WIND NOISE FROM ROOF RACK

[1976BRONCO]

I've got the factory roof rack on my Sasq Big Bend 2 door. Damn it's got wind noise at high speed.

Has anyone tried removing the roof rack and listening for a difference??

I would hate to take it off now (it's -6 degrees today) to find that barely made a difference.

I also have a 2 door Badlands coming March 7 build date with NO roof rack. Will know more after that.

Thanks for any info. M

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[BroncocnorB]

Yeah roof rack is bound to make some additional wind noise. Gets even louder with the front panels off. Gotta live with it I guess.

 

[Bronco cat]

Roof rack is going to be noisier because of the vehicle design and rack height. We have the Yakima set up on our Sport and there is a noticeable difference with the cross bars. It’s downright unbearable with the kayak attachment hence we leave it off. Long story short it’s louder than without.

 

[CarreraX]

My 2 door had the roofrack. It was really loud on the highway. I took it off and sold it. It is MUCH better without it. And people will be begging you to buy it. Plus I have a new Bestop trek top to put on it as soon as it gets warm.

 

[604Bronco]

I think wind noise from a roof rack is pretty common. Same as adding a light bar to your roof.

I had one on my Jeep GC Trailhawk and researched the heck out of them, as I was concerned about wind noise too. Found one from Go Rhino that was awesome. Very little wind noise due to the rubber strips on top and design, plus you could slide accessory mounts on. Loved it. Hopefully they come out with one that works for the Bronco.

Note: Picture below doesn’t show the rubber strip in the middle as I hadn’t installed it before I took this picture.

 

[PhilS]

Yep. Same here. The factory rack definitely gets loud at 60 mph+. I would imagine Thule or Yakima would eventually develop a fairing that would quiet the rack a bit. The couple of available after market options I’ve seen don’t appear to be any more aerodynamic than the factory version. Although, they do allow for mid-panel removal while the rack is on.

 

[Raptor911]

There is a cost to everything. If you are unwilling to pay then don't buy it.

 

[talbot]

I pulled the roof rack off mine, it did make an improvement but wasn't what I would call a drastic reduction in wind noise
you will still get a fair bit of wind and road noise due to the inherent design

 

[ChetC]

Move your crossbars towards the back of the vehicle. The further forward they are, the more noise you'll have.

 

[soupcook]

I received my 2D OBX last week and the wind noise above 60mph is loud. I am considering removing it and storing it in my garage and then drive without it to compare. Since I live in Florida, nothing stopping me but energy to do it. And, I just like the look of the rack.

The rack seems way overbuilt for the carrying capacity of a fiberglas top and the mounting supports are huge.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

Remove the crossbars until you need them.

 

[ChetC]

I received my 2D OBX last week and the wind noise above 60mph is loud. I am considering removing it and storing it in my garage and then drive without it to compare. Since I live in Florida, nothing stopping me but energy to do it. And, I just like the look of the rack.

The rack seems way overbuilt for the carrying capacity of a fiberglas top and the mounting supports are huge.

It's designed to support a roof top tent (450 lbs) when not in motion. Moving, it's not recommended to load over 110lbs. The mounting points of the roof rack are actually supported by the roll bar not the roof, so be careful to only load your weight onto the rack itself.

Info on the roof rack can be found starting on page 276 of the Bronco Owner's Manual, which can be downloaded at this link.

 

[webspoke]

Removing the rack helps a little, but its not a big difference like talbot said . The MIC top is still loud. The factory rack rear crossbar is not removable, and the mid bar only has 2 fixed positions - it comes in the rearmost/mid position from the factory on the 2drs.

The truck looks much better with the rack, so I'm just living with it. I've removed it twice to test the theory, its a bit of a pain to remove.

 

[Last Ride Bronco]

Has anyone who has taken off the roof rack noticed an improvement in gas mileage?

 

[soupcook]

It's designed to support a roof top tent (450 lbs) when not in motion. Moving, it's not recommended to load over 110lbs. The mounting points of the roof rack are actually supported by the roll bar not the roof, so be careful to only load your weight onto the rack itself.

Info on the roof rack can be found starting on page 276 of the Bronco Owner's Manual, which can be downloaded at this link.

I agree the weight is ultimately transferred to the pillar, but it sits on the fiberglas channel. I'm not disputing the weight carrying capacity. But the rack itself is thick and very wide at the mounting points...much more so than any aftermarket racks I've see. Don't get me wrong, I love it. But, I recognize that it is far from aerodynamic.

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