Slanted roof rack cross bars

[sacandagaskier]

I just purchased a 2010 Explorer. I want to use the roof rack for carting my kayak. However, I noticed that the cross bars are slanted. I am not talking about side to side, but front to back. When I mount my Thule Hull-a-port racks they sit crooked and don't support the kayak as well. I have looked at purchasing new cross bars, but they all seem to look the same.

I am not sure why Ford would design them this way. I also have a car top carrier and suspect that it may not mount as well either.

I looked at aftermarket cross bars from Thule and they are very expensive and won't look as nice.

Does anyone know why they are designed this way? Has anyone found a solution for mounting kayak racks?

 

[Flag Gibby]

Don't know what you mean by slanted mine are at the same height on both sides (track from front to back with the L and R sides staying at the same height relative to each other). Maybe the previous owner bent them by putting too much weight on them?

 

[mgmgmg]

Im a Yakima man and use factory rack for my kayak. I use hull raiser and special attachment to clamp on the factory rail work just great!

http://parts.orsracksdirect.com/yak...rsn-hull-to-aero-replacement-spare-parts.html

 

[pzy3339]

post a picture. What you say does not make sense. Sounds like something is messed up. The front and rear crossbar should be the same height off the roof. Ford is not going to design a roof rack all ####ed up. Maybe the previous owner was stupid and messed it up!

Take a look at some pictures online. The crossbars can be removed, is it possible one is upside down and the other is right side up? They should bow up not down.

 

[pzy3339]

Also, there is a little "thingy" on each side of each crossbar that is what holds that end off the crossbar in place. They can be tightened and loosened to adjust the position of the crossbars. It has a circular base and a small loop on the top. A small-medium sized screw driver or a wrench works well to loosen/tighten them.

 

[sacandagaskier]

Sorry a newbie. Trying to figure out how to provide images

I want to put images in a post, but it seems that the only way to do it is to provide a URL. I have the images on my computer, but I cannot upload. I tried using the pictures and albums portion of the site, but I don't have permissions.

What am I doing wrong? I have pics and will post once I figured it out. Tried uploading to Dropbox, but they are not public.

 

[mgmgmg]

 

[sacandagaskier]

Thanks for the pictures

If you look at your first picture (which shows your cross bars from the side of the truck), you will notice that they are slanted down towards the right side. This is not looking at the bar from side to side but front to back. It is not level, but slanted down - towards the back of the truck. When you attach a kayak rack to that bar it is tilted towards the back. Since it is not level it doesn't hold the kayak as well.

On my previous '04 Explorer, from front to back on the bar itself, it was level.

I may end up going with the aftermarket approach, but it is going to cost me around $250 to do what the factory cross bars should have done themselves.

I am not sure if the cross bars from the earlier years of this generation fit on the 2010.

Let me know if anyone has any idea on the reason for this design.

 

[Flag Gibby]

I would do something like this (foam canoe blocks): http://www.prolineracks.com/yakima-universal-foam-canoe-carrier-4055.html . It should take care of your issue.

 

[mreed112]

I have the exact same rack on my 2010 Eddie Bauer. I have Thule J style brackets and it holds the kayaks just fine. Almost all factory installed rack crossbars have a slight aerodynamic angle of attack for reduced wind noise and vibration.

 

[96743explorer]

If you decide to sell your stock crossbars lmk as I don't have them and would like some.