Q: I have a 2006 Mazda 3 Hatchback with factory mounting points. Yakima offers the Q Tower System and the Control Tower system as options for a base rack. I’d prefer to use the Control Towers, but in order to use the factory mounting points, I’d need to remove the molding that fits in the channel running from front to back. I’d rather not do this if possible. Seems that molding is there for a reason. Is there any solution?
A: We’ve run into this before and there is a solution. All you need to do is drill a hole right through that molding big enough for the Yakima Landing Pad 11 mounting bolt to fit through. To find out where to drill, just pull back the molding enough to peek underneath. The mounting points are located over the front and rear doors and are easy to find. Once you’ve located them, mark the drilling point on the molding with a marker. To prevent drilling into the mounting point, we place the lip of an old Yakima Q-clip under the molding. If you don’t have an old Q-clip lying around, you can use any thin, metal object. The handle of a spoon would probably suffice. Drill slowly into the molding until you are through. It won’t take long. Once the mounting points are exposed, you can proceed with installing the Landing Pad 11 and then the Control Towers. When you are done, you’ll have a nice clean looking system and your molding pieces will be no worse for the wear.
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