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47 Posts
Before I start, my apologies for a long post!!!!!!
There is a photo at the end of this post depicting my mod!!!!!!!
I have recently installed a Thule 726 Ski Rack w/ the Fat Mouth Clamps. Awesome set-up.
For those who don't know, Thule is replacing most of their adapters with the Fat Mouth which is universal & adjusts to fit almost any factory rack. The MDX is not (at the time of this post) listed in Thule's printed or on-line guides, but, customer service is now informing customers that it will fit the MDX, and will be in their updated guides.
The Fat Mouth clamp is extremely easy to use, with it's 1/2 turn cam, which allows you to mount & remove your rack quickly.
My only issue was with the mechanism which locks the Fat Mouth Clamp to prevent theft.
There is a grey locking tab on top of the Fat Mouth which slides and clicks in place, preventing the cam from being loosened it's 1/2 turn. To remove the rack and fat mouth from the vehicle, you need to remove the rack from the Fat Mouth clamp, stick your car key or screwdriver in the whole on top of the Fat Mouth, (which when the rack is attached is covered up by the rack itself) and click the grey tab back out; this allows the cam to be rotated it's 1/2 turn to loosen the clamp.
I for one think it is a bit silly to have to remove the rack from the clamp, in order to remove the rack from the car, especially since Thule created such an easy to use clamp in the first place. This is not such a big deal if you own the 724 or 725 rack, since the wing-nut type fastners from the rack to the clamp are really easy to use; but on the 726 model (pulls/slides out to the side for easy loading) you need to use a special lock washer and nut and drop both into a small cavity on the slide out side, to mount the rack to the clamp. To remove said assembly, is a little cumbersome and roundabout in my opinion when again, the Fat Mouth is supposed to be a "quick" mount.
While I was in the Ski Shop, I noted a new Snow-Board rack, the "575", which comes with the Fat Mouth. The difference here is that the rack is riveted to the clamp, permanently covering up the key slot to slide & unlock the grey locking tab. So... it doesn't even have a grey tab. Instead it has a tamper proof screw (actually a modified TORX design) right under the cam that you tighten with a special wrench, that prevents the cam from opening. Now this is a lot easier than removing the rack from the clamp, just to remove the rack from the car!!!!!!!!! To add fuel to the fire, if you go to the Thule website @ http://www.thuleracks.com, and view the 724, 725, or 726 rack and under accessories, click on the Fat Mouth clamp, the photo shows the clamp WITH this screw, just like on the 575, but when you purchase it, it comes with the grey tab locking feature instead.
I called Thule to discuss this, and they kind of agreed with me. The slot for the screw and the nut needed to thread the screw in, are molded into the Fat Mouth, you can see this slot beneath the cam lever.
To make a long story (and long post) short, I have acquired the parts to convert the clamp, it takes about 15 seconds per clamp to modify and works great, so I thought I would pass along the info to all .org members who have, or are thinking of getting this set-up. It's the least I can do since I have acquired such terrific information from other members of this site.
Call Thule Customer service @ 800-238-2388 or go to the on-line store on the website and order these part #'s:
Tamperproof Screws & Nuts (you need 4 each) -
"853526903" & "8535385"
Wrench - "853527002"
Dave
There is a photo at the end of this post depicting my mod!!!!!!!
I have recently installed a Thule 726 Ski Rack w/ the Fat Mouth Clamps. Awesome set-up.
For those who don't know, Thule is replacing most of their adapters with the Fat Mouth which is universal & adjusts to fit almost any factory rack. The MDX is not (at the time of this post) listed in Thule's printed or on-line guides, but, customer service is now informing customers that it will fit the MDX, and will be in their updated guides.
The Fat Mouth clamp is extremely easy to use, with it's 1/2 turn cam, which allows you to mount & remove your rack quickly.
My only issue was with the mechanism which locks the Fat Mouth Clamp to prevent theft.
There is a grey locking tab on top of the Fat Mouth which slides and clicks in place, preventing the cam from being loosened it's 1/2 turn. To remove the rack and fat mouth from the vehicle, you need to remove the rack from the Fat Mouth clamp, stick your car key or screwdriver in the whole on top of the Fat Mouth, (which when the rack is attached is covered up by the rack itself) and click the grey tab back out; this allows the cam to be rotated it's 1/2 turn to loosen the clamp.
I for one think it is a bit silly to have to remove the rack from the clamp, in order to remove the rack from the car, especially since Thule created such an easy to use clamp in the first place. This is not such a big deal if you own the 724 or 725 rack, since the wing-nut type fastners from the rack to the clamp are really easy to use; but on the 726 model (pulls/slides out to the side for easy loading) you need to use a special lock washer and nut and drop both into a small cavity on the slide out side, to mount the rack to the clamp. To remove said assembly, is a little cumbersome and roundabout in my opinion when again, the Fat Mouth is supposed to be a "quick" mount.
While I was in the Ski Shop, I noted a new Snow-Board rack, the "575", which comes with the Fat Mouth. The difference here is that the rack is riveted to the clamp, permanently covering up the key slot to slide & unlock the grey locking tab. So... it doesn't even have a grey tab. Instead it has a tamper proof screw (actually a modified TORX design) right under the cam that you tighten with a special wrench, that prevents the cam from opening. Now this is a lot easier than removing the rack from the clamp, just to remove the rack from the car!!!!!!!!! To add fuel to the fire, if you go to the Thule website @ http://www.thuleracks.com, and view the 724, 725, or 726 rack and under accessories, click on the Fat Mouth clamp, the photo shows the clamp WITH this screw, just like on the 575, but when you purchase it, it comes with the grey tab locking feature instead.
I called Thule to discuss this, and they kind of agreed with me. The slot for the screw and the nut needed to thread the screw in, are molded into the Fat Mouth, you can see this slot beneath the cam lever.
To make a long story (and long post) short, I have acquired the parts to convert the clamp, it takes about 15 seconds per clamp to modify and works great, so I thought I would pass along the info to all .org members who have, or are thinking of getting this set-up. It's the least I can do since I have acquired such terrific information from other members of this site.
Call Thule Customer service @ 800-238-2388 or go to the on-line store on the website and order these part #'s:
Tamperproof Screws & Nuts (you need 4 each) -
"853526903" & "8535385"
Wrench - "853527002"
Dave
