you take your rack off if it's going to rain? Sounds like kind of a pain. I've had yakima systems for....hmm...going on 17 years now for the oldest one I have. In the summer I never take the kayak stackers and bike racks off, in the winter the ski rack stays on from Dec until April. A little rust on occassion, but the judicious spritz of oil keeps them (includign the locks) functioning well. Oh yeah....oil or graphite your lock cores!

And - not likely to be stolen, but lock em anyway.