Wind Noise from Newly Installed Roof Racks
#11
I just came across this thread about roof rack noise. My husband just got a new 2010 CX-7 and he experienced the noise. It was very upsetting for he liked the way the car looked with the racks. He tried putting vasoline on the rear rack and on the fittings and he drove around at a good speed and the sound was gone. The vasoline gels and when it rained it still stayed on, so no more noise.....
As for SUV's not having as much wind noise with the same setup, a lot of them were designed with roof racks in mind and thus have thicker sound deadening on the roof.
I agree with the fairing solution, it will divert and smooth the airflow and thus reduce the wind noise.
#13
Here's a trick that's sort of like the vaseline (cheap and easy) that a guy at REI told me about. Take a thin utility cord/rope. Tie it to one end of the front crossbar and wrap it repeatedly around the crossbar to the other end of the front crossbar (spaced about an inch or so per loop) where you tie it tight. Can disrupt the airflow enough to break the noise - basically got rid of all of the noise from my rack. I used a 10 foot cord which cost $1.60. Doesn't look as cool as a fairing (esp. if you're stuck with the purple cord which was all they had at REI when I bought it), but much cheaper and no one will steal it from your car. And you don't have to move the bars so that you can't use them.
#15
Nope, didn't try that one
But, we may take off the silly purple utility cord to try to vasoline at some point soon. Thx for the tip.
#16
I ended up taking my 3-bike Yakima rack off and buying a pickup to haul my bikes. The noise from the rack wasn't all that bad but I could never use my sunroof because of all the turbulence. The hit I took on MPG was what got me. I hung the rack over where I park so that when I want to mount it again it will be easy. I do not have permanent rails on my car, rather, I have towers that clamp tot he door frames.
#17
Solution found to roof rack noise!
Hi, I know nothing about roof racks, except that when I had a set of Rhino Sports Racks fitted on my new 2010 Mazda 3 Hatch a few weeks ago I had to return them due to an extremely loud, low grumbling noise and strong wind drag. In desperation I Googled 'Mazda 3 noisy roof racks' and found this old thread. I read the entry recommending Pro Rack Whispbars and thought I'd give them a try. Sceptical, I phoned Pro Rack's office in NZ and requested a written guarantee that I could get a full refund if they too were noisy (which I got). I also made them promise it wasn't their marketing people in this forum talking them up (!!). I was honestly expecting only a little difference, if anything, but I had the Whispbars fitted today, and.... they are silent!! I've driven around at different speeds, into and away from the wind, and I am so happy with them!! (I can't believe I'm excited over roof racks, I'm not even a car person!). Anyway, just thought I'd share as I know how annoying I found the noise from my original racks. Cheers
#18
I have a mazda5 with roof rack. The roof rack came with some cheap plastic pieces that can fit onto the roof rack bars. These cheap plastic pieces should be set all on the first bar and with the small little tail lip pointing up and to the rear of the car. This will fix the whistling noise completely.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post