Hooke Road Roof Rack - installed pics

[Taco2Bronco]

I just bought and installed the Hooke Road (rear only) roof rack. I gotta say, it’s pretty solid. I haven’t packed it up with all my gear but given how sturdy it is, I don’t anticipate any problems.

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[Taco2Bronco]

Update: So I’ve noticed some pretty significant noise coming from the top. It’s like a weird hum or vibration…something a kin to when you have just the back window down and you get that pressure sensation in the cabin. I haven’t had a chance to troubleshoot yet but wanted to update the thread while I do. Anyone else have this issue and how did you solve it?

 

[Taco2Bronco]

So I can’t figure it out!! From 45-55mph, I get the vibration/hum and it’s really annoying. The only solution is staying out of that speed range or taking off the front roof panels. This actually a workable solution right now when it’s nice out but can’t imagine I can keep this up long term. Has anyone experienced this with any other roof rack?

 

[vzqhsg]

I'm backing away from a roof rack. If I remember correctly you can only put 100 lbs up there.

 

[rblock50]

Oh man! I was just going to post the exact same thing this week. I installed the very same rack and while it looks and feels solid, I get a weird sonic reverberation above my head at about 42-54 MPH like you stated. I thought it was just me, and I was going to take it off just to prove to myself that I’m not imagining it.

I like the way it looks and it was a great price, but I’m going to return it if doesn’t go away somehow. I’m not sure if it’s the wind hitting the back cross member or the front, but something is definitely off with its aerodynamic properties.

 

[Taco2Bronco]

Oh man! I was just going to post the exact same thing this week. I installed the very same rack and while it looks and feels solid, I get a weird sonic reverberation above my head at about 42-54 MPH like you stated. I thought it was just me, and I was going to take it off just to prove to myself that I’m not imagining it.

I like the way it looks and it was a great price, but I’m going to return it if doesn’t go away somehow. I’m not sure if it’s the wind hitting the back cross member or the front, but something is definitely off with its aerodynamic properties.

So have you contacted Hooke Road about this? Before I going down the process of a return, I would like to see if I can figure out a way to defeat it. So if the hum goes away with the front panels off, I wonder if there is a way to deflect the wind before it gets to the rack? Also, what about if we remove the wind deflector piece in the front?
Any ideas?

 

[rblock50]

So have you contacted Hooke Road about this? Before I going down the process of a return, I would like to see if I can figure out a way to defeat it. So if the hum goes away with the front panels off, I wonder if there is a way to deflect the wind before it gets to the rack? Also, what about if we remove the wind deflector piece in the front?
Any ideas?

I emailed them today to see what the issue could be and if they have had other reports of it - it can't just be you and I. I will see if I can try to remove the front panels to see what impact that has, but I hope it doesn't degrade the stability of it. I really like the look and usability of this rack vs. the full racks, so I hope we can figure this out!

 

[rblock50]

Here’s their response…

1. It may be the noise caused by wind resistance.
2. The installation is loose. We recommend you to check whether the screws are loose, add gaskets, etc. Or you could try to add a rubber strip to the front baffle. Could you please kindly try it and tell me if it will work?

I know all of my bolts were screwed in by an impact driver so I’m sure they’re tight. What do you think means about a rubber strip?

 

[Taco2Bronco]

I will totally own that I’m being somewhat difficult here but I don’t think I should have to alter a finished commercial product to make it work.
That said, I think Hooke Road’s advice is kind of like what we were thinking - do something to the front to alter the airflow. Their recommendation to add a rubber strip would probably work. This is something like the Yakima WindShield fairing. I wonder how we could attach it?

 

[rblock50]

Oh yeah I get it, same here, it should just work, but as we’ve seen with these Broncos there’s lots of “mods” that unfortunately we have to make “work”.

I get using a fairing for the front the help deflect the air up and over the rack. But what does she mean by a strip of rubber? I’ll ask for some clarification on it.

I also bought their cargo shelf, but haven’t attached it yet. I hope it’s good enough quality and don’t need to rig that up too.

 

[Grumpy]

It is probably the tail wind being trapped at the very back cross panel. I bet if you took the back cross panel off and drove at speed again the reverberation would be gone.

 

[rblock50]

@Taco2Bronco

OK, I removed the bar crossbar, the one the said “Hooker” on it, lol. I can’t for sure tell if it is gone or if I am just used to it. Have you been able to try yours and confirm how it sounds. I think it’s reduced, but not totally gone. I’d be interested to see how you felt about it to back me up either way.

Oh, also I got some further clarification on the rubber that they wanted us to install. It is additional padding on the feet that come in contact with the MIC. I haven’t tried that yet, not sure if it would help as it feels like it’s shaking the entire top vs vibrating against the top.

 

[Taco2Bronco]

Hey man. Thanks for helping me through the process. I sent an email to Hooke initiating a return. I put my cargo box up there and it looked weird and unsafe…as far back as it was. The only thing that I think would work is a cargo bag and that doesn’t suit my needs. My only hope now is that the return process is smooth.
Good luck!

 

[Taco2Bronco]

Oh one more thing. After all the threads I have read, I still don’t fully understand why the stock one isn’t offered on my 2.7 Badlands. So unless I read something that makes sense to me, I’m going with the stock one. Thoughts?

 

[rblock50]

Ah yeah, so when you ordered your badlands, and you have all of the fixins (HT, 2.7, Bash Plates, HD Bumper, MT, etc) it goes over Ford's limitation on the weight. There are all kinds of threads on it, but basically they are covering their butts in case they have an issue with safety. But you can always order it from the dealer (just tell them you have an OB or Base model, it doesn't matter as they all attach the same), or order any of the other similar racks that are on Amazon. I saw some from Mabett that looked just like the OEM ones for about $400. I just liked this Hooke option because it was a half-rack and made taking the top off easier vs. having to take the whole thing apart. I saw another company that had a half-rack, but I think it was $800! But some of the full racks do allow you to take the front and middle roof sections off without issue, but that is only 2/3 of the rack and in my opinion looks very odd.

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