eneumeier Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I have been using Thule racks. When I got my Saab 9-5 wagon I got the 450 Crossroad Railing Foot Pack to attach the square bars (I already had) to the factory bars running on the roof. This is the foot pack:http://www.thule.com/en/US/Products/BaseRacks/Feet/450%20Crossroad%20Railing%20Foot%20Pack.aspxOne of the feet has rusted so much I am reluctant to put it back on. Actually, I was never particularly impressed with the design.I need something that will keep my kayak as low in height as possible so I can keep driving into my garage and using the hoist system to store it above my car. Any recommendations? I am seriously thinking of going back to foam blocks.Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I have been using Thule racks. When I got my Saab 9-5 wagon I got the 450 Crossroad Railing Foot Pack to attach the square bars (I already had) to the factory bars running on the roof. This is the foot pack: http://www.thule.com/en/US/Products/BaseRacks/Feet/450%20Crossroad%20Railing%20Foot%20Pack.aspx One of the feet has rusted so much I am reluctant to put it back on. Actually, I was never particularly impressed with the design. I need something that will keep my kayak as low in height as possible so I can keep driving into my garage and using the hoist system to store it above my car. Any recommendations? I am seriously thinking of going back to foam blocks. Liz Assuming that the Thule system that you have basically works (gets your car and boat into your garage ) I don't think theres another system that will get your boat appreciably lower, so it seems your main problem is one rusty foot. Its unlikely that this foot is actually compromised, so Id first try to clean it up: soak in WD40 and give it a going- over with scouring pads etc. If its just too rusty for comfort, exchange on warranty or get another. I'm not sure if you can just get one replacement foot: they usually sell them in fours. But still, since you have all the other bits, probably the cheapest & simplest fix to a system thats gotten you this far. Assuming you mean foam blocks affixed to your square bars, those are probably not much lower than whatever Thule saddles/whatever you already have, so thats not a really better option than your current system . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdkilroy Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Hi Liz,Thule has a pretty generous lifetime warranty to original owners and I think that if you take the foot/feet to a local dealer you will end up with a replacement without charge. It would help if you had the original receipt but I don't think it would be a deal-breaker if you didn't. You'll probably want to go to a place like EMS or like size as they go through so much of this gear that it won't be a big deal.God luck, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eneumeier Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 "Thule has a pretty generous lifetime warranty to original owners"Duh! Why didn't I think of that. I bought it at REI and even have the receipt. Right now the stuck one is soaking in WD-40. It may be salvageable. Thanks for the advice. Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Crouse Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 REI was great when some Thule J cradles rusted on us. The running joke is REI = return equipment indefinitely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingsn Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 REI was great when some Thule J cradles rusted on us. The running joke is REI = return equipment indefinitely. HI Liz, If you want to get you boat a little lower & have an easier time of installing & removing your rack you might want to try Tules track system. You permanently attach the track to your roof. The corresponding feet (don't know the #s off the top of my head)with your existing bars simply snap onto the track. Push a button & they come off. Installing the tracks is not rocket science, but does take some mechanical skill (your drilling holes in your roof). So the only consideration is will this set up be tall enough so that the bottom of the Thule bar will be higher than you Saab bars. I have had this on my Odyssey for years, it is a great system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Risingsun has the track system as do I. My track system is from Yakima on my Odyssey. I purposely bought the new car with a bare roof - no factory rack. That allows for the install of the track system. If your car has a factory rack, I believe this complicates the installation of the track system. If you call Thule or Yakima, you can ask about it.It is a bit scary having someone drill into the roof of your new vehicle but it was well worth it. It is the most secure rack system around. Although they carry the same weight limitations of a non-drilled roof, I have many more connection points to my roof than the four that will come with a foot system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eneumeier Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 I will check out that rack system for my next - smaller - car. My Saab is a 2001 with 110,000 miles so I am not particularly interested in investing in it. As of now, it looks like the WD 40 did the trick. (I had put some on when I took the rack off months ago, but I guess I did not give it enough time to work.) Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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