Help! My new Thule roof rack does
 

Bought a Thule roof rack (with bike rack & ski rack separately) online a couple of weeks ago.

I'm having difficulty fitting it! it's the 754 footpack with aluminium aero bars. My car is a Litchfield Type 20 - ie a 2006 Spec C.

Thule give you a fairly basic set of instructions which state the front bars should be 17cm from the front windscreen and the rear bars should be 65 cm behind the front bars. Also the feet on the rear bar should be 28.5cm from the bar ends. The bars must be tightened alternately.

Well, I followed all that, but the rear bars don't fit!

Attempt 1. Following the instructions exactly, the rubber feet do not sit flush with the curve of the bodywork immediately below the roof hence the rack is loose:

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...20034-Copy.jpg

Attempt 2. Moved the bar a bit further back on the roof. Now it tightens up better but each foot sits too high, ie on the lightweight rubber gutter strip.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...20024-Copy.jpghttp://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...20024-Copy.jpg

If you have a roof rack, does yours sit on the rubber gutter strip with no ill effects? Also, do you know at what distance from the bar ends your Thule feet sit?

cheers for any thoughts,

Andy

I have the old style one - it doesn't touch the gutter...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...6/DSC02430.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...6/DSC02429.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...6/DSC02428.jpg

They didn't fit flush with the curve of the roof though, and neither do the ones we have on our scenic:wonder:

Hmmm, cheers Jon.

If th erubber feet aren't flush, aren'they loose like in my first pic?

Is there any differnce between the roofline and rubber gutter position of a 2006 WRX and a 2006 Spec C?

Andy

Once I'd tightened them up they were rock solid. The roofline of all the newage is the same afaik:wonder:

Yeah, that's what I thought. Wonder if anyone else has ther's sitting on the rubber gutter?

Andy

On mine there are set positions to have each bar - measured from the top of the windscreen. Have a look in the manual. The rubber feet fit quite well in these positions, but do cross over onto the gutters slightly. Mine have never done any harm but I've never put anything very heavy on them.

Does yours sit half way onto the rubber gutter like mine? Have you had a couple of bikes on your roof rack?

I've looked at the manual and it suggests that the feets should be 28.5cm along the bars, which have a "ruler" style markings. That doesn't work.

Can anyone say what distance they are using as above in cm's or how close the rear bar is to the rear screen?

Andy

Haven't used my bars on the scoob for some time (I use the same bars with different feet on 2 cars) but I'm sure mine sit partly on the gutter strip.

Unfortunately this is the only pic I have.

[img]http://i911.photobucket.com/albums/a...b/DSCF2512.jpg[/img]

Hey Mik.

Any chance of you having a look at your rear rack and seeing where exactly the feet sit on the bar (eg, at 28.5cm, etc)? Do you need to be careful to place the feet at the same point on the roof each time?

Andy

Hi Andy,

They are fitted to wifey's Disco3 at the moment - I've just gone out for a squint but I can't see the mark I made on them without removing them from the car.... which is a pain.

What I do remember is not using the width dimension that was recommended - which is why I then scratched a mark on the bars for future use.

mik

The back ones do sit on the gutter, but is solid!