Yakima Rack on the Focus

[sprcoop]

I thought I would share in case anyone needed info on racks. The Yakima Q-Towers (post 2004) and the Q-128 clips and 58" bars. I needed more room for a camping trip (4 days at Lake Roberts, Gila National Forest NM). The wife and I, and of course the dog. We don't pack light (below 30F at night and we like to be comfy in the tent) and the extra 15 cubic feet (Yakima Rocketbox 15s) on the roof (it's bigger than it looks) meant that both the wife and the dog got to go. The wife would have really missed out otherwise. Worked perfectly, didn't even know it was up there.



That's the wife's car. SE, Auto, 201A, keyless entry, Sport Package. Parked at the Gila Cliff Dwellings. Mine will be here in a couple weeks. Same car except mine is a stick and Sterling Gray Metallic.

[Sponsor]

[Eurofordfan]

Originally Posted by sprcoop

I thought I would share in case anyone needed info on racks. The Yakima Q-Towers (post 2004) and the Q-128 clips and 58" bars. I needed more room for a camping trip (4 days at Lake Roberts, Gila National Forest NM). The wife and I, and of course the dog. We don't pack light (below 30F at night and we like to be comfy in the tent) and the extra 15 cubic feet (Yakima Rocketbox 15s) on the roof (it's bigger than it looks) meant that both the wife and the dog got to go. The wife would have really missed out otherwise. Worked perfectly, didn't even know it was up there.



That's the wife's car. SE, Auto, 201A, keyless entry, Sport Package. Parked at the Gila Cliff Dwellings. Mine will be here in a couple weeks. Same car except mine is a stick and Sterling Gray Metallic.

Nice looking car.

What's your sense, on just how securely the towers attach to the car?

Another individual exactly marked where the threaded holes were, on the hold-down clips associated with the black trim strips on the roof. Then he took a sheet metal drill to it (with it off the car, of course!) and exactly drilled thru, so that the hold-down bolt (one per tower) could bolt down the tower in that exact position... That was the bolt-down option.

A bit of pain to do... but if your Yakima towers are really secure, then your arrnagement would be best.

Does any of the rubber, associated with the door, distort or become permanently deformed, with the Yakima towers being used?

thx

[sprcoop]

Eurofordfan, they are solid as a rock. Part of the installation/adjustment calls for pulling and pushing on the towers. And also every couple hundred miles.

The Q-clips that go under the door rubber are very thin. I took the racks off after 4 days, 500 miles and camping in the back country (OK, car camping). Washed the car and looked VERY carefully for any evidence the racks were there and could find none.

[Techwarrior]

How is the wind noise with the rack on the car?

I'm planning on getting one for my bikes. Been looking at the Thule.

Where did you get yours and how much?

[sprcoop]

It was so quiet that I would have to drive the car on the freeway (80mph) with it off. Throw it on and do it again to even tell you if there was any wind noise. I can only imagine that bikes would be more noise than the luggage box. I think these cars are very sound insulated. If you have the windows up and someone is talking you just see their lips move like they are playing a joke but roll the window down and they are actually talking.

I was in a hurry so I went to Summit Hut and got raped. If you have Q-Towers from before 2004 that won't fit your car Yakima will let you trade them for the new Q-clips that are $35 a pair (you need 2 pair) so I did that.

I paid $165 (that's list) for the Q-Towers and I had the 58" bars from before ($80 list) then paid list ($379) for the Rocketbox.

But... you can get the Q-towers for $149 Internet, Q-clips for $32 Internet and I saw where someone paid less than $300 for the Rocketbox. I'm sure you can do better than $80 for the 58" bars also.

Moral of the story... don't be in a hurry. But the wife really wanted to go camping and it wouldn't be fair if just the dog and I went.

Plus I plan on having this car for a long time (I tend to go 10 years) so it was a good investment. I also have a mountain bike and road bike that end up on that rack once in a while also. Not to mention I have to haul ladders around every once in a while for work.

[wilsonfocus86]

Awesome looking rack man!... That didn't sound right... Anyways, very nice ! My THULE rook rack is coming this week, very excited. I'm throwing our bikes up on the roof. Getting the new AeroBlade load bars THULE came out with so I'm curious to see how much better they cut through the air/how the wind noise is. (It'll be my first rack on any car)




How was your wind noise especially with that big cargo box? As aerodynamic as they claim?

[SimonSellsAustin]

Thanks for posting. I'm going back and forth on the roof rack vs hitch mounted gear.

[DmAnBc]

Thule racks, 4 Bikes ... 4 people. Cheap gas.

[Grizpin]

I'm interested in adding a cargo rack to my car. Would it interfere with the moonroof? I'm sure it would be ok sliding open but does the rack commonly sit high enough to allow it to pop up?

[sprcoop]

I'm thinking with the curvature of the roof there is only a couple of inches from the bottom of the rack to the center top of the roof. How much room does the moon roof need? I don't have one.