I just joined here, a few days ago. Thought I'ld be a contributor.I'm not a fan of the roof rails supplied on my 17. While they may work for others but not for me. I carry 19'-21' racing kayaks and surf ski's. The stock setup is IMHO not safe for my use. There is not enough distance between the cross bars. With this set up I am installing I'll have 58" between the bars, much safer in crosswinds. And the width with stock is , well , frankly a joke for my use.
anyway here are my mock up pics. I'll need to very slightly remove some material from the rails for them to fit nicely. and do something about that ,in the way shark fin,
Thanks to others here that showed how to drop the headliner, was helpful,
I plan to take my time and post as I go along
Super clean! Nice work. Regarding the fifth photo with the track rising above the roof... is that something that you're just going to have to bend down to fit the contour of the roof? Very intrigued with this as I am not a fan of the stock crossbars either.
If this is 100% about function and not about form (you just mentioned you weren't a fan of them... didn't say why... assuming it's about function after reading your post), why not go with something like a receiver mounted crossbar setup? You wouldn't have to get rid of the existing rails, it's removable and the span will better support the longer loads you say you need to carry.
In the pics, The rails are just set in place so I can think thru mounting options.The tracks/rails easily bend down into the roof groove.The rails resist side to side movement. Which is ok as the area that requires them to bend sideways is located about 1/2 way between forward doors and windscreen. The small grooves in the bottom of the track do actually fit over the small raised part of the roof (like a pinch weld?) See pic 1.
The receiver mount is not an option, I need to open the aft hatch.and With the spread of the crossbars I will be safe in crosswinds. My 2002 Forester with aftermarket cross bars had a spread of 59" which was plenty good.I will be adding a hitch, actually scheduled to be delivered today, That's for pulling the pop-up camper.
Also the width of the factory bars was not suitable for my use. Many times I carry 3 boats, river running shuttles mostly.
I've found that Toyota Tacoma rubber roof trim fits the roof groove nicely, thats what will be used for transition from windscreen to tracks.
Using the Yakima landing pads I am able to remove both cross bars within 45 seconds, yup 45 seconds.
So, I'm not bad mouthing the stock rails, but really? Subaru markets these cars for active lifestyle people, I guess they got the picture with the new touring rails, but even those do not provide the spread I desire between cross bars.
Thanks for your interest, more pics this weekend.
there is no problem removing the nuts that hold down the stock racks. all are easy to get to. Others here indicate there is a clearance issue for one nut , an airbag in the way, I did not encounter that issue.
maybe I should post a few pics of the removed items. and I will post more pics this weekend as I move along.
( notice I did not bite on the nuts dropping down)
I didn't get much done today... managed to drill 1/16" shims and tracks and prebend both tracks. The weight of the upgraded system is within ounces of the stock setup. Major difference is the weight of the crossbars- The part that holds the weight.
So here are a few images, I've included some of the stock stuff just so folks can see how chintzy their construction. So, how do you feel about carrying a $4000 kevlar, boat, kayak or a Cervelo or two on the stock set up now?
I understand your concern, but I have spent my life racing bicycles and have used every type of rack brand, style, roof, trunk, hitch, etc. and can tell you this -your gear is basically being held down by an 1/8" screw or a plastic strap (as the Yakima tower holds your current cross bar) at some point. I have not used my (wifes16 ob) BUT I can attest to the durability of the OEM roof rack from literally dozens of bikers who ride multiple times per week and most weekends travel hundreds of miles with pro level bicycles blowing in the wind. KNockety nock. BTW, great job doing this, its very interesting to see another "RACK HEAD" !!!
Its looking great. Very interested in following in your footsteps on this project, so THANK YOU very much for sharing. The tracks look like Rhino Rack product. Could you please fill us in on more details (track identification name/number, source, length, price, etc.)? Really looking forward to seeing the finished product and expect that it'll be very sleek looking! Thanks again, - Codger
Yes, Rhino Rack track. RTS514 for Mercedes Sprinter. Weird thing is if you go to Rinos web site the track profile is not what I have...go figure.I purchased the tracks from Rack n Road in sacramento for $180 pair. They charge $800 labor to install, just upped price from $600 recently.They were quite nice to me when I indicated I would install them myself.actually gave me a few feet of the Tacoma rubber to trim out the transition from windscreen to track.
I'll have things bolted down tomorrow, will post more pics and info.
BTW- Thule and Yakima crossbars and towers work with these tracks. I've been a Thule guy for a very long time. Just switched to Yakima for the ease of removing the cross bars. I gotta sell my Thule stuff now, have 3 sets, lol
Just noticed we're in the same neck of the hood. The same builder built our place as the ones around you. Small city, small world. The rails look slick. We are fortunate to have a Rack n Road local. I noticed the first attachment point for stock rails looks to be long way from the windshield. No wonder there have been so many noise/warping issues. Great pics btw.
OBnube---How do you know who built my house? Is there some location device here on this forum of which I am not aware?
Also-- I see you work for the FAA-- Their motto..... We're not happy till you're not happy.
Or are you just a crusty old guy, in which case we should have a cup o joe sometime...lol
Nah. Sorry for coming off a bit creepy. Late night posting always looks good. I'm just a crusty old guy who has lived in the same house my wife and I watched being built in 1979. H. C. Elliott was the builder. They're one of the better tract home builders. They had 4 or 5 developments going at the time. I'm retired electrician and can spot one a mile away. Hey, I'm a wealth of useless information.
Heres some pics about headliner drop. most are self explanatory . I circled in red some of the fasteners,clips etc. The things that were most confusing to remove were the inner visor holders. I would note that there is a thread on JDM rails that has some good pics also.
Getting close. This is what it looks like. I just have the rubber trim to install on each side of the tracks. Also plan to cut down the shark fin and reinstall it after a visit to Tap Plastics.See what kinda magic glue they stock and pick up 2 side sticky tape for trim.
Track length is 66" so distance between bars is more than I hoped for at the start.
I drilled 2 holes on each side as added insurance, I now have thru bolts on each side of the Yakima landing pads, close to the pads.I did drill thru one of the inner roof trusses, I'm here to say, that is some tough stuff!!
If you like whats going on give me 5 stars rating, lol
Water penetration, have you not heard we are in a drought here in Northern Calif.? lol
There is a 1/16" X 1" X 66" styrene plastic shim sandwiched between rail and body. Visible in the end view pic, locktite goop at all points of entry.
Maybe the cycling crowd likes the stock bars, but I know of at least 10 other Subie/Kayak/Surf Ski triathletes who despise the stock racks. Mostly for the following reasons- lack of distance between the crossbars -important in a crosswind with 20 foot long boats, lack of width of crossbars - I need to carry 3 boats, and how much of a PITA it is to tie down boats to the stock setup.
Cycles do no where near have the aerodynamic drag that a "boat" presents to 65 mph speeds. I've not run the Reynolds # on either as it's just plain obvious.lol
I'll put my trust in the Yakima setup over the stockers, While I've heard of instances of both systems losing boats at freeway speed I have yet to see any caused by separation of the bars and the towers on the Yak system. A lot of traveling problems are created in crosswind situations and lack of bow and stern tie downs.
So, Litemike, thats my story and I'm sticking to it. Also the pro level cycles are so "aero" now they probably improve the stability of the ride!!I wish my Kayak were more aero,lol Thanks for your kind words on the install!!
So we have very different requirements, No doubt for many the stock setup functions for their needs. The first time I had just one boat strapped to the stock bars, tiedowns at pointy ends the boat was hobby horsing around like I'm thinking"No way "
Put the stock bars into their holes, look at the weak link-that plastic nub that loosely snaps into the rail hole, I'll stick with the 1/8" bolt.grab ahold of the center of the crossbars and exert minimal downward pressure,notice the flex.
I also like the fact that I can carry 4X8 sheet goods on the roof now, easily.And K-2's and tandem Surf Ski's.
In closing I will say -this set up works for me. It was well worth the $$ and time to install.
Now on to the antenna modification, and my first oil change.
Today I cruised to the local dealer to check out trim for front of rails. I ordered the trim from a 17 Legacy,I'll only use the first 18" or so, also ordered the much smaller shark fin from the new Legacy also. The smaller antenna was on a car that had the same 7" star link as my Outback.Parts guy said we could look at antenna to be sure it will fit in front of my rear cross bars. Showed him a pic of my setup, got a "Nice" from him.
Then stopped by the plastic place and found out that the material the antenna housing is made of can be glued to itself, So, I have a backup plan. More pics in a few days..
Thanks for your continued interest.
Nice progress on the front trim & also on the shark fin! If the smaller Legacy shark fin doesn't work, perhaps a shortened flat-top fin could be modified.
I'm curious how difficult it was to bend the tracks side-to-side on the front end...and whether you managed that by hand or some more involved method? Enjoying watching your progress. Thanks for the updates!
Track bending was no big deal. I just slid the rails thru the spring shackle mounts on my flatbed trailer. I did get a few "tooling" marks on the rails, was able to file most of it out.Really miss my old shop. But seeing as I'm retired, I really do not miss working. haha
Here is the antenna situation and the front area that needs trimmed out, probably tomorrow after the parts arrive.
strange how some of my pics start out in the correct orientation, but when I post them they get rotated?
Wow, You're getting a solid 14 inches of added crossbar spread to the back and maybe 4-5" in the front. That's close to a 60" spread. Don't know what the long spread on the big black rails are but the Touring only gets about 42" max. What a difference. Good stuff.
You're really getting there! I ordered my rails yesterday so it will be great to see how your front trim comes together as my parts are headed this direction. Couple of questions if you don't mind...
1. Looks like you had to grind down one edge of the rail bottom to fit in the gutter. Any words of wisdom on doing that?
2. Do you think it might be possible to run the RTS-514 rails longer i.e. from just behind the existing front trim strip in your second pic to all-the-way-back in the rear? Not for functional use in the front, just for eliminating two additional sections of trim (per rail) to deal with... Maybe the access to additional bolt holes or added bolt holes toward the windshield isn't do-able?
3. Where did you source your styrene strips? Custom-cut locally or online source?
Thanks again for posting your updates & pics, and insights too!
distance from center to center of cross rails is 61 inches.
I used a aluminum file to dress out the rails, they are aluminum.
The rearmost about 2" of the gutter has a triangular like raise to it, which would require removing more track material than I wanted to deal with, Also I needed a "place" to slide the Yakima landing pads into the tracks. I have one small piece of Rhino trim to install aft of the track.
The front treatment/trim really gave me a fair amount of think time. I tossed over a few solutions.I'll know my final choice when the Legacy trim shows up tomorrow.The track really does not want to bend much side to side. I think you would have your hands full dealing with that process.I did drill one hole 1/2" from the front of the track, thru the track and the roof. You must do this in order to pull the track into the groove.There is plenty of room inside the roof.
I got the styrene cut to length at Tap plastics for $3.08 out the door.
A few more pics.
The carbon/kevlar kayak is 19'6", The wooden tandem behind it is 22 feet exactly.
61" bar spread is fantastic...and it looks great in your pics. With your long boats, every inch should help! Appreciate your tips and insight on the install. Good luck on figuring out your front trim options.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Subaru Outback Forums
1.9M posts
188.3K members
Since 2003
Welcome to the Subaru Outback Owners Forum, we have tons of information about your Subaru Outback, from a Subaru Outback Wiki to customer reviews.