Any Roof Rack Experts in Here (or well informed opinions) ??

[jgt_zhp]

So, I got this new ZHP coupe, you know, and I really like it. And my other key money-sucking hobby is cycling. Occasionally, I need to tranports bikes by means other than pedal power. Since I have a good flame suit on, I'll admit that on my 325i, I mounted one of those Curt mini-receiver hitches, specifically for mounting a bike rack. Hitch racks are really good for both the car and the bikes. I'd NEVER put one of those on the ZHP, especially since it would require "modification" to the bumper. No freaking way.

Last week, I bought an OEM BMW base rack for my roof, from that dealer in PA who really doesn't have any more intakes to sell. It was a really good deal, about 75% cheaper than that awesome new low profile Yakima "Whispbar" rack. First thing that struck me about the BMW rack is that the crossbars are MASSIVE. And it stands a long way off the roof. Good if I was carrying snowboards upside down, but I'm not. Here's the rack:
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/jgtoohey/ZHP/IMG_1616_zpsc8ab206d.jpg (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jgtoohey/media/ZHP/IMG_1616_zpsc8ab206d.jpg.html)
So, wading through the multitude of bike trays on the market, i decided on Yakima Highrollers. Top of the line, full upright, no removing the front wheels, yada, yada, yada. Then the adventure begins - how to mount these trays to the factory rack. Yakima trays mount easily to Yakima racks. Others, not so much. Yakima says I need "Mighty Mount Universal Adapters". They come 4 in a box, for $45. Each tray needs 3, so $90 worth of adapters. Kansas City is a fairly large metropolis, but there is a total of one box of these in town. They are now mine. This afternoon, I go to mount up one of these trays. Should have known that a massive cross bar would need a monstrous adapter. These adapters bolt up to the crossbars, and the tray goes on top of those. Looks kind of like this, lots of bolts and spacers and plastic covered hex nuts and such:
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/jgtoohey/ZHP/IMG_1624_zps83c6d859.jpg (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jgtoohey/media/ZHP/IMG_1624_zps83c6d859.jpg.html)

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/jgtoohey/ZHP/IMG_1623_zps2278cdcb.jpg (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jgtoohey/media/ZHP/IMG_1623_zps2278cdcb.jpg.html)

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/jgtoohey/ZHP/IMG_1622_zps9125668a.jpg (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jgtoohey/media/ZHP/IMG_1622_zps9125668a.jpg.html)

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/jgtoohey/ZHP/IMG_1621_zps76a24af6.jpg (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jgtoohey/media/ZHP/IMG_1621_zps76a24af6.jpg.html)
So, by the time you stack these adapters, then the tray, on a rack that's already pretty high off the deck, it might as well be an SUV I'm trying to get the bikes hoisted up on. I'm about ready to sell the BMW rack, return these ugly arse adapter things, and suck it up for the $492 low profile Yakima rack, where the trays sit right on top of the bars, the way the good Lord intended. Probably put the bike a solid 4" closer to the ground, significant for a guy who's 5'-9". Anybody got any other ideas, that maybe don't cost another $500??

[BimmerWill]

Coilovers...Hehe two birds with one stone (although would be more than $500)....in all seriousness that may be your best option. This hasn't been a real widespread topic on the forum from what I've seen but I know Dane (danewilson77) had a Yakima on his I believe. Honestly shelling out the cash fie the Yakima racks may be your best option. Good luck and welcome!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[UdubBadger]

lol @ Will


I run a similar set up and think you're ok with it. Yes it sits a touch higher but you're talking maybe an 1" not much more. Best advice from me to you is get a better bike mount (yes the kind where you remove the front wheel) as it'll be a lower profile design. A fairing might also help it look not as massively out of place. The Thule one fits the BMW crossbars well enough to hold and then I added some reinforcement black Gorilla tape around them just to be safe.

I'll go snap a pic of mine mounted to the rack.... brb

[UdubBadger]

Here ya go...
8155
8156


- Goin' H.A.M. Mobile

[jgt_zhp]

Thanks, Seth. Appreciate you going to the trouble. Those fork mounts definitely look a lot more integrated with the rack than what mine are. I was a little skittish about going that way. I mostly ride road bikes, but there's a couple of multi-purpose hybrids we use on rails-to-trails trips and the like, and they have disc brakes. I always seem to manage to mess up the alignment if I pull a wheel off, and end up with "singing" brakes. And it's a huge pain if somebody grabs a brake lever when the wheel is off, and the pistons pop out.

Definitely think if I keep this rack, a fairing is going to be required. Still looking at options, though.

It does look like quite a stack of stuff with a full upright bike on there

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/jgtoohey/IMG_1637_zpsd520f54b.jpg (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jgtoohey/media/IMG_1637_zpsd520f54b.jpg.html)

[yura]

What about one of those universal trunk-bicycle racks?

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5298&d=1344037456

Also, not sure what you're talking about with regards to modifying the bumper for a hitch.

I had the Westfalia hitch on my car, and the only "modifications" required were cutting a small hole in the diffuser (BMW makes an OEM one that's pre-cut for about $100-$120), and a slight trimming of the rear bumper crash-bar (can't remember proper name - horizontal, aluminum piece behind bumper). But this is all to turn your BMW into a towing monster. For a simple bicycle rack attachment you could just get a regular receiver from a generic hitch and mount it in minutes without any modifications.

This was the Westfalia hitch:

http://static.schmiedmann.dk/ProductPictures/image_72108_big.jpg

And here it is mounted:

http://i.imgur.com/gmTkn.jpg

[jgt_zhp]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm not too keen on the potential for damage to the car and/or carbon frame bikes from a trunk rack

I've got a Curt receiver hitch on my 325i, and use a nice tray style hitch rack on that. The Saris rack i have does, however, sit really close to the bumper, and one tray rubs slightly. Even if I did the hitch, I'd be looking for a different rack to use on it. Just doing some scientific eyeballing, it doesn't look like the same hitch would clear the M Tech diffuser, which hangs lower off the body, without some cutting. Also concerned the ZHP police might sneak in at night and revoke my membership if I buggered up this car with a trailer hitch.

[JupiterBMW]

Also concerned the ZHP police might sneak in at night and revoke my membership if I buggered up this car with a trailer hitch.

I crashed a ZHP and they didn't revoke my membership! :rofl

Sorry, not much to add about the racks, but back in my cycling days, I always preferred the fork mounts myself... I will admit, the setup you have now isn't the prettiest setup with the front wheel stabilizer bar... At the very least, needs a fairing...

[echo46]

I have hauled my bikes atop my BMWs all over the country to hundreds of bike races and triathlons over the past 20 years. Always trusted my bikes to a Thule rack system. They are rugged and fairly low profile. Indeed, being the genius I am I also ran it into my garage, with a mountain bike on top, and it survived just fine. Bike not so much.

[danewilson77]

I was always very happy with the Thule setup I had. I think the height was perfect.

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/DSC_0028edit.jpg (http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/nicee46/media/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/DSC_0028edit.jpg.html)

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/6407378451_fe18567c8c_b-2.jpg (http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/nicee46/media/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/6407378451_fe18567c8c_b-2.jpg.html)

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/EvilImolaII.jpg (http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/nicee46/media/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/EvilImolaII.jpg.html)

[echo46]

Great lookin rack DW, here is what I am running now. Need a new tray on driver's side.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2cnuk9s.jpg

[Jon D]

I'm a big fan of the front wheel off racks. Bike is much more secure and locked down both from a safety standpoint and theft. Have the Thule racks on the Audi as the vert doesn't work well with a roof rack.

The front wheel off racks are also more aero so less resistance and noise FWIW


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[UdubBadger]

Thanks, Seth. Appreciate you going to the trouble. Those fork mounts definitely look a lot more integrated with the rack than what mine are. I was a little skittish about going that way. I mostly ride road bikes, but there's a couple of multi-purpose hybrids we use on rails-to-trails trips and the like, and they have disc brakes. I always seem to manage to mess up the alignment if I pull a wheel off, and end up with "singing" brakes. And it's a huge pain if somebody grabs a brake lever when the wheel is off, and the pistons pop out.

Definitely think if I keep this rack, a fairing is going to be required. Still looking at options, though.

It does look like quite a stack of stuff with a full upright bike on there

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/jgtoohey/IMG_1637_zpsd520f54b.jpg (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jgtoohey/media/IMG_1637_zpsd520f54b.jpg.html)

No problem and I understand but FWIW my Cannondale also has disc brakes and I've never had issues with the mounting.

[jgt_zhp]

Thanks to all for the feedback and suggestions.

While I'm very impressed with how securely these Yakima "Highroller" trays hold an entire bike,and like that it only touches the tire, the upright mount puts a lot of material up in the wind. With bikes on, it kind of looks like a Tour de France team car, not necessarily what I'm after. In the folded position, they're still pretty big, and they create a heck of a roar if you have the sun roof open. Definitely would need a fairing.

Sounds like everybody has had pretty good luck with the "wheel off" mounts, and they sure are less obtrusive when empty. I'm pretty seriously looking at changing them out. I got a great end of year clearance deal on the Highroller trays (2013 model went to all-black paint scheme), I can sell them off and not lose anything there.

[UdubBadger]

sounds good. ORS Racks usually has good deals on stuff too.

[jgt_zhp]

So, if it's not working the way it is, trying changing .... Absolutely everything.

New setup - Yakima Whispbar S15 rack, allegedly the lowest drag, quietest rack on earth. And Yakima Forklift trays. Decided taking the front wheel off isn't a terrible idea at all. Between the two changes, the rear wheel tray is now a full 4 inches closer to the ground. Which is quite a bit if you're not that all. Garage sale forthcoming for some surplus almost-new equipment.

Many thanks to all who shared their experience and helpful suggestions

8204

8205

8206

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[yura]

Looks like a great setup!

[UdubBadger]

Now you've got the right idea ;)


Grab a fairing with the proceeds from your sales, totally worth it in looks and noise reduction at higher speeds.

[danewilson77]

Now you've got the right idea ;)


Grab a fairing with the proceeds from your sales, totally worth it in looks and noise reduction at higher speeds.

True.... But mpg will suffer 2-3 mpg's though.

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

[UdubBadger]

very true, it does hurt but on a longer trip might be worth it.

[jgt_zhp]

They actually don't have a fairing for the Whispbar racks. They claim it doesn't need it. If there was one, it wouldn't be very big. The bars aren't very deep, and the whole thing is pretty low profile. The upside down snowboards might be troublesome. Luckily, I don't have any.

[BavarianZHP]

Nice bike! I used to be on bikeforums.net (patentCAD was so hilarious!). Specialized. Dura ace... Nice.

[jgt_zhp]

Nice bike! I used to be on bikeforums.net (patentCAD was so hilarious!). Specialized. Dura ace... Nice.

Thanks. It's the new 2013 Roubaix Expert SL4. It's an awesome bike. It came with a full Ultegra 6700 build, but I collected parts over the winter and did the conversion to Di2 electronic shifting myself. That stuff is really sweet. Running all the internal wiring was a challenge, to say the least. Also have a titanium Seven, which is my "forever" bike. I swear I'll be buried with that frame.

I used to spend a lot of time on Bikeforums. Haven't been over there in a while. Must be obsessed with this new car, or something

[Imola.ZHP]

Here ya go...
8155
8156


- Goin' H.A.M. Mobile

Do you mind giving more detail on how your used the Thule mounts with the OEM bars? I ground the top part off of mine and screwed them into the bottom, but, like yours, the outer two mounts could not be screwed into the bottom as the "legs" are in the way. I was able to loosen the bar and leg and wedge one side in (and tighten back down) but I ground too much off of the other and was unable to do so...

Do all 4 of your fairing "feet" touch the roof? Only the middle two on mine does, and I don't care for the way it looks. I have two new Thule fairing mounts coming in any day now. I was going to try to find a different way to use them...

Here is my car, for example, the outer two fairing "feet" or "pads" do not touch the roof and it looks funny to me...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/312447_4265279877855_570110358_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/66476_4343300308317_967574783_n.jpg

It's kind of hard to tell what I'm talking about, but I think you have the same fairing so you'll probably know what I mean.

[ELCID86]

I was always very happy with the Thule setup I had. I think the height was perfect.

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/DSC_0028edit.jpg (http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/nicee46/media/2004%20Imola%20DSLR/DSC_0028edit.jpg.html)

I can see why you got rid of this one. That 3-letter sticker under the bimmerworld one would have driven me crazy too!

[danewilson77]

I can see why you got rid of this one. That 3-letter sticker under the bimmerworld one would have driven me crazy too!

Please explain.

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

[UdubBadger]

Do you mind giving more detail on how your used the Thule mounts with the OEM bars? I ground the top part off of mine and screwed them into the bottom, but, like yours, the outer two mounts could not be screwed into the bottom as the "legs" are in the way. I was able to loosen the bar and leg and wedge one side in (and tighten back down) but I ground too much off of the other and was unable to do so...

Do all 4 of your fairing "feet" touch the roof? Only the middle two on mine does, and I don't care for the way it looks. I have two new Thule fairing mounts coming in any day now. I was going to try to find a different way to use them...

Here is my car, for example, the outer two fairing "feet" or "pads" do not touch the roof and it looks funny to me...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/312447_4265279877855_570110358_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/66476_4343300308317_967574783_n.jpg

It's kind of hard to tell what I'm talking about, but I think you have the same fairing so you'll probably know what I mean.

Which fairing is that? Looks much longer than mine I think mine is the 871xt (does that sound right?). All 4 feet don't touch with the hardest "grounded" pressure but they are sitting on the roof in some capacity.

Show me a closeup of the screws and such.



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[danewilson77]

I think he said he had a 42". I think mine was actually 36" or 38".

[echo46]

Titanium Seven FTW. My tried and true 12 year old road bike is a Seven Odonata. Front triangle is titanium and the rear is carbon fiber. Full Dura Ace with Ksyrium wheels. 50,000 plus miles on her and still perfect. Serotta and Seven, in my opinion, build the best bikes out there right now.

[jgt_zhp]

Titanium Seven FTW. My tried and true 12 year old road bike is a Seven Odonata. Front triangle is titanium and the rear is carbon fiber. Full Dura Ace with Ksyrium wheels. 50,000 plus miles on her and still perfect. Serotta and Seven, in my opinion, build the best bikes out there right now.

Amen, brother. My bucket list includes a pilgrimage to Boston. I'd like to meet the artist that crafted my frame. Buy him a Sam Adams

[UdubBadger]

I think he said he had a 42". I think mine was actually 36" or 38".

Should be 37"


- Goin' H.A.M. Mobile

[Imola.ZHP]

871xt sounds right, those new clips came in yesterday. I'll check Amazon and confirm later on today. My outer two feet do not touch the roof at all, and I don't like the way it looks...

Did you screw yours in from the top? I did mine from the bottom, this might be the difference. I'll get pics soon, thanks for the help!

[danewilson77]

Should be 37"


- Goin' H.A.M. Mobile

Well....I think you can put any size on there you want actually

Where does that data come from Seth?

[UdubBadger]

Thule fit guide


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[danewilson77]

Thule fit guide


- Goin' H.A.M. Mobile

Copy. Thanks Seth.

[ELCID86]

Please explain.

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

VMI--Virginia Military (or mental depending on who ya ask!) Institute. The starch rival of my alma mater The Citadel.


Shawn in VA.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

[danewilson77]

VMI--Virginia Military (or mental depending on who ya ask!) Institute. The starch rival of my alma mater The Citadel.


Shawn in VA.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

Ahh. OK.

Go Citadel.

Go VMI.

[Stigissimo]

Jgt_zhp - I'm glad you posted a pic of the Yakima whispbars. I have a friend who can get Yakima bars for cheap and I was weighing Yakima vs Oem and if I was to get Yakima would I get through bars or flush - you just convinced me. Those whispbar through-bars look awesome!

[jgt_zhp]

Jgt_zhp - I'm glad you posted a pic of the Yakima whispbars. I have a friend who can get Yakima bars for cheap and I was weighing Yakima vs Oem and if I was to get Yakima would I get through bars or flush - you just convinced me. Those whispbar through-bars look awesome!

I'm really happy with it. It's really kind of a whole new generation design. Yakima actually bought the company that developed the crossbars. I did have one internet retailer tell me the Thule aero bars are "vastly superior" to the Whispbar. No explanation of why, of course.

The OEM rack is really nicely made. I just gave a member here a pretty awesome deal on the one I had, but the crossbars are really big. I think the Whispbar design is quite a bit more complimentary to the design of our cars. Height wise, it's a solid 2" lower, and from a lot of angles, you can barely even tell the bars are there.

[Stigissimo]

You don't have any whistling problems do you? I'd probably get a fairing to carry all my schtickerz

[jgt_zhp]

Funny you ask. When I first mounted it, I was all proud of myself, and admiring its stunning good looks. Then I took it for a drive. Got up to about 30, and it started to sing. By about 45, it was positively shrieking. I was not a happy camper. Opened the sunroof and did some experiments with my hand, narrowed the source down. The crossbars have a row of little slots along the bottom of each end, which is where the mechanism locks down when you adjust the bar length. It was really obvious this was the source of the noise. the slots are about 1/16" wide and 3/4" long, and there's about 30 of them on each side. I covered that area with painters tape, and the rack was virtually silent.

Went back and messaged the vendor, expressing my displeasure. Dropped a lot of marketing quotes from Yakima about the most aero, quietest rack ever made. Keep in mind this is already the second rack I've put on the car. I explain I don't feel for the kind of money these things cost, I should have to jury rig it with duct tape to use it. They didn't have a lot of answers, then offered to exchange it for a Thule Aero Bar rack. In the mean time, I opened a support ticket directly with Yakima. Within a half hour, they responded to put away the duct tape, and they knew exactly what the issue was. Behind this row of slots there is a triangular insert of black foam, put there specifically to prevent this optional deer whistle feature. On both sides of the forward bar, this foam insert had shifted during shipping. Some highly skilled labor with a technical tool (paper clip), and the foam was back where it needed to be. Added a small drop of glue to each side to secure it in place. Now it's very quiet, can't hardly tell it's there unless the sunroof is open.

Oh, and FWIW, they don't have a fairing for this rack. If they did, it would be very small. The rack is really low profile

[Stigissimo]

Hm interesting. Well If I get one and there's that whistling I'll know exactly what to do!

[Imola.ZHP]

Sorry it took me so long to respond, hope I'm not taking over the OP's thread either, just looking for help also...

I have a 44" 872xt from amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00152SA72/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I modified the mounts so that I could screw them into the bottom of the OEM rack. It worked (and looks great) for the middle two, but for the outer two, the feet or posts get in the way, so I attempted (and was successful with 1 of 2) to loosen the feet from the rack, wedge the mount in-between, and re-tighten the bolts from the feet to the rack. The only problem is that the outer feet do not touch the roof (they probably do at some certain speed) and I don't care for the way it looks when its parked. Here are a few shots, the second one might be better though what I am talking about is at the very top, it almost didn't make it in this picture. I don't have B/W roundels BTW, was playing with some settings on my new camera.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/557992_4891446691634_1661677411_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/969430_4891446731635_488195949_n.jpg

I have two new mounts in the car ready to go on, but any help on how others have mounted these larger fairings would be appreciated, it looks like UDubBadger mounted his from the top, this might be the way to go.

[UdubBadger]

faring is too big, you need 871XT for it to fit on the rack propery.

[Imola.ZHP]

Yeah, that's not really an answer right now, I'll see what I can do with these new mounts.

Just googled the 871 is 38", 872 is 44". I prefer the wider fairing, just need to get those outer mounts mounted differently.

Thanks for the help!

[ELCID86]

Jeff, can you list the parts that you ended up with for those of us that may be in the market? Thanks.

[jgt_zhp]

You bet.

I used the Whispbar s15 base rack - this is the "through bar" design.

The fit kit for my E46 coupe is Yakima Fit Kit K439

I am using Yakima "Forklift" bike trays. They mount to this rack with no additional adapters required.

[ELCID86]

^ thanks!

[UdubBadger]

Yeah, that's not really an answer right now, I'll see what I can do with these new mounts.

Just googled the 871 is 38", 872 is 44". I prefer the wider fairing, just need to get those outer mounts mounted differently.

Thanks for the help!

Sorry buddy, I'm just going by what Thule told me. The reason for them saying only the 38" one fits is exactly the problem you are encountering, the rack isn't wide enough to support proper mounting.

Let us know what you're able to do.

[Imola.ZHP]

Sorry buddy, I'm just going by what Thule told me. The reason for them saying only the 38" one fits is exactly the problem you are encountering, the rack isn't wide enough to support proper mounting.

Let us know what you're able to do.

I've got it mounted where it looks good now, but it seems like it might be sitting a little low. I'll test it on the highway soon and if it works well I'll post some pics. I guess I just think the wider fairing looks better, the ends almost curve around the feet/legs of the rack.

Your looked like it was mounted from the top though, and I don't see why that wouldn't work with whatever size someone wanted. Mine is mounted from the bottom.

[UdubBadger]

Mine was also mounted underneath but taped 360 with gorilla tape for a touch of added strength at speed.


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[Imola.ZHP]

^ ok, that makes sense, thanks for the info. She feels more solid than ever, the ends used to somewhat flap the way it was mounted before. I just hope it's not too low and looses its point of existing (reducing wind noise)...

[UdubBadger]

yeah that would be nice. lol

[Imola.ZHP]

Ok, so here is what I did... The part of the clip from Thule that looks like an extended (on the bottom) "C" that has a grove in the top of the C, I got a longer bolt for the inner screws on the OEM rack, and washers and re-installed the bolts and washers into the OEM rack in the grove of the upper part of the "C" clamps. I still haven't ground off the bottom of the "C" because I wanted to make sure this works before I permanently modify them.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/10067_4959131583714_1181659061_n.jpg

I had the car at VERY high highway speeds both yesterday and today (first chance to get her on the highway because I live 5 minutes from work, and school is out) and it was both very stable and very quiet. I think it looks much better than before too!

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/557992_4891446691634_1661677411_n.jpg