Does adding a roof rack always add considerable wind noise?

[2021nightshade4x4]

If anyone has specific stories for their own purchases, I’d love to hear them. You could consider my previous thread praising the 5th gen’s sound insulation a primer question for this one.

I think a rack would really complete the aesthetic I’m going for, but I don’t want my highway time to constantly sound like I’ve got a window open.


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[Something_Awesome]

If I wanted a rack, this is what I would go for:

Ruggedized Crossbar Bundle - 5th Gen 4Runner – LFD Off Road

The front bar should eliminate or great mitigate noise/drag. Also, I believe the most popular branded offroad tracks and fuels packs mount on this bars natively. And this would be a very easy install to boot. You use the OR side rails.

You can probably find videos on youtube. The other thing is that the low profile allows you to fit in just about any parking garage.

Only thing I recommend, when doing something like this, I'd absolutely PPF the roof. Should not be expensive. This is because washing the roof would be a pain in the ass.

 

[rhadam]

Racks seem to vary in just how much noise they create, I would imagine it is completely due to the design of the front fairing. I have an UpTop Bravo rack with a lightbar in the front fairing. Overall the rack added noise, which is frustrating. There's not much wind noise, more so it's rattling over bumps.

 

[T4R_Canuck]

I've got a Prinsu rack on a 2014 with sunroof. With an empty rack, I didn't notice much of a difference with wind noise. once I put a 14" RTT, that's in the shape of a brick on it, I heard quite a bit more wind buffeting at highway speeds. I currently just have an awning, traction boards and a rifle case mounted on top and hardly hear anything, especially with the sun shade closed on the sunroof.

 

[nglayton]

If anyone has specific stories for their own purchases, I’d love to hear them. You could consider my previous thread praising the 5th gen’s sound insulation a primer question for this one.

I think a rack would really complete the aesthetic I’m going for, but I don’t want my highway time to constantly sound like I’ve got a window open.

There is a knob on the dash. It controls the volume of the radio.......
The higher numbers = less wind noise.

But honestly, I hear more road/tire noise and engine noise than wind noise.

 

[mbm112]

The rack itself added a negligible amount of noise. It’s less of a specific added wind noise, but rather just more white noise in the cabin noise like when you’re riding in a plane.


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[honda250xtitan]

agreed, its not really noticeable until you throw crap on it.

pro tip: spare cv axles and shocks in a pelican case mounted to the rack make A TON of noise rolling around lolol

 

[T4R_Canuck]

agreed, its not really noticeable until you throw crap on it.

pro tip: spare cv axles and shocks in a pelican case mounted to the rack make A TON of noise rolling around lolol

Haha, yup that would be noisy. One Pro Tip to another: Pick and pull foam in that pelican case will make those CV axles and shocks a whole lot less noisy.

 

[fkheath]

If anyone has specific stories for their own purchases, I’d love to hear them. You could consider my previous thread praising the 5th gen’s sound insulation a primer question for this one.

I think a rack would really complete the aesthetic I’m going for, but I don’t want my highway time to constantly sound like I’ve got a window open.


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I started out with the stock OEM SR5 rack with cross bars, carrying a Yakima Skybox. Then swapped that out for the TRD Pro rack. Had little wind noise from either of them. As others have said, more road noise than wind noise in the 4Runner. I had no rattling noise from either of them; just have to keep the mounting knobs tight.

The OEM racks, whether the SR5 or the TRD have aerodynamic cross bars which should translate to less noise.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

There is a knob on the dash. It controls the volume of the radio.......
The higher numbers = less wind noise.

But honestly, I hear more road/tire noise and engine noise than wind noise.

Oh I am familiar. I had to get familiar with the upper limits of the sound systems in my first two cars (1995 Grand Cherokee and 1999 Durango)

My first “tight” cabin wasn’t until my third, when I swapped up from the 1999 Durango for a 2004.

I could never go back LOL


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[honda250xtitan]

Haha, yup that would be noisy. One Pro Tip to another: Pick and pull foam in that pelican case will make those CV axles and shocks a whole lot less noisy.

haha yea true. i used the foam it came with to fit certain shapes of freedom emitting tools. some guys also say beach balls work, inflate to fill the open spaces.

 

[T4R_Canuck]

haha yea true. i used the foam it came with to fit certain shapes of freedom emitting tools. some guys also say beach balls work, inflate to fill the open spaces.

Haha yea your priorities are straight with your use of the foam. I picked up a spare new set of foam, so I can convert the case from holding whats its intended to hold to my recovery gear, shackles, etc.

Partially inflated beach balls....hmm.. not thats not a bad idea either.

 

[Humble Leader]

while I don't have an aftermarket rack, I do have crossbars with two pelican cases up there all the time. the shape of the crossbars ultimately will determine whether you have noise. square or round crossbars with nothing on them (especially ones with cutouts for gear) will make noise. it's called the aeolian noise effect. a wind faring will drastically reduce this but won't eliminate it. you could also use a couple eye-bolts in the empty bars as well to disrupt the airflow. obviously other factors such as tires and radio volume and your own sensitivity to noise will play a part as well

if you load gear on a flat crossbar and there's a space between the gear and the bar you might have noise as well. generally though if you have gear on your crossbars the noise will be less because you disrupt the airflow over the bars. this is to some degree because putting something like a RTT up there is just so big it catches air. if you have low profile boxes, or boards etc. you probably will reduce noise

I would highly advise against running empty square bars with no faring. I run two thule 60" bars and they make zero noise. with two pelican cases up there I still get zero noise. maybe because the cases have ribs on the top which helps disrupt the airflow over the top. my pelicans are filled with stuff I'd rather not carry around in the trunk (fire extinguisher, compressor, hose lines, cables, shovel, med pack, etc. etc.). Like others have said I got rid of the two bottom layers of foam, used some grippy rubber workbench liner and kept the top foam. keeps things from moving around

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Definitely depends on the rack, I don't notice any wind noise with my Baja Rack at highway speeds

 

[bigdaddy2021]

I'll post up new info soon.

Currently have ruggedized LFD crossbars and a thule box. No noticable noise.

going to a frontrunner slimline 2 rack to carry our new RTT. I'm assuming we'll take a MPG and noise-level hit, based on previous experience with a RTT on a different vehicle.

 

[CajunMikeR]

I just installed my RCI roof rack this morning, then went to run errands this afternoon. There was no noticeable increase in noise on those short jaunts (nothing over 60mph), but when running windows down and sunroof open I did notice less wind noise from the sunroof area.

ETA:
Now that I've added the light bar, I've got increased wind noise, but not horrible. We've had high winds lately and the rack itself doesn't produce much extra noise, the majority comes from the light bar (which I could probably get a little quieter by adjusting the first rail, which the light attacks to). We'll see what the mpg hit is soon enough, I've got a trip to shoot a match in E Louisiana tomorrow.