Summer Question - Road noise with empty ski racks

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Originally Posted by Marshal Olson

I would describe it as a Rumble. You *feel it in the eardrum* as much as you hear it. Not high pitch.

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Could be some kind of resonant frequency. Add a fairing or keeping some cheap skis or blocks clamped in there would be my first two solutions to change the airflow and frequency dynamics.

Could Fab up some kind of Heritage Lab sign to clamp in the rack and then you can get a tax write off? Haha

I still think the paracord method (or bungee) should be tried. Front cross bar only.

What about a low profile ski box?

I just had to dump a set of tires because of excessive rumbling/road noise. Bridgestone Ecopia. Awful. Replaced with Michelin Defender2, makes a HUUUDGE difference.

At first I thought it was the rack.

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Originally Posted by bodywhomper

I still think the paracord method (or bungee) should be tried. Front cross bar only.

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This. Cheap/ free, easy, fast. No risk of paint damage like with a fairing.

Add something that makes even more noise, like those tailpipe BRRAAP things, to drown it out?

It's probably some wind buffeting that is strong at a particular frequency and you have to change something in the airflow to break it up. You have all probably experienced where you roll down a car window a few inches at moderately high speed and there's a loud whump-whump air noise, but when you either roll the window further down, or partway back up, the noise decreases. There's no obvious way to tell which change to make to the rack (short of a wind tunnel) - the paracord idea is nice because it's easy and reversible.

Any body else put playing cards in the wheelspokes of their mustang bike ?

Rumble sounds like vibration more than wind noise, but I gave up on exposed skis long ago and now I just deal with the mpg hit and hollow rattle of a roof box.

Thanks for all of the ideas, everyone. Have $5 worth of paracord coming to experiment with... and have an idea about trying some split pipe insulation as an insert for the racks when they don't have skis in em too... Will report back with findings, and more than happy for any other ideas too! Cheers

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Originally Posted by coldfeet

Add something that makes even more noise, like those tailpipe BRRAAP things, to drown it out? It&#39;s probably some wind buffeting that is strong at a particular frequency and you have to change something in the airflow to break it up. You have all probably experienced where you roll down a car window a few inches at moderately high speed and there&#39;s a loud whump-whump air noise, but when you either roll the window further down, or partway back up, the noise decreases. There&#39;s no obvious way to tell which change to make to the rack (short of a wind tunnel) - the paracord idea is nice because it&#39;s easy and reversible.

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Originally Posted by Marshal Olson

Thanks for all of the ideas, everyone. Have $5 worth of paracord coming to experiment with... and have an idea about trying some split pipe insulation as an insert for the racks when they don't have skis in em too... Will report back with findings, and more than happy for any other ideas too! Cheers

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I was thinking some sort of spacer taker upper to put in the rack when there's no skis, since it your description sounds like it has to do with the rattle or vibration of the rack vs. wind noise.