Definitive roof rack thread?

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Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. I agree, "don't overthink this" is good advice. I didn't even think about the fact that I could just thread bolts with rubber washers into any unused holes. Duh.

Again, thank you to everyone that has taken the time to offer the benefit of their experience!
 

Ben Myton

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SeaTac airport garage claims to be 82" and my front runner fits just fine on normal height (with a little IID tool lift).

For what it's worth, having the bolt slots in all the rails on the front runner has been a real joy. I've got a collection of loops and eyes and accessories that always bolt down exactly where I need them to be, even when I rearrange the boxes. Installation wasn't hard at all and it looks really sharp.


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ryanjl

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If anyone is on the Land Rover trading wall facebook group, there's a guy in the Pensacola, FL area selling a Prospeed rack for $800. If I was closer I would have bought it.
 

toddjb122

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Have a look at Front Runner racks. They have a lot of solutions and customization with their systems that I did not find elsewhere. I also liked that it was relatively easy to install/assemble myself since it is not a single welded heavy rack (which has it's advantages, I know).

That said, I have to share this guide that I posted a while back which will hopefully be a help to your install and may prevent you from breaking the moonroof if you do the install yourself;

HOW TO REMOVE ROOF DITCH MOLDING
 

Ben Myton

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For the front runner owners, they've just released a new full coverage front fairing to take the place of the little 2-piece air dam that only really works up to about 55mph.

I'm hopeful that it will cut down on the wind noise at faster highway speeds. We'll see in a week or two.


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Ben Myton

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We'll see in a week or two.

Fairing came in, fit seems pretty good, I haven't had it on the highway yet.

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For anyone planning to install one, I suggest fully mounting it, using painter's tape to mark 1/2" out from the curve, then remove it before applying the protective tape. I did not do it this way at first which increased the amount of profanity required to install the damn thing by at least 743%.

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magus

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Here’s my Rhino Rack.
251605AB-E8C1-438C-A2B5-EC284FBBCF67.jpeg

And agree on the good looks of the 18” LR3 wheels.
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Ben Myton

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Fairing came in, fit seems pretty good, I haven't had it on the highway yet.

We were on the highway this weekend, wind noises are greatly reduced at highway speeds (70+). It's not silent, but neither are the tires or the mirrors. I'm happy with it and would recommend it for anyone going the FR Rack route.
 

Red Lightning

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We were on the highway this weekend, wind noises are greatly reduced at highway speeds (70+). It's not silent, but neither are the tires or the mirrors. I'm happy with it and would recommend it for anyone going the FR Rack route.

Ben - I have this same rack and wind fairing, but I haven't installed the fairing yet. I want to make sure I understand your instructions regarding the painters tape. Is it used only as a guide of where to put the protective tape and then the painters tape is removed? Would this be the correct order of operation:

1) install fairing - while the rack is already mounted on vehicle (not even sure this is possible)
2) put down painters tape 1/2 inch in front of fairing curve
3) put down protective tape
4) remove painters tape

I put yellow arrows on what I think is the protective tape - did I get that right? Thanks for your help!

roof 1.jpg
 

Ben Myton

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Ben - I have this same rack and wind fairing, but I haven't installed the fairing yet. I want to make sure I understand your instructions regarding the painters tape.

Sorry about that, my notes were a little vague.

1. Yes, install the rack to the roof of the rover before trying to attach the fairing. There is easy access to the under side of the rack even while it is on the car. I used the sun roof but I could have also done it while sitting on top of the rack. You put the bolts loosely into the track on the bottom of the rack, and then the fairing slots onto the bolts.

2. Yep. I figure it's impossible to lay down the protective tape while the fairing is installed, but it's also really hard to figure out where to put the protective stuff if the fairing isn't on at all. The blue painter's tape goes down to trace the line where the fairing makes contact with the roof (I did 1/2" away from the rubber so there wouldn't be much protective plastic showing after the fairing was back on). It's a gently curving line so you can't just mark the two edges and pull a straight line across.

3. Yep. The clear tape they send is somewhat stretchy, so start at one side and press it down nice and secure, then work your way across stretching it and pressing it down so that it follows the curve that you marked with the painter's tape. Your yellow arrows are right, it's like a clear packing tape with a bit more body to it, you can see all the wrinkles and bubbles that I put in mine by doing it wrong a couple times and having to pull it back up.

4. You bet, remove the blue tape after you have the protective stuff in place, then re-mount the fairing and tighten everything down. This is probably a 20 minute job unless you're like me and want to do it wrong a couple times first :)

The idea is to get the protective tape right here, and have it stick out an even amount in the front where people might be able to see it:

upload_2019-7-22_12-6-1.png
 

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