Roof rails, upgrade from OEM

[GixxerJasen]

Been reading a bunch of old threads, didn't find what I was looking for. Any reason to spend money to replace the OEM roof rails I already have with aftermarket, or is it just money wasted getting the same thing? I don't have a lot of experience using them on past vehicles, but have some ideas and want to make sure I start it off right.

 

[BigOleFordFan]

Why do you want to replace the OEM ones ? are they damaged, rusted etc...

Do you have a specific use case that the OEM version won't accommodate, or do you just have an upgrade itch that you feel that some aftermarket ones (if available) will satisfy ?

 

[GixxerJasen]

Nothing wrong with them, but I've never used them either. Often times the OEM stuff isn't up to what we would expect and an aftermarket part is better/stronger/longer lasting, etc. Tires are a great example that come to mind. I'm just wondering, before I start relying on them, should I trust them or should they be replaced? IE, are the OEM ones junk?

 

[BigOleFordFan]

From what I have seen on mine and many others, the factory ones are perfectly fine for normal everyday uses, and should last about as long as the vehicle they are installed on, assuming they aren't abused or used for something other than what they were designed for....

However, if you have a special need that they won't work for, then I don't know of any reason you couldn't replace them with something better

Tires are another story though...

OEM tires nay not be the best looking ones out there, but are generally good for about 35-50k miles from new, depending on your driving, maintenance habits and the condition of the suspension system as a whole. But they are a normal replacement item that incurs significant wear & tear during use, which will affect the ride, handling and safety of you & the vehicle.

So in that regard, there are many reasons to consider aftermarket tires, be it for the above reasons or for mechanical/technical reasons (lifted/lowered suspensions/off-road/mud/sand/snow use) or just sheer appearance changes...

 

[BSarchet]

Not sure your application. But I’ve put thousands of miles on mine with the largest Yakima skybox they make completely loaded up (probably way over the recommended weight TBH) and had zero issues. The only thing I don’t like is with the Fords you only get a few placement locations and you have to move them by undoing hex head screws. All my previous ones were a clamp lock that was easy to move and had almost infinite combos.

But once I got it in place and adjust the box, no issues whatsoever.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Thanks guys, that's what I was looking for. I'm of the mind of being a cheap bastard, but I hate when I'm a cheap bastard and have some kind of failure that could have been prevented by throwing money at it. Roof rails are something that if you chose incorrectly, it can be very inconvenient, or possibly even worse and get someone hurt or killed. Don't really want to make the wrong decision. There's a good deal on some quality aftermarket stuff that's barely used, but sounds like I can save my money and stick with the factory bars I already have. Much appreciated.

I did see in my searching, that there was one report of an early 2018 that had a failure, but sounds like it was an early release one-off issue.

 

[Fizzy]

As you’ll see from my profile photo, we have the largest Yakima box on ours too. That thing has been loaded to the brim and done thousands of KMs though the mountains in -30c and +30c. Never had a problem. Never once thought about replacing them.

 

[chuck s]

Wait! You guys are saying the roof rails actually have a function other than styling and wind noise?

-- Chuck

 

[RacerBX1]

One thing to keep in mind is per the owners manual with a twin panel roof only 125 lbs is allowed on the roof, and 200 lbs without the moonroof, which includes the weight of the carrier.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Wait! You guys are saying the roof rails actually have a function other than styling and wind noise?

-- Chuck

And hampering you in an automatic car wash. I had a chat with the manager of our local one right after they built it. Turns out they were turning off the top rollers if you had a roof rack of any kind. He'd been trained that way at a previous car wash he worked at and carried it on to this one. However, if they turn off the top rollers, your windshield doesn't get cleaned. This explained why at another car wash I always thought it was broken because the top rollers never worked for me.

I told the manager I wouldn't buy the monthly membership if it wasn't fully cleaning my vehicle. The manager inquired with the manufacturer about the top roller roof rack issue and found out that this one won't damage a vehicle with a roof rack, so they enabled it back in my profile and it gets cleaned. I still removed the rails though as I wasn't using them at the time just to make things easy.

 

[Fizzy]

And hampering you in an automatic car wash. I had a chat with the manager of our local one right after they built it. Turns out they were turning off the top rollers if you had a roof rack of any kind. He'd been trained that way at a previous car wash he worked at and carried it on to this one. However, if they turn off the top rollers, your windshield doesn't get cleaned. This explained why at another car wash I always thought it was broken because the top rollers never worked for me.

I told the manager I wouldn't buy the monthly membership if it wasn't fully cleaning my vehicle. The manager inquired with the manufacturer about the top roller roof rack issue and found out that this one won't damage a vehicle with a roof rack, so they enabled it back in my profile and it gets cleaned. I still removed the rails though as I wasn't using them at the time just to make things easy.

Rollers?! You let those gritty sandy things scrape up your/any vehicle?!

 

[Fizzy]

One thing to keep in mind is per the owners manual with a twin panel roof only 125 lbs is allowed on the roof, and 200 lbs without the moonroof, which includes the weight of the carrier.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Rollers?! You let those gritty sandy things scrape up your/any vehicle?!

I laugh at this all the time. When I had my $7K Isuzu Pickup Truck, no way I'd run my baby through a car wash. Hand wash only. Now, with a vehicle that has an MSRP of 10X that, yup, all the time. Too hot in Texas to get out and do it for almost 6 months of the year, so it sits dirty. Plus, I'm so over washing vehicles, it's enough to make sure the dirt bikes are cleaned up after a run through the muddy slop. Now I run the Expedition through at least weekly and it's shiny and clean. Bear in mind though, I don't live in a place where they intentionally throw sand and salt and chemicals all over the road for a good part of the year so maybe our rollers are cleaner.

 

[Fizzy]

I laugh at this all the time. When I had my $7K Isuzu Pickup Truck, no way I'd run my baby through a car wash. Hand wash only. Now, with a vehicle that has an MSRP of 10X that, yup, all the time. Too hot in Texas to get out and do it for almost 6 months of the year, so it sits dirty. Plus, I'm so over washing vehicles, it's enough to make sure the dirt bikes are cleaned up after a run through the muddy slop. Now I run the Expedition through at least weekly and it's shiny and clean. Bear in mind though, I don't live in a place where they intentionally throw sand and salt and chemicals all over the road for a good part of the year so maybe our rollers are cleaner.

Fair enough - it's gravel, sand, and salt on the roads for 6 months of the year here, so there's that. I also don't have time to properly hand wash any more, but I use the self wash services now. But even then, at the self wash I watch guys scrub their muddy trucks/wheels etc with the bodywork brush, and then drive off. Then the next guy in line pulls up, and starts rubbing that sandpaper brush all over their car. It's painful to watch.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Oooh, I always spray off the brush really good at those places.

 

[MrItchy]

Not sure your application. But I’ve put thousands of miles on mine with the largest Yakima skybox they make completely loaded up (probably way over the recommended weight TBH) and had zero issues. The only thing I don’t like is with the Fords you only get a few placement locations and you have to move them by undoing hex head screws. All my previous ones were a clamp lock that was easy to move and had almost infinite combos.

But once I got it in place and adjust the box, no issues whatsoever.

I made a cross-country move last year with an XL Thule box alongside a pair of windsurf boards and masts, all mounted to a pair of 60" Thule Aerobars on 450R towers clamped to the factory rails (I just left the factory crossbars in place beneath them). It handled the weight and wind load just fine. 2016 Expedition EL.