Our T2 has developed a substantial side to side wiggle which I traced down to worn brass bushings where the 4 large bolts go through the main support bars/beams.
I'm thinking my rack can't be the only one out there that has developed this kind of problem. I will contact Thule & find out if those bushings are available, but I thought I'd ask if anyone else has dealt with this. Thanks!
Indeed. Those bushings appear to be underdesigned and are a weak link in an otherwise "lifetime" mechanism.
For anyone experiencing the same problem, check to see where the bushings are worn. Of mine, 5 of 8 had a groove worn into them on the external surface so that they no longer fit snugly into the walls of the square tubes where they are mounted. 3 wore completely through at that point. While the bushings are probably sufficiently spec'ed for their inner bearing surface, they are supported in a thin (1/8") wall that concentrates the load on an area only about 1/3 that of the inner surface. The overload, along with vibration and similar motion cause the outer surface to prematurely erode away. An apparent design oversight.
Fortunately, both OEM replacements and alternatives are readily available.
I emailed Thule a photo and they are sending me replacements as a warranty item.
To simply buy them, #853-7011 is the Thule part number (they do not appear on the website, but you can order from Thule by phone). As has been noted,
ETrailer.com stocks them.
In any case, the OEM bronze bushings are nothing exotic - just an off-the-shelf "oilite"/bronze flanged bushing - 1/2"ID x 3/4" OD, 1/2" length, flange 1" OD x 1/8" thick. They can commonly be found in the the nuts-and-bolts section of your local hardware store.
While McMaster-Carr (under "
Bearings") offers many options. OEM equivalents:yawn: are
#6338K422. But their best option is probably the
less expensive:thumbsup:
AND more durable:thumbsup:
#2938T15 "High-Load Oil-Embedded Flanged Sleeve Bearings" (aka "
Super Oilite") @$1.09 ea.
Another interesting option for a drop-in replacement is this relatively inexpensive
Igus - "Iglide R" option from Zoro.com. I installed a set with hopes that they will outlast the originals. Although they work very well, I cannot yet vouch for their long term suitability.