Thule Cross bars

[Mishtar]

Anyone else order the Thule Cross bars? The accessories page shows 47 or 50 inch but you need the 58 to actually fit and with them there is maybe an inch and a half of overhang on both sides.

Ok back on track, I have never had roof racks before but I was wondering is it normally so damn loud? All I have up are the cross bars right now and they are very loud starting at 60 KPH I can hear a fairly loud whistling. I just want them for a snow board carrier but I thinking maybe I should look into a hitch snow board carrier. Anyone have any experince withg those?

 

[Holligl]

OEM Ford Bars are pretty quiet.

 

[Mishtar]

I can see why they are so much lower and stream lined but they were too close to the roof for me to carry 4 snow boards. I wanted the extra hieght but damn it is loud.

 

[rescue_31]

I have the yakima bars, and they howl pretty good. I purchased their wind fairing, and the whistiling and howling are gone. i know thule makes a fairing also

 

[jeeden]

You need to take a close look and see if the cross bars are installed in the right direction. On my father's Expedition years back they used to whistle like crazy and then one day we took a look at them and compared to other trucks on the lot, the manual, and photos on the ford site and figured out they were put in backwards. They are very close to symmetrical, but not quite, I bet this is your problem.

 

[new to ford]

i plan to use the yakima lowriders from previous vehicle, all I need is are longer roundbars. This set-up is robust, but does offer quite a bit of wind noise. I never cared enough to install a wind deflector

 

[Mishtar]

I am in Moab on a biking trip but when I get back I will check. I think the Thule ones are symmetrical and cannot go in backwards but it is worth a shot.

 

[jeeden]

oh, I didn't realize the Thule's were the ones giving you the noise. I think they are probably on correctly then, they are just gonna be noisy unless you get a wind deflector or something. Part of the reason most OEM cross bars are shaped the way they are.

 

[rescue_31]

Thule has two different types are bars, their aero bars, and the stock rectangular bars. No matter what they are going to howl. As i said before, buy their wind fairing, solves all the problems and the mpg dent.

On my old gti i had yakima bars, when they were on i would lose 5-6 mpg on the highway, and they would howl, put the fairing on, mileage went back up to 30 mpg, and the howling went away.

Same for my ex, put the yakima bars on, and they howled, horribly, bought the fairing, no more noise.

 

[Mishtar]

With my double sun roof the guard would be over the glass:/

 

[rescue_31]

i have the double sun roof also. I have it set so that the bottom of the fairing sits right at the seam and doesnt interfear with the front sunroof, and it doesnt block any of the back.

 

[Mishtar]

If anyone wants to buy the cross bars and snow board rack I will sell them for $400. You pay the shipping. They retail for $570. I had them up there for a week but took them off and I am going to just pick up a hitch snow board rack.

 

[musraca]

Try moving the the forward bar back a few inches.

 

[CDN_Explorer]

i have the double sun roof also. I have it set so that the bottom of the fairing sits right at the seam and doesnt interfear with the front sunroof, and it doesnt block any of the back.

Could you post pictures of your setup? I'm looking into this and was considering the Yakima ones with the wind deflector.
Thanks

 

[rescue_31]

i actually switched to the oem bars. Showed a slight improvement in gas mileage, and no matter what i did, the yakima fairing still rattled on the roof.

 

[new to ford]

and no matter what i did, the yakima fairing still rattled on the roof.

I have yakima lowriders with round bars and wind fairing. You are correct, the tips of the fairing constantly tap the metal roof, I ended applying some foam tape on the edges of the fairing and that fixed the problem.

 

[Razziel24]

I got the OEM bars, and im happy with them

 

[spitfisher]

Sell the bars and buy a box

 

[TomTomNJ]

I have the Thule bars and had the same problem with noise. All I did was wrap a piece of wire around the front bar in a spiral formation (like an antenna). 100% quieter.

 

[Mishtar]

I just sold the bars and snowboard rack as ski's and Boards fit in behind the 2nd row with out lowering it. I used the cash to pick up a much more important rack.....Sweet 4 bike rack.

www.arbutusracks.com