How Replace Missing Bolts and Washers on Thule 400XT Towers

This instructable assumes you have some knowledge of Thule car rack equipment.

I recently purchased a used set of four Thule 400XT towers and two load bars for $30.  The towers did not include the original bolts to tighten the towers to the car's roof, so I had to source some myself.  Also, the plastic washers that reduce friction between the bolt and the metal washers were missing.

The parts I've described are all available for purchase on Thule's website, but if you are in a situation where you need to set up a rack fast and don't have the time to wait for stuff to arrive in the mail, this will work for you.

Step 1 New Bolts

1) By some new bolts. I won't say what size to get in case your system is different than mine, but they are metric. The best way to buy the bolts is to bring the tower with you to your favorite store that carries a selection of metric bolts (mine is Ace Hardware) and find some "Allen" or Hex key" type bolts in the 40mm to 50mm range.