Crossbars...height issues?

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dlcorbett

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For anyone with the OEM or aftermarket crossbars on their truck, have you run into any entry issues, whether it be a parking garage or home garage, etc? I want to put some on our lincoln navigator, but theres a lot of garages(including my own) and i worry they would contact the ceiling of a pg. Also, are they good at holding extra cargo? My wife wants to put 2 8ft long kayaks on them. Any info would be nice.
 

sjwhiteley

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I’ve had 17 ft kayaks on mine (just a couple of trips a couple of years ago). Not been in a parking garage with the crossbars, and have them off, currently, so can’t say how much height they add (maybe around 2”?). Doesn’t take much to put the bars on and off; a decent step stool helps.

I believe there was someone, here, recently that had a picture with a cargo box on top.
 

Gumby

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I have the OEM bars. I use a THULE Boxter ski box and in most places with just the bars there are height issues. Forget having the box on top and trying to access a garage. That being said there are a very select few garages (usually at ski resorts) that you can access with bars and cargo box attached. Big White near Kelowna is one of them lol.
 

duneslider

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I have a big cargo box I use on mine. I don't go places that have low clearance though so I can't say. I can even get in my garage with the box on so its a non-issue for me.
 

5280tunage

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Absolutely have issue with the height, at least in the downtown denver area, there are very few garages that have enough height. Essentially anything under 7' is a no go for me. I always knew these things were long and wide, but never really thought about the height. I have literally about 1.5-2" of clearance in my own garage. Its one of the things I miss about not having air suspension on these. My old Jeep had a cargo rack on top and I would lower the thing to the floor going in and out of parking garages.
 

ColoradoJon

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I have factory cross bars installed all of the time. They are about 2 in from my door opener arm. I would get a lift but afraid that would compromise my ability to get in and out of the garage. I am like 5280, don't do anything less than 7ft... The other day we were at the Cherry Creek mall garage and my wife literally ducked when we went in cause she was afraid it would hit. My garage is 7ft doors and it fits barely. I do think if I took the bars off I could do a lift but I am not sure I want to remove and them all the time. I had a hole drilled for my rear to be further back so my Thule box would ride without bouncing so much (older one with out many adjustments) and I don't want to stress that hole very much taking it on and off. The mounting bars seem to be hollow or something on the inside, my friend used a tool that was like a rivet gun to place the threaded hole in the bar. He worked for a rack company for a long time and said it was the standard way they modified them. I wish the shocks would adjust and lower the ride sometimes, I don't think it does switching between ride modes.
 

Meeker

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I have the stock bars installed, and I use 6' 4" as my safe height. So far I've found 2 places that I can't fit in - there's a hotel in Edmonton with underground parking and a 6' height limit, and Chinook Mall here in Calgary has a "passthrough passage" between areas of their underground parking that is 6' 2" or something like that. Annoying that they ever built stuff that low but maybe people were just a lot shorter back then?
 

CDNRabbit

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Factory crossbars only. Garages around like to use off brand tape measures. Had a few close calls at the top/bot of ramps around lights and sprinkler heads in garages marked between 6'2" and 6'4. The panoramic roof came in handy a few times Now I try and stick to 6'6".
 
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dlcorbett

dlcorbett

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So it looks like general consensus is stay away from anything under 6'6".
 
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