Hi all.
If it’s not too much to ask, I would like everyone who reads this and has a roof rack on the Max, take just a minute and post some info about it. Such as:

Roof Rack Make and Model
Price and Store
Attachments used
What you like or dislike about it
Anything else that you can think of that might help in choosing a roof rack.

I think that this will be much help not just for me, but for anyone else who is looking for a roof rack.
Thank you.

 

What are you looking to carry???

 

No rack yet for the Max, but I've had a Yakima since 1985. Got a new bar when I went from a compact car to a minivan, and *might* go back to the shorter bar for the Max.

I'll have to buy new towers, since the previous cars had rain gutters, but that's it.

You really can't go wrong with a Yakima or Thule. There is at least one other very good roof rack out there, too, but I can't remember the name.

If you're hauling bikes, though, look into getting a receiver hitch, and a rack for the hitch. Less lifting, and maybe less wind resistance.

 

Though both are good, Yakima is better than Thule because it has round bars. This means that the towers can sit at any possible angle on the roof and still have equal pressure. The square bars cause more weight to be applied to different areas of the base, which can deform the roof.

Price for a complete Yakima or Thule kit is $250 plus, not including accessories. It may seem expensive, but it's well worth it. Quality costs money!

 

Don't do it! (see thread)
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=137147

 

I agree don't do a roof rack...get a hitch instead. Much cheaper and you don't have to worry about clearance or scratching your roof.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....threadid=57328

 

dont get me wrong watch out for clearence but the rack looks totally cool imho. i think i emailed you but ill post here for ****s and giggles

Thule Rack w/ 400 aero foot back, recommended load bars, and custom maxima fit kit by thule. Bigger ski/snowboard carrier and 2 (well 1 now) big mouth bike carriers. Also the normal fairing but i recommend ordering one with big thule letters.

Pros: Easy to load, Looks Cool, Very convenient, rack tightens roof and makes car stiffer for a better grip and seems tighter in turns.

COns: rack tightens roof and water leaks sometimes. Hard to clean under fairing, WATCH FOR LOW CLEARENCE!!!!

i believe my rack with everything was ~$700.00 plus the maxima has nudges especially so you know where to install i say get it, i bought it in the big thule store (ski market) in avon, ct they have biggest thule stock in conn. and the only store with custom maxima kit on hand that i called.

 

also gr8bone i think the hitch is cool and your right you dont have to worry about clearence however i do think the roof rack looks alot cooler just my op.

 

yakima is also another one u wanna look at. from what i've heard and experienced.. yakima is easier to work with if you plan to take the rack off alot.. thule is great too.. but is a lil more trouble

 

Thanks.
I was looking for a solution that didn't cost a lot but made it so I didn't have to mount a 2 bike rack to my trunk and really only hold one bike stabily on my trunk.
Then I found out my grand uncle in-law had the trailer and that was just icing on the cake.
I agree that the looks of the roof rack are cool but I would assume that it is harder to take off than a hitch. I didn't want all the extra weight on my car when I'm not towing the trailer or carrying bikes. I'm just curious how long it takes you to take the rack off your car? is it a 2 person job?
thanks in advance

 

Roof Rack Make and Model: Yakima Q tower rack

Price and Store: Bought originally used for a 93 Honda Civic ($150 completely rigged for two bikes). Ultimately, I wanted to use the bikes and the pod on the Maxima and a Taurus. So I bought a couple bars and the new Q towers and clips for each car. The clips on the Maxima fit VERY well and do not touch any part of the car. If you like, I can send you the Q clip instructions/measurements so that you know exactly how it will fit

Attachments used: bicycle trays, vacation pod

What you like or dislike about it: I tried to reuse the old silicon pad when I put the new q clips on for the max (Q 106). The old pads were soft and rubbed off like a soft eraser. I had to wash the car to get it off. Using the new pads was fine.

Anything else that you can think of that might help in choosing a roof rack: you need a fairing to cut noise and wind resistance. You need s stretch kit on the max to take longer things.... canoes and such... as the distance between the bars without the stretch kit is 27". If you are buying solely for bicycles, I think that the hidden hitch/hitch rack is a better idea than a roof rack. When using a roof rack ,you WILL eventully scratch your car.. because you are tired lifting the bike, because you drive under somehting low, because you have something in your pocket putting up the bikes, because a pedal is in the wrong place... etc....etc. There are a million ways to scratch your max, and a heck of a lot fewer with a hitch rack. That said, I already had the rack and I need it to carry gear for our vacation (My scuba gear, camping gear, boogie boards...whatever...).

 

C'mon man. A roof rack makes your carv handle better? How can I be the only one to yank the bs card out on this one?

Seriously.

 

Gr8bone: About 5 minutes to take off and about 15 to put back on. YOu can do it with one person but job is a hella alot easier when your doing it with two people so you can lift it up evenly on both sides without scratching it.

jjames: Obviously not proven and sounds bs-ity but I have heard from other people that when the rack tightens your roof it does something good, obviously i dont know the terminology so i wont argue but it really does seem a lil diff' with the rack on.

 

I can tell you all about bike racks for you since my family owns a bike shop where I've worked since I was little. However, if you're tryingto hold other stuff ignore me. For bikes, roof racks suck becuase they cause sooo much more drag (some racks more than others) and can cause a lot of damage. The best way to go is the Saris Bones which will fit on the trunk of every car(even over spoilers), comes in colors, and most importantly, its fully adjustable!!! Its also the only rack that I have seen that properly secures the entire bike from swinging around. I have used it on three cars personally (99 accord coupe, 97 sebring, 2k2 SE) and with proper use it hasn't caused any damage.

Keep in mind, that any rack that is kept on for an extended period of time can cause paint damage. Which is what happened to my roommate who kept the rack on for 3 weeks and the moister and rain caused minor discoloring (similar to if a car bra is kept on too long).

the Saris Bones comes in 2 and 3 bike version at $110 and $150 respectively. If you dont beleive me check out any bike mag and it will support my claim.

-jc

 

Before my hitch mounted rack I had a trunk mounted rack that carried up to two bikes. I remember putting a second bike on the carrier and seeing the part of the trunk closest to the rear windshield bending up slightly. After that I only carried one bike at a time until I got the hitch. The hitch can take 2 bikes comfortably and 3 bikes ok 4 bikes wasn't recommended by the hitch installer because with the 4th bike that far out it puts a lot of tongue weight on the hitch. I've only had three bikes at most on my hitch rack.

jconway: have you had 3 bikes on your saris bones trunk rack?!
if you have...did your trunk survive the pressure?

 

i have a two bones and i have put a cromoly bmx (40+lbs) and an old cromo mountain (35+) on the three cars that i have listed and i have had 0 problems
-jc

 

Okay, I know it's the dead of summer but I gotta be ready for snowboarding this season. (I'm totally addicted to snowboarding)

What's a good rack that will hold 4 snowboards? What will it cost me? I'm aware of the paint issues but I'm willing to make the trade off if I can get up to the mountain more this year.

 

4 boards: 2 of these http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/prod...t_id=9&sku=575

and your set.

I understand that maybe minor discolorations may happen but really i rather have my roof have spots that can be repainted eventually (and i honestly dont see them after 7 months of having the rack on NON STOP) rather than damaging my bumper and truck from a trunk mounted carrier (NOT HITCH) i think gr8bones hitch idea is prolly safest but i like my thule rack for looks and ease, whatever you tell me my roof rack is easier than anything else. just my .02.

 

glad to hear you haven't had any damage to your roof since you've had your roof rack.
Does your rack require you to remove your front tire or is it the newer one that let you keep your front tire on the bike?

BTW my rack is the Saris B.A.T. rack.
I found the lowest price here:
http://www.lickbike.com/i3829400.htm
and the website for more info:
Here



[QUOTE]Originally posted by AdamK


4 boards: 2 of these http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/prod...t_id=9&sku=575

and your set.

I understand that maybe minor discolorations may happen but really i rather have my roof have spots that can be repainted eventually (and i honestly dont see them after 7 months of having the rack on NON STOP) rather than damaging my bumper and truck from a trunk mounted carrier (NOT HITCH) i think gr8bones hitch idea is prolly safest but i like my thule rack for looks and ease, whatever you tell me my roof rack is easier than anything else. just my .02. [/QUOTE

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gr8bone
glad to hear you haven't had any damage to your roof since you've had your roof rack.
Does your rack require you to remove your front tire or is it the newer one that let you keep your front tire on the bike?

BTW my rack is the Saris B.A.T. rack.
I found the lowest price here:
http://www.lickbike.com/i3829400.htm
and the website for more info:
Here

Quote:

Originally posted by AdamK


4 boards: 2 of these http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/prod...t_id=9&sku=575

and your set.

I understand that maybe minor discolorations may happen but really i rather have my roof have spots that can be repainted eventually (and i honestly dont see them after 7 months of having the rack on NON STOP) rather than damaging my bumper and truck from a trunk mounted carrier (NOT HITCH) i think gr8bones hitch idea is prolly safest but i like my thule rack for looks and ease, whatever you tell me my roof rack is easier than anything else. just my .02. [/QUOTE

the attachment i have is the big mouth which lets the whole bike go one without removing anything, but it's not necessarily newer since they have been making the full ones for a while and still do make the wheel carriers and such. also adding on alot of people on the board which probably may include you are completely **** about mini scratches, if my car was new id probably be one of them however my car came with its share of scratches and junk which i coped with, hard being a 16 year old and driving a scratched max as is you know, so really a monor scratch really makes no diff to me but others may be diff you know, looks good man....btw you were my original idol in the maxima community when i got my max in sept, 01 i emailed you about the head light covers even b4 i knew of maxima.org

 

You bought a used 2k?
Scratches are harder to see on a silver max than dark so our color hides the small ones. But its a maxima...you have to try and keep as good looking as possible period
I do remember the headlight cover email from last year.
I'm touched...I'm idolized

 

recovered theft baby!

 

Cool, I love finding gr8 deals!

 

 

Okay, thanks everyone for the input.

I finally got a roof rack about a month ago and want to put here my review of it for the future reference for anyone who is interested in getting a roof rack for the Max.

I got brand new Mondial SportRack #9 from Ebay for $60 +S&H. (make a search on Ebay for "Mondial roof rack" to see pictures)
It’s a pretty good looking roof rack. Low profile, with no sticking out parts. It is designed so the bars are actually connected to the towers, so all you have to do is put it on the roof and lock it. The sheet that comes with the rack does not have any info for 5th Gen Max, so I’ve called manufacturer and got the correct installation info from them. The correct numbers are 11 and 3/4” for the distance from end of the front door towards the front of the car (where front bar should be located), and 25 and ½” from the front to the rear bar. The legs on the rear bar should be reversed, and hooks M1 should be used. They recommended to install the hooks on the first top curve on the roof, however I would recommend to hook them onto the second curve (the one that has weather protective rubber on it), at least for the rear bar. That’s the way I got it installed.
I’ve used it heavily for two weeks. I’ve driven 4400 miles during that period with the roof rack on the car, mostly carrying four bikes on it. Yes, it actually fits four bikes. I was very surprised. They say the maximum load that you can put on the roof is 165lb including the weight of the roof rack and attachments. In my case, I estimate, it was somewhere around that number.
I drove the car with four people, four bikes on the roof and full trunk. I would say, you can safely do 70mph, maybe 80mph. Sometimes I even got up to 90mph during passing. But the roof rack did slide back a couple inches, and because of that it dented a roof slightly. They actually do not recommend going over 120km/h (~75mph). So, if you stick to 70mph, I doubt that the rack will move. When I was driving with only one bike on the roof, I was doing 75mph for about 400miles and didn’t have any problems with the rack. The rack is pretty stable and flexible – you can actually see the bars flex when you drive over bumpy road.
Once you initially install the rack, it will take you less than a minute to remove it from the car, and about 3 minutes to put it back on by yourself. It comes with locking hooks, so without a key you should not be able to remove it from the car.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this rack for the Max, especially for this kind of price. Feel free to mail me with any questions.

Good luck.

 

as far as spacing goes, the maxima has these little nudges in the metal that tell you where to install the roof rack.

as for speed, well i leave my rack on all the time and well i've hit 110+ with a bike on it and well it was still there I honestly don't even think it budged but well now after the little accident the roof is bent and the rack slides down over night

 

one other thing...can you fit thule or yakima accessories on your mondail?

 

I've got a bike holder from the same place I got the rack, so it fits. And I've used 3 other bike holders from my friend's car. I think one of them was Thule, but I'm not sure.