[carlodonz]

Finally made my first LFD purchase, crossbars set with fairing. If anyone has some installation tip please let me know! It should be quite straightforward from what I can tell.

[krhayes79]

Originally Posted by carlodonz

Finally made my first LFD purchase, crossbars set with fairing. If anyone has some installation tip please let me know! It should be quite straightforward from what I can tell.

Just put a blanket down to rest the crossbars on when installing each side so you dont scratch or ding the paint on your roof. Other than that, it is super simple.

If you have OEM cross bars, here is a vid to help remove them cause they are kind of a pain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYDTwXjSzUA&t=276s

[TRD PANTHER]

Originally Posted by krhayes79

Just put a blanket down to rest the crossbars on when installing each side so you dont scratch or ding the paint on your roof. Other than that, it is super simple.

If you have OEM cross bars, here is a vid to help remove them cause they are kind of a pain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYDTwXjSzUA&t=276s

Do you think it is worth upgrading to the wide bars? It would save on buying the plate to mount RotoPax’s and if I ever went with a RTT the loading would be better. Do you think there are any other pros or cons to the wider bars besides weight? TIA

[krhayes79]

Originally Posted by TRD PANTHER

Do you think it is worth upgrading to the wide bars? It would save on buying the plate to mount RotoPax’s and if I ever went with a RTT the loading would be better. Do you think there are any other pros or cons to the wider bars besides weight? TIA

Looking at the mounting plate and it seems there are multiple options to mount the plate to the crossbars. It does seem to work with 2 bolts so I would say you wouldnt need the wide crossbars but I would imagine it would help be a bit more stable if you did the wide crossbar.

Only other benefit i see is the ability to have more mounting options at different lengths. I have had to move my bars quite a bit to make sure I can mount longer items (traction boards & plano case). The measurements have to be perfect for them to fit so the wider crossbars could help with more than one item but slightly different lengths.

Hope that helps!

[vdog2000002]

Originally Posted by TRD PANTHER

Do you think it is worth upgrading to the wide bars? It would save on buying the plate to mount RotoPax’s and if I ever went with a RTT the loading would be better. Do you think there are any other pros or cons to the wider bars besides weight? TIA

I got two of the 2" bars and two of the 4" bars. I set them 12 3/4" apart. They are 15% off for the black Friday sale.

[vdog2000002]

Originally Posted by carlodonz

Finally made my first LFD purchase, crossbars set with fairing. If anyone has some installation tip please let me know! It should be quite straightforward from what I can tell.

If you got the fairing that is sold separate from the bars (not the new bar with the integrated fairing) then DON'T try to mount the fairing to the bar before you install it on the truck. If you mount the fairing first you won't be able to install the front mounting nut and bolt. The fairing blocks access to the front of the bar. This means that you will need to remove the fairing each time you move the bar, so put it whare you want it to stay (I put mine all the way forward). If you need to adjust the bars for your cargo needs move only the rear bar. I also put double sided tape on the fairing mounting tabs to prevent direct contact of the two powder coated surfaces (bar and fairing). Use a utility knife to cut a + in the tape to push the bolt through.

[TRD PANTHER]

Originally Posted by krhayes79

Looking at the mounting plate and it seems there are multiple options to mount the plate to the crossbars. It does seem to work with 2 bolts so I would say you wouldnt need the wide crossbars but I would imagine it would help be a bit more stable if you did the wide crossbar.

Only other benefit i see is the ability to have more mounting options at different lengths. I have had to move my bars quite a bit to make sure I can mount longer items (traction boards & plano case). The measurements have to be perfect for them to fit so the wider crossbars could help with more than one item but slightly different lengths.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by vdog2000002

I got two of the 2" bars and two of the 4" bars. I set them 12 3/4" apart. They are 15% off for the black Friday sale.

Well, I decided to buy four wide bars and the fairing. $399.96 including shipping to California. I decided to go this route as the mounting plates were $45 each for the Rotopax or other accessories and I would have bought two, which would have cost me close to $100 extra.
Also, I like the extra footprint, mounting locations and load carrying capacity, and for $100 more than the standard bar bundle I felt it was worth it. Thanks

[Deuxdiesel]

Originally Posted by carlodonz

Finally made my first LFD purchase, crossbars set with fairing. If anyone has some installation tip please let me know! It should be quite straightforward from what I can tell.

A set of metric L-shaped Allen wrenches with a ball end will speed it up a bit. You only need one of them (4mm?). A long flat blade screwdriver is sometimes helpful to keep the t-nut from turning as you tighten them down.

[Charlievee]

Anyone getting a resonance or slight "rattle " with the wide crossbars? I'm running two. Getting a vibration/resonance coming form some place and its driving me crazy. Normally above 30mph and not exactly constant. Goes away when i open the sunroof, but will come back while driving slow and hitting road seams "old concrete roads". Getting ready to pull interior panels and roof rack.

[vdog2000002]

Originally Posted by Charlievee

Anyone getting a resonance or slight "rattle " with the wide crossbars? I'm running two. Getting a vibration/resonance coming form some place and its driving me crazy. Normally above 30mph and not exactly constant. Goes away when i open the sunroof, but will come back while driving slow and hitting road seams "old concrete roads". Getting ready to pull interior panels and roof rack.

Did you get a fairing? The fairing is supposed to help with the wind buffering / vibration when the rack is unloaded. I installed the fairing when I installed the bars and never had any noise or vibrations. I would check your hardware to make sure that everything is still tight.

[Charlievee]

Originally Posted by vdog2000002

Did you get a fairing? The fairing is supposed to help with the wind buffering / vibration when the rack is unloaded. I installed the fairing when I installed the bars and never had any noise or vibrations. I would check your hardware to make sure that everything is still tight.

No. Faring was in redesign at the time. All the hardware has been checked and dbl checked. Guess my next step is to remove them to make sure they are the issue.

[salsanacho]

Originally Posted by TRD PANTHER

Well, I decided to buy four wide bars and the fairing. $399.96 including shipping to California. I decided to go this route as the mounting plates were $45 each for the Rotopax or other accessories and I would have bought two, which would have cost me close to $100 extra.
Also, I like the extra footprint, mounting locations and load carrying capacity, and for $100 more than the standard bar bundle I felt it was worth it. Thanks

I ended up doing a mix of bars... bought the integrated fairing crossbar, 2 wide ones, and 1 regular one. the 15% off pretty much just paid for shipping.

[TRD PANTHER]

Originally Posted by Charlievee

No. Faring was in redesign at the time. All the hardware has been checked and dbl checked. Guess my next step is to remove them to make sure they are the issue.

From every member running the LFD crossbars the fairing was the key to omit wind noise and turbulence. Also, the aluminum bars, as members and LFD have stated, seem to make more noise unloaded than steel.

[vdog2000002]

Originally Posted by Charlievee

No. Faring was in redesign at the time. All the hardware has been checked and dbl checked. Guess my next step is to remove them to make sure they are the issue.

From reading on the LFD website the fairing is mostly needed on the aluminum crossbars. I got the stainless steel 2" bars and the fairing to make sure that it would not make any unusual sounds. Maby the fairing will help.

[vdog2000002]

Originally Posted by carlodonz

Finally made my first LFD purchase, crossbars set with fairing. If anyone has some installation tip please let me know! It should be quite straightforward from what I can tell.

I forgot to mention one of the most versatile tools in my tool box. I call it the "stickum". It is a 8" piece if garden irrigation tube with duct tape wound a few times normally then flipped and wound with the sticky side outward. This will help you install the fairing. The "stickum" will hold the nut while you thread the bolt. When you try to install the nut and bolts in the center of the fairing it is difficult to hold the nut stable. Put the nut on the "stickum" and a put it under the bar aligned with the hole. Then thread your bolt from the top. It is so easy with the "stickum". I hope that this helps.