Has anybody installed the 2016/17 OEM Crossbars

[spencerhiltbrand]

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody has installed the Ford Crossbars (here). If so, was it easy and how did you do it?

I have a 2017 Explorer Limited and my roof bars are flush (at least they seem to be).

Thanks,
Spencer

 

[Douglas Goglio]

Very easy. Screw in with a hex key.

 

[Douglas Goglio]

Might have been a star bit can't remember. Either way very easy.

 

[peterk9]

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody has installed the Ford Crossbars (here). If so, was it easy and how did you do it?

I have a 2017 Explorer Limited and my roof bars are flush (at least they seem to be).

Thanks,
Spencer

The roof rails were redesigned with the 2016 Explorer and do now sit flush to the roof. Are you aware of the load limitations listed in the Manual? 45 lbs with moonroof, 100 lbs without. Just FYI.

Peter

 

[BradleyFord]

Yes, I got them for my new 17 Ex and installed them myself in about 15 min.

If you've already got them, take them both out of the box and and place them with the right part facing forward, there are stickers or an embossed arrow on them showing which way should be front facing. It comes with an alan wrench tool but it's really a multi point star. You'll use that tool to remove the plastic screws that are in the holes. These plastic screws are threaded, they're not plugs. You may want a flat head screw driver with you to pry them out at the end if you need to. Given that they're plastic they have a tendency to get slightly warped or stripped in the metal threads they're in if they were ever overtightened, this can make it slightly harder to take them out but still easy. PRO TIP: put down a few strips of painters tape about the length of the star tool on your roof in front of the screws you're going to but working on, that way you won't scratch your paint with the short angled part when you're turning the tool to take out/put in the screws like I did. The star tool is sharp on it's little corners

The part that I wish I did first in putting them on was finding out if I should have put the back bar in the forward or most rear position, there are two spots. This really depends on what you're putting on it. In my case I was going to put a Yakima Skybox carrier up there and with my luck it was too wide when when I tried to put it up because I used the rear most position for the back bar. It was just a pain to take the Skybox down and then remove the bar and swap spots.

 

[BradleyFord]

This is what the head of the plastic screws looks like. The metal ones for the bars use the same tool but the head of the screw is thicker.