Does anyone know of any roof boxes that will work on bars that are 42.5" apart? My Mazda's factory tower locations are apparently quite far apart - my existing Yakima box won't adjust far enough to clamp on the crossbars.
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Does anyone know of any roof boxes that will work on bars that are 42.5" apart? My Mazda's factory tower locations are apparently quite far apart - my existing Yakima box won't adjust far enough to clamp on the crossbars.
Any reason you can’t drill new holes in it?
I think you'll have to drill to make the box fit.
I smell an opportunity to expand your rooftop box quiver.
Consider before drilling if it will allow the box to work with the hatch, or will in interfere, and also that the box isn't too far forward over your windshield.
Is it a newer Mazda? The Thule Force roof box seems to play along nicely with many, depending on which size.
Stupid question but, the factory bars aren't adjustable? What's your make/year? Use an online fit configurator if you are looking at a new box, though Thule messed their's up the past few years so it doesn't work as well as it used to. Rackstarz in Boulder absolutely knows their shit and maybe can help you with a solution as well.
This car (2016 CX-5) didn't have factory bars - it had nothing. Fortunately, it *did* have threaded mount points under a metal trim piece. But these are fixed mount points.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jax
Thanks for the Rackstarz suggestion - I'll contact them and see if they have anything that'll fit.
I mean - that's what I'm looking to do. I'm not going to try to make the Yakima fit - it's got a weird sliding adjuster thing that I'm definitely not fucking with. It just won't adjust "long" enough...Quote:
Originally Posted by BmillsSkier
Thule's spec sheet doesn't show any boxes with max bar spread over 40" (assuming this is the latest and greatest)
https://www.thule.com/-/s/approved/s...75.pdf?rev=3.6
I drilled new holes in one side of my Thule and added washers under the nuts to spread out the load.. 15 years ago and still holding up just fine..
Yeah I've got 3-4 sets of holes in an old, giant Thule. Works great and has fit a bunch of different carsQuote:
Originally Posted by SumJongGuy
Anyone with an over 200cm roof box and a 4Runner runs into similar issues, the factory rails are too far back and block the tailgate.
I bought a pair of cross rails online that clamp into the door frame, just installed one of them and shifted the box forward using one factory rail in the back and the after market rail up front.
So you could just add an after market cross rail at the 40 inch mark, easy and cheap on Amazon.
Saves drilling into the box and can remove after ski season back to normal.
https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Ant...0-4513d670b6bc
I just slammed the box as far forward as possible, unevenly tightend the mounting clamps to keep the box as far forward as possible, and bobsyeruncle. The tailgate raises within an inch of its max height, so im calling it a success.Quote:
Originally Posted by AK47bp
I tried that and my tailgate pistons failed halfway through the season because they couldn’t fully extend.Quote:
Originally Posted by californiagrown
Remove the spoiler/wing? I read somewhere that it does actually help with MPG, but idk how that can be true. Seems odd to be the only SUV on the road with a spoiler on the back for... downforce?Quote:
Originally Posted by AK47bp
i mean...cmon
Attachment 470773
I wouldn’t want to do that with a 5th gen.Quote:
Originally Posted by californiagrown
I wasn’t an aerodynamicist, but I do know that spoilers like that do reduce drag. Can’t tell you if it’s because of cleaner flow separation, or keeping flow attached for longer, or some other mechanism.Quote:
Originally Posted by californiagrown
Roof boxes suck for gas mileage.
Dead hookers should go in the trunk anyway, you could hurt your back getting them in a roof box.
Many of the spoilers are at least partly designed to ensure air flow goes down over the back window, rather than up from the rear tires. Seems real minor but can make a huge difference in seeing out the back window, and can have safety features if the rear window opens and could potentially bring exhaust into a car moving down the highway.
i always wondered why a wagon needed a spoiler at the rackQuote:
Originally Posted by alembical
https://e4p7c9i3.stackpathcdn.com/wp...19/04/6-19.jpg
And you tied it on with bootstraps, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by californiagrown
My 09 Forester hatch has been hitting the box for a good 14 years with no stay piston issues. I think you truck just doesn't like you..Quote:
Originally Posted by AK47bp
Good to know on the spoiler.
4Runner tailgates are heavy as fuck due to the giant window that opens and closes.Quote:
Originally Posted by SumJongGuy
Happy for you though.
Having accidentally torn off one of those roof spoilers... you're going to get a trunk and tailgate full of water if you remove it.Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Barron DeJong
As an anecdote, I was pleasantly surprised when the XL box on my smallish SUV only dropped mileage by 1 mpg. I notice more of a difference when I've swapped to winter tires.Quote:
Originally Posted by mud
caveat- I am a lead foot, ymmv
Anyone have tips for a finicky old Thule box?
We’ve had a lot of moisture and cold temps, older box, okay real old box - but it’s in great shape for 20 years old - decided it doesn’t want to open and close.
I brought in inside and heated the garage up and it works great. So is there lube, grease, cleaning, realignment of the rails, anything that can be done to help it survive more storm skiing? I took the key off the ring and drove it home locked, skis in the box, key in the keyhole as I wasn’t going to stand around and fiddle with anymore and couldn’t force it any further in either direction without fear of breaking the key off.
Maybe try a dry graphite lubricant in there? Should be fine in a cold, moist environment and won't gum up like oil or grease.Quote:
Originally Posted by lowsparkco
try some heat, also a penetrating oil
you gotta do maintenance once year IME so if you don't lube every threaded part on a thule rack it will become frozen to the vehical
The best roof rack or roof box lock lubricant I've found is the Dumonde liquid grease. Haven't had an iced up lock since I started using it. It's a bicycle lube company, not sure what bike part it's supposed to be used on.
Seems like old Phil tenacious oil, but thicker.
Pledge furniture works well as a lube for the inside of the box without staining stuff. It's also a great cleaner for the car interior without leaving that awful armourall look.
New car thread, JONG!Quote:
Originally Posted by skaredshtles
Thanks for the recommendations. It’s weird because some stuff turns and moves, and at room temperature it works fine. I’ll bring it inside and warm it up again and try to figure out where it sticks. It’s just the lock / latch mechanism. It comes off the car every spring, so the attachment to the rack is always maintained reasonably well.
WD40
W D stands for " Water Displacing and 40 is the 40th concoction buddy tried, it is not a lube but ever one thinks its a lubeQuote:
Originally Posted by SB
I keep a chunk of climbing webbing in a spot in my trunk so that if I’m worried at all about the box, I strap a loop around it and tighten it.
yup a thule strap also works well, I had a paddling bud who used a cam strap over the box and around the bars even tho he worked at a thule dealer
but once you got a it up there and secure the hard ware is more likely to rust in place and become part of the vehical, than fall off
I would patch all the cracks, pop rivet all the sprung rivets, take apart all the threaded parts to apply anti-sieze on all the threaded parts once a year
I back then I used chain lube in the locks and that would have been progold
the wife once put vegetable oil in the box locking arms: "it works great now"
one month later: "i can't get into the box"
had that box actually been at all new, i'd have had a fit...but it was just an opportunity to upgrade silently
This is the way.Quote:
Originally Posted by ::: :::
If you want to go all-in, get a core changer-key , pull the core, pop out the wafers and apply a light grease. Make sure you don't lose track of what order they go in when you put them back. No tools needed other than the real key, the changer key, and a fingernail.Quote:
Originally Posted by lowsparkco
That's how they come from the factory--not sure what grease they use, but I bet something like freehub grease would be perfect and actually keep water out unlike any sort of spray lube.