[De Clarke]

I thought that installing the roof rack would be an hour's tinkering. Hey, only 8 threaded holes in the rails, how hard can it be? I was thinking, ya know, an allen key, a short stepladder, sunny afternoon, this will be fun...

Then I unboxed and started reading the instructions. OMG. Obscure unhelpful line drawings, terse text, lots of parts, ugly angled adapter plates required before the racks go on... no DVD... no official YT video...

Looked around for a YT video in hope of some clues, but so far I'm finding Yakima roof racks not Thule. Thule was what the dealership recommended so that's what I bought (and a pretty penny it cost too, ouch!).

Does anyone have a step-by-step guide for installing the roof rack? I have never had one before on any car, so zero experience. No idea how it's all supposed to work -- is it a QR mechanism, can I just pop 'em off?

But the point of popping them off would be to reduce drag for a freeway trip, and it looks like the ugly black adapter brackets would still be sticking up vertically and causing drag and noise... I almost feel like taking the kit back, if the dealer will let me. Are other people happy with theirs?

 

[Pvillerob]

De Clark, I feel your pain. I have the Thule cross rails too. And the included "instructions" are indeed the worst I've seen. For the price they bone you for, you think they'd have included an instructional DVD! Not even any Vaseline!

First thing you should do is take one of the bolts to the hardware store and get a matching bit. It's a security bit. That way you can put it in your multi-tip driver, and not scratch the top of your car with the Allen key. And makes it easy to remove the assembled rails when you don't need them.

I'm afraid all I can suggest in assembly support is, just keep looking at the pieces, with occasional glances at the pictures, you'll figure it out. The hardest part I found was figuring out how the metal plate, plastic body, and the rubber boot went together. But if you hold them together and futz with them a bit on the car's rail, it will become more clear. (Put a towel on the area so you don't scratch the paint while futzing) Once you figure that out, the rest is easy. Let me know if you have any questions.
Rob

 

[Pvillerob]

Here are some pics if that will help.....

 

[De Clarke]

intresting!!

It looks like when you take yours off, you take the brackets right off the rails.

It looked to me almost like there was a QR mechanism lurking in the complicated plastic housing, so the crossbars could just be lifted off -- but that would leave those nasty adapter brackets sticking up (unappealing and probably noisy at freeway speed).

So when you want to remove yours, you undo the whole thing and take it off the rails?

 

[Pvillerob]

Yeah, just unscrew those security bolts from the car's rails with the new security bit you hopefully got.

I don't know what a QR bracket is. But once you get it together, you'll go:"Why didn't they just assemble this part at the factory?" It's ridiculous.

 

[One1whaoo.]

QR = Quick Release

 

[mraymondus]

Hey look, an advantage to the LT configuration. We can slip the rack on/off in about 30 seconds. I already know that the Premier rails can hold more weight, but I was actually pretty impressed with the cross bars and how they slip on and off my LT and how I can use most of the hardware to mount the same bars on my wife's Accord.

The instructions were meh. You absolutely have to remember which pads go with each car and what the distance (width) is for each bar on each vehicle. There should be a better way to manage that.

 

[JacksonBolt]

I use my drill with a flex adapter (and the right bit) to quickly undo the screws. Not perfect but quickens up the futzing process!

 

[Hanstomatoes]

Yes, it look yikes to me, acadia looks sleeker imo

 

[scorpiodeee2]

Thule Aeroblade with fit kit

 

[scorpiodeee2]