubber seals built into them. Also the brackets with the tangs also have seals on the bottom to make sure that the roof will not leak.

Once the bracket has been installed and the new bolts are gently screwed in finger tight. Use a 10 mm socket on your ratchet and begin tightening. The bolts alternating left to right evenly. "ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THESE BOLTS. IT WILL PUSH THE WHITE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER." When the bolts are snugged tight, and will no longer spin. You are ready to clean the surface area around where the cover will snap in. Do not over tighten these bolts. Snap the cover in place by hooking plastic end without the metal first and then pushing down on the metal tab. Be sure to have the arrows facing towards the front of the 4Runner. That's it! Easy peasy, and now you no longer have roof rack bars!

Well that is really cool to see that process in the pics.
Thank you.

I was really under the impression that unscrewing the main roof rail would basically drop a bolt inside your headliner. On the RAV4 if you did that you would have to pull your headliner down on the sides and get the bolt out. that is generally the way that it would be done to change the roof rack.

It actually looks pretty good as well, and I have always been a rack type person with something up there across the bars to carry ladders Etc.

But I will say if you do your own car washing or want to get up on the top, there's nothing to grab onto. I used to use the wheels as a standing point, using the rack as a handle. And that was my fifth gen. Thanks for sharing that information.

 

[ralf]

I have compiled a list of parts and instructions to delete your roof rack rails below. Thanks!!

Tools needed..
Small ratchet
10 mm socket
12 mm socket
microfiber cloth
flathead screwdriver or plastic pry tools.

With a plastic pry tool or flathead screwdriver and microfiber cloth, start by gently prying the plastic cover at the base of the cover closest to the roof bar. The corner should pop and allow you to get your fingers underneath and remove the cover. Completely. Do this at all four corners to expose the bolts holding down the roof bars.

Next with a 12 mm socket gently unbolt the roof rack being sure to alternate back and forth between bolts evenly as you remove them. Leave them finger tight and move to the back side of the bar to remove the other two bolts remembering to leave them finger tight. "DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THE BOLTS AS YOU ARE REMOVING THEM BECAUSE YOU WILL PUSH THE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER AND YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE HEADLINER TO REPLACE THIS PART"

Gently remove the four bolts with your fingers and pull the bar upwards. Make sure you clean the area around the white retainers inside the cavity. From here you will place the bracket with the tabs facing upward towards the center of the roof line. Make sure you use new bolts from the list I provided because they are much smaller compared to the ones that were removed. There is no need to add silicone to these bolts as the factory supplied OEM bolts have rubber seals built into them. Also the brackets with the tangs also have seals on the bottom to make sure that the roof will not leak.

Once the bracket has been installed and the new bolts are gently screwed in finger tight. Use a 10 mm socket on your ratchet and begin tightening. The bolts alternating left to right evenly. "ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THESE BOLTS. IT WILL PUSH THE WHITE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER." When the bolts are snugged tight, and will no longer spin. You are ready to clean the surface area around where the cover will snap in. Do not over tighten these bolts. Snap the cover in place by hooking plastic end without the metal first and then pushing down on the metal tab. Be sure to have the arrows facing towards the front of the 4Runner. That's it! Easy peasy, and now you no longer have roof rack bars!

Will this fit a 2025 4 runner trd pro?

 

[SR5CampLife]

Will this fit a 2025 4 runner trd pro?

Yes, I believe the roof rack rails are the same for every model.

 

[ModernDay4Runner]

Looks nice and clean. Have you considered getting running boards? I thought I liked the clean look of no running boards on my 2025 TRD Sport Premium but I recently added the boards. I like the look and getting in and out is easier for this old man with short legs.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Well for me personally I've never done any rock crawling with my 4 or 5th gen and I for sure won't be doing it with the 6th. I work pretty hard for my bread and my cars are also my daily drivers.

So they are mostly used just for cow trailing, occasional over Landing camping. No rocks, no rocks sliders needed.

Plus the factory running boards on all of my Generations have always mucked up the back of my pants after it rains or there's mud splashing around on the roads.

I would get to work and people would say what's all that crap on the back of your legs. Every time I get out of the driver side my pants would get mucked up off the running boards so that's the first thing to come off.

 

[The_Dark_Knight_Forever]

I have compiled a list of parts and instructions to delete your roof rack rails below. Thanks!!

Tools needed..
Small ratchet
10 mm socket
12 mm socket
microfiber cloth
flathead screwdriver or plastic pry tools.

With a plastic pry tool or flathead screwdriver and microfiber cloth, start by gently prying the plastic cover at the base of the cover closest to the roof bar. The corner should pop and allow you to get your fingers underneath and remove the cover. Completely. Do this at all four corners to expose the bolts holding down the roof bars.

Next with a 12 mm socket gently unbolt the roof rack being sure to alternate back and forth between bolts evenly as you remove them. Leave them finger tight and move to the back side of the bar to remove the other two bolts remembering to leave them finger tight. "DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THE BOLTS AS YOU ARE REMOVING THEM BECAUSE YOU WILL PUSH THE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER AND YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE HEADLINER TO REPLACE THIS PART"

Gently remove the four bolts with your fingers and pull the bar upwards. Make sure you clean the area around the white retainers inside the cavity. From here you will place the bracket with the tabs facing upward towards the center of the roof line. Make sure you use new bolts from the list I provided because they are much smaller compared to the ones that were removed. There is no need to add silicone to these bolts as the factory supplied OEM bolts have rubber seals built into them. Also the brackets with the tangs also have seals on the bottom to make sure that the roof will not leak.

Once the bracket has been installed and the new bolts are gently screwed in finger tight. Use a 10 mm socket on your ratchet and begin tightening. The bolts alternating left to right evenly. "ONCE AGAIN, DO NOT PUSH DOWN ON THESE BOLTS. IT WILL PUSH THE WHITE PLASTIC RETAINER INTO THE HEADLINER." When the bolts are snugged tight, and will no longer spin. You are ready to clean the surface area around where the cover will snap in. Do not over tighten these bolts. Snap the cover in place by hooking plastic end without the metal first and then pushing down on the metal tab. Be sure to have the arrows facing towards the front of the 4Runner. That's it! Easy peasy, and now you no longer have roof rack bars!

Thank you very much for posting this! This is exactly what I've been thinking I want to do to my TRD Sport Premium and now that I see how it looks, how simple it is to do and how affordable it is I'm seriously considering doing the same.

Please tell us:
How long have you had this great modification on your 4Runner?
Have you been checking for water leaks to the interior headliner and other interior areas?
Have you had any problems or issues after performing this modification such as noises while driving or the black rubber channel strips working their way loose?

 

[Van Solo]

yea, I like this a lot!

Sponsored