Front Runner Rack Options

[Loadedpocketz]

Rattle is gone.. may come back, but has nothing do with the rack itself.. That thing is good...









As for me... I love my FR and the attachments that go with it. I really like that it is modular as well, being able to swap move things around easily. I called this morning to get the telescoping ladder mounting points. Office said 6-8 weeks, but I'm gonna grab that so I can use a ladder when camping... Being vertically challenged (5'6") I can stand on the sliders and the rear wheel, but when loading up the camping gear into a "Keeper" roof bag, it would be nice to get onto the rack. One recommendation would be to grab the things that you may need down the road to save on shipping (especially since we pay through the arse here in Hawaii). I do like their straps as well with the bungie built in.....



I was all ready to drill my roof and extend my current one for the full length, but then realized that I would only be able to look up through a small 5" or so section between the supports.. A totally useful sunroof outweighed the need for 2' of more storage space especially because our camping trips are like every 2-3 months, and are for a 1-night or a 2-night trip.

I'm 6'4 but that telescoping ladder is still bad ass. Would be great for loading kayaks on the rack.

 

[pauldavis]

[MENTION=130489]pauldavis[/MENTION] - one more question. Any huge issues with wind noise or radio reception now that you've run it for a while? Also, still rust free? Thanks!

Wind Noise is minimal. Ill put it this way. My wife can be picky about stuff like that and she said it wasn't an issue. To me that passes the test. No rust at all and I haven't noticed any reception issues. I mostly listen to AM radio though.

 

[Loadedpocketz]

Put in my FrontRunner rack order. Went with the regular sized 4Runner Rack. I just didn't want to cover any part of my sunroof and the guys at FrontRunner said they haul kayaks on that same size rack on their Taco all the time.

Also included the Large Transit Bag, a few Cub Packs, couple pair of Tie Down Rings, and a pair of Stratchit Straps in my order.

Still came under what a Gobi would cost and I get the rack in five days.

 

[Loadedpocketz]

I didn't order them yet, but I thought these were kind of interesting.

Didn't see a pair of the Side Rails specifically for my size rack, but I'm sure they make them. They also have a complete basket setup. Very interesting.

 

[Loadedpocketz]

So my rack arrived damaged. The powder coating on the rails were chipped and the wind defector was deeply scratched. Both were wrapped. I think the rails were damaged because their packaging sucked.

They said it's a problem they are aware of and they're addressing it with the home office in South Africa. The other is just poor QC at time of shipment.

To their credit, they handled it well. Replacement parts were shipped next day free of charge with a return label for the damaged parts. But still pretty annoying.

 

[Gabex35]

Just got my rack installed. This is with the (6) 40mm feet and (2) 50mm upfront.

And with the smaller xm antenna.

 

[Liquidmantis]

Just got my rack installed. This is with the (6) 40mm feet and (2) 50mm upfront.

No info in your build thread? You got the full length rack then? Can you post more pictures, especially side shots? How was the drilling? Why'd you change racks?

 

[Liquidmantis]

Ha! That was a flurry of questions worthy of a 4 year old. Sorry 'bout that.

 

[The Waco Kid]

Ha! That was a flurry of questions worthy of a 4 year old. Sorry 'bout that.

If you didn't ask, I would.

 

[Gabex35]

No info in your build thread? You got the full length rack then? Can you post more pictures, especially side shots? How was the drilling? Why'd you change racks?

I'm pretty bad about updating my build thread...
I'll try to get some better photos tomorrow and post them here.

As for why I swapped, I want to go to 34"s and wouldn't have fit in my garage with the Gobi. I also liked that the front runner was light enough to take off in between trips for daily driving duties.

 

[Liquidmantis]

I'll try to get some better photos tomorrow and post them here.

That would be much appreciated! How do the two racks compare on wind noise? This is my first vehicle in nearly 20 years without bike racks on the roof and I've been enjoying a much quieter sunroof. I just don't see getting around needing the extra cargo capacity when taking my family of 4 plus dog camping, especially with bike gear.

Since you're uniquely qualified with direct experience with both, which rack is your preferred if garage clearance and easy removal weren't factors?

 

[5ontheFloor]

Like the rack. Pretty sweet

 

[Gabex35]

That would be much appreciated! How do the two racks compare on wind noise? This is my first vehicle in nearly 20 years without bike racks on the roof and I've been enjoying a much quieter sunroof. I just don't see getting around needing the extra cargo capacity when taking my family of 4 plus dog camping, especially with bike gear.

Since you're uniquely qualified with direct experience with both, which rack is your preferred if garage clearance and easy removal weren't factors?

My front runner is much louder and, to be honest, annoying with my 40" e series light bar mounted to the front than the Gobi was. i am slowly ironing out the locations that are making the noise and they all seem to stem from the lightbar.

To be fair, i never ran the gobi without the light bar and had read that it was loud without the light bar or something else breaking up the air flow. The front runner with the light mounted below the front of the rack didn't have as much wind noise, but with the shorter feet, you can't run my light bar underneath. (I'll attach photos to better illustrate the two light bar setups so you can get an idea of what i am talking about)

overall, i don't regret the decision to go with Front Runner. the rack is infinitely better as far as configurability. It's a little pricier with all the accessories but is, lighter, won't rust, and adaptable to any trip or cargo.

hope that helps.

this is with the light bar below the rack leading edge

 

[Gabex35]

Here are some better photos. hopefully they come out well on here, its a bit overcast today.



this is with the light bar mounted to the front of the rack leading edge.

 

[The Waco Kid]

My front runner is much louder and, to be honest, annoying with my 40" e series light bar mounted to the front than the Gobi was. i am slowly ironing out the locations that are making the noise and they all seem to stem from the lightbar.

To be fair, i never ran the gobi without the light bar and had read that it was loud without the light bar or something else breaking up the air flow. The front runner with the light mounted below the front of the rack didn't have as much wind noise, but with the shorter feet, you can't run my light bar underneath. (I'll attach photos to better illustrate the two light bar setups so you can get an idea of what i am talking about)

overall, i don't regret the decision to go with Front Runner. the rack is infinitely better as far as configurability. It's a little pricier with all the accessories but is, lighter, won't rust, and adaptable to any trip or cargo.

hope that helps.

this is with the light bar below the rack leading edge

How did drilling your roof go? Or did you even need to with the track system you used?

Also, which track length did you go with?

Sorry we're all bombarding you with questions! You have a bit of a unicorn on your roof.

 

[Gabex35]

How did drilling your roof go? Or did you even need to with the track system you used?

Also, which track length did you go with?

Sorry we're all bombarding you with questions! You have a bit of a unicorn on your roof.

I did choose to drill through the roof upfront. Its a little nerve wracking but doable if you plan it out and take your time.

The owner of Equipt told me that he didn't drill through he front of vehicle to mount his K-9 rack and just positioned the feet to apply pressure to the front of the rack to keep it down. While it obviously worked for him, it didn't make too much sense to me with all the wind going through the front, it would create a lot of leverage and just looked plain jury-rigged to me.

i don't plan on mounting more than a few wolf pack boxes and Maxtrax to the front so i am not too worried about the load on front of the rack. I can't vouch for how much that front mounting point can hold in terms of weight. I mount my RTT between the two rear OEM mount points.

here is the breakdown of what i used to mount my rack.

Front Runner Universal Track - 2200mm TRAC004 (qty)1
Slimline II Tray - 1255mm(W) x 2368mm(L) RRSTD12 (qty)1
Front Runner Foot Set - 70mm FASS005 (qty)1
Front Runner Foot Set - 60mm FASS003 (qty)3
Front Runner Between Slat Foot Adapter RRAC021 (qty)1

 

[The Waco Kid]

I did choose to drill through the roof upfront. Its a little nerve wracking but doable if you plan it out and take your time.

The owner of Equipt told me that he didn't drill through he front of vehicle to mount his K-9 rack and just positioned the feet to apply pressure to the front of the rack to keep it down. While it obviously worked for him, it didn't make too much sense to me with all the wind going through the front, it would create a lot of leverage and just looked plain jury-rigged to me.

i don't plan on mounting more than a few wolf pack boxes and Maxtrax to the front so i am not too worried about the load on front of the rack. I can't vouch for how much that front mounting point can hold in terms of weight. I mount my RTT between the two rear OEM mount points.

here is the breakdown of what i used to mount my rack.

Front Runner Universal Track - 2200mm TRAC004 (qty)1
Slimline II Tray - 1255mm(W) x 2368mm(L) RRSTD12 (qty)1
Front Runner Foot Set - 70mm FASS005 (qty)1
Front Runner Foot Set - 60mm FASS003 (qty)3
Front Runner Between Slat Foot Adapter RRAC021 (qty)1

This is even more info than I expected! Thanks!

 

[Guamsta]

Maybe ordering this rack soon. Anyone who has the frontrunner rack recommend who to order from, i may be getting the 3/4 option which goes a little over the sunroof. I know it is not listed on the website so maybe just have to call Frontrunner direclty and place order? Also how long did it take for it to be delivered? any deals for t4r members they give y'all?

 

[Liquidmantis]

My front runner is much louder and, to be honest, annoying with my 40" e series light bar mounted to the front than the Gobi was. i am slowly ironing out the locations that are making the noise and they all seem to stem from the lightbar.

Thanks for all the info and pics! Did you happen to test the Front Runner before mounting the light bar? I'm wondering if it was better before. I've done a lot of searching and results seem mixed, which leads me to believe a lot of it is probably sensitivity. I'm wondering if I should just stick with the short FR that doesn't overlap the moonroof at all.

 

[Gabex35]

Thanks for all the info and pics! Did you happen to test the Front Runner before mounting the light bar? I'm wondering if it was better before. I've done a lot of searching and results seem mixed, which leads me to believe a lot of it is probably sensitivity. I'm wondering if I should just stick with the short FR that doesn't overlap the moonroof at all.

The front Runner is not bad without the light bar mounted. It IS still louder than the Gobi but the Gobi also uses a rather large airdam.

the noise without the lightbar is just a heavy wind noise which is expected with anything above the vehicle profile, I wouldn't let it affect your decision if all your other requirements are met.