I want to re-use my old Yakima round cross-bars with new Yakima towers to fit my new car. I can remove the endcaps. But I can’t get the towers to slide off. One tower can rotate in place a bit, so it’s not totally stuck on, but I cannot make any headway to get it to slide along the cross-bar and off the end. Any ideas? I don’t want to ruin the rubberized coating around the crossbar
Have you tried soaking them in PB blaster penatrating spray
I wasn’t aware of PB Blaster, and that it should be better than WD-40. Will give it a try. Thanks!
Try gentle heat and a plastic pry tool to loosen the tower without damaging the rubber coating.
A petroleum-based product like PB Blaster or WD 40 could damage the rubberized coating, so before using one of those I would just try a little hot water. Heat up a pot of water, place it on the ground and dip the end of the bar with the tower into the water for a minute or so. The heat might loosen up the joint and the water might seep in and help lubricate as well. It might not work, but it’s an easy thing to try.
Hi, I found another hex bolt in the tower that released the pressure on the crossbar, and I was able to remove the towers. Thanks to all your help!
