How to properly install a car roof rack: 4 ways
Content
Installing car rails is easy if you follow the instructions that come with them. On most vehicles, the places under the rails are closed. If there are no holes for attaching power elements, they need to be drilled.
To correctly install the roof rack on the car, you need to know the difference between the mounts. There are regular elements, roof rails and universal clamps. The safety of the cargo also depends on how it is secured to the roof.
4 ways to put a trunk on the car
How to put the roof rack on the car depends on the type of roof. To put the box on a car, kayak rack, bike rack, etc., you must first install the cross bars. This is the basis for any trunk. Often, motorists call the crossbars a roof rack.
There are 4 installation methods. Depends on the shape of the car roof. There are roofs
- with drains (this is more often the Soviet auto industry);
- with roof rails (open and closed);
- with standard fasteners (instead of a rubber plug, holes are made along the edge of the roof for attaching trunks with a threaded connection);
- smooth (without gutters, roof rails, mounting holes).
Crossbars on a smooth roof are considered universal. Although this characterization is not entirely correct, because roof rack manufacturers supply different types of mounts - one or another option may be suitable for one car model, but it will not be possible to mount it on another car.
Roof rack
The trunk itself is already attached to the crossbars - a structure for transporting a particular cargo. To choose a car trunk for installation, you need to consider:
- type of transported cargo;
- compatibility with the brand of your vehicle;
- load capacity (must comply with the technical standards of the car).
Crossbars must be selected, focusing on the shape (design) of the roof.
Standard fasteners
You can put the trunk on the car in regular places (in those indicated in the manual for the car). The vehicle manufacturer has defined areas for screws and other elements of luggage systems, so you do not need to drill anything yourself. Often the recesses are covered with decorative overlays.
Benefit: The screwed connection ensures high fixing security.
Disadvantage: you can correctly put the trunk on the car only as determined by the manufacturer (no options).
You can fix the power elements in 15-20 minutes. To do this, you will need the manufacturer's instructions, a set of hexagons, a degreaser, a marker. Installation order:
- Open the car door and remove the decorative moldings.
- If the screw holes are covered with adhesive tape, it must be removed.
- Attach the rails and mark the joints.
- Treat the holes and the area around them with a degreaser (alcohol, for example).
- To ensure the tightest fit of the elements to the body, you can paste over a regular place with double-sided tape.
- Put the rails, tighten the bolts (not too zealous), fix the fairings.
- Tighten the front, and then the rear mounting bolts.
- Press firmly on the fairings from above, fix them at the edges.
- Fix the seal in reverse order.
The luggage system is selected in such a way that the marking corresponds to the characteristics of the vehicle mountings. The installation process may differ - the instructions come with the rails, so installation should not be difficult.
Features of installing cross members on integrated roof rails
To put the trunk on a car equipped with roof rails, you must first secure the crossbars.
Trunk installation
Advantages of this mounting option:
- longitudinal arcs can be installed at any distance from each other - this is convenient when you need to transport non-standard cargo;
- the luggage system does not “lay down” on the roof - the paintwork remains safe and sound.
Disadvantage: the load will be higher (in comparison with other methods of mounting luggage systems). Accordingly, the center of gravity will also rise. And this can affect the behavior of the car on the road.
Consider the installation procedure using the example of Tourmaline crossbars:
- Assemble the crossbars by inserting the crossbar into the mount. So far only on one side.
- Attach to the rails to determine the length. All crossbars are universal. They are longer than the expansion between the rails.
- Attach the second fastening (limit switch) to the railing. There is a scale inside the limit switch. According to it, you need to determine the length of the crossbar. It is recommended to take the maximum value (0 on the scale). Mark with a marker on the crossbar how much to cut.
- Cut the crossbar with a grinder at the mark.
- Insert into the second limit switch.
- Attach the cross bars to the rails.
Installation on drains
Drains are located in the upper part of the body. These are recesses that remove moisture from the roof of the car. More often you will meet them on representatives of the domestic auto industry.
Trunk installation
Advantages of installing roof racks on gutters:
- universality;
- can be fixed anywhere on the roof;
- for better load distribution, 3-4 crossbars can be installed;
- for these types of roofs, luggage baskets are produced.
Examples: Gazelle, VAZ 2101, VAZ 2108, etc.
Installation instructions (on the example of the Atlant system):
- Using a short bolt and a “lamb” nut (for manual tightening, the design resembles “ears”), connect the holders to the clamp.
- Install fasteners in the limit switches (the manufacturer encloses a long bolt and “lamb” nuts).
- Insert the crossbars into the clamps of the holders (end switches), from the ends of the transverse arcs - plugs.
- Attach rubber gaskets to the lower parts of the supports, the label should “look” outward.
- Place the supporting elements of the holders in the gutters. The rubber gasket must be between the clamps and the gutter.
- Tighten the clamps located on the arc and the luggage carrier clamps with “lambs”.
- Check the strength of the structure (just shake it with your hand), tighten it if necessary.
Installation of rails on the car
Roof rails - a design of two rails. Elements are mounted along the body on the sides of the roof.
Installing car rails is easy if you follow the instructions that come with them. On most vehicles, the places under the rails are closed. If there are no holes for attaching power elements, they need to be drilled.
Roof rack
Consider the installation using the Qashqai car as an example:
- With masking tape, you need to protect all surfaces of the roof, where it is possible to touch the parts of the railing, drills (on the sides of the places of future attachment).
- Attach the rails so that 6 cm remain from the edges.
- Mark places for fasteners.
- Drill holes.
- Assemble fasteners from bolts with a bolted rivet, three nuts (included).
- Treat rivets with sealant.
- Insert the bolt into the hole.
- Use a 12 wrench to hold the bottom nut. Hold the bolt with a hex. Tighten the top nut so that the wrench and hexagon do not move.
- Screw the railing on one side.
Repeat the same for the other side and the second railing.
Detailed instructions - on the video:
How to properly secure the cargo on the trunk
Ropes are the most reliable and fast way to secure cargo on the roof. It is necessary to create 2-4 attachment points, which guarantees the safety of transportation.
Algorithm of actions:
- Put the load firmly on the trunk.
- Leaving the free end, tie the rope to the railing.
- Throw the rope over the load, wrap it around the second rail twice.
- To tighten it more, you can make a pulley - a loop is formed at one end of the rope, through which the second end is pulled.
It is not enough to correctly place the roof rack on the roof of the car. For safety, it is important to secure the load securely. But strapping is required only for non-standard items that do not fit in luggage boxes or baskets. Or in those situations when transportation is carried out only on a system of roof rails-crossbars.
