Question on Thule hullaports...

(J cradles).

I would like to hear from anyone that has installed them on Yakama bars and are you confident in them.

I don’t use front or rear tie downs, and never will since with the set up I have used for the past ten years they are unnecessary.

If any one has had them in use with Yakama bars for a couple of years I would like to hear your comments, (both good and bad).

I had to disregard the instructions and the use of some of the hardware even though they stated they were for yakama bars as well as Thule.



Thanks in advance,

JackL

what kinds of problems are you having?..
It’s a pretty straightforward piece of equipment (each cradle consisists of a cradle, two bolts, a securing plate for the bottomside of your rack bar, and two knobs). They give you two sets of bolts in different lengths, but aside from the non-necessary size of bolt, I’m not sure there’s anything there that CAN be disregarded without causing a world of hurt…:wink:



My experience on Yakima bars, as on factory bars (which they also fit) is that you have to tighten the two knobs on each cradle in equal parts (in other words, tighten one a bit, then the other, and back the first, etc). The fit is tight enough on round bars that once a boat is up there and strapped in, there shouldn’t be any play or movement back and forth around the bars. Until a boat is on top, you might notice a little play around the bar, but that’s true with any number of Yakima accessories too.

crap
i thought they were crap. i posted on this a while back- it’s in the archives. poorly designed, weak bolt set up, rotated all over the yakima bars, cheap foam, rusted very quickly. have malone j cradles now- they are a hundred times better.



af

I would not put anything up on your rack
if you are not using front and rear straps. That is a very unsafe thing to do and just asking for trouble for yourself and trouble for someone else that is not asking for it. USE STRAPS!!! Please not for you seeing you could care less but for the other drivers and their passengers that are not asking for anything but a safe trip!!!

I am not having any problems,
I just wanted to hear from folks that have been using them for a few years to find out if they have had any problems with them.



There are four 1/2 inch spacers that I was supposed to use with each cradle, and if I used them the bolts would have never been able to tighten up enough to keep the cradles from sliding

on the bars.

Also there is a rubber washer which is supposed to act like a lock washer on the top of the bolt, and as soon as you tighten the bolt, it tears the rubber to bits which makes it useless.



With that happening, I just wondered how secure everything will be going down the interstate at 70 MPH.



Cheers,

JackL

Thanks for your wonderful advice…
I also don’t wear my PFD lots of times.

Please feel free to add your two cents on that also.



My advice to you is don’t get too close to the back of either my truck or car, then you won’t have to worry about any of my boats hitting you.



Cheers,

JackL

Okay here is your advise. I have used

– Last Updated: May-30-05 9:12 PM EST –

them for 2 years and never had a problem with them. OF COURSE I ALSO USE BOW AND STEARN STRAPS.So I can't offer the info you want seeing I do it correctly and don't take chances. Yes even for short trips like the 1/4 mile to the lake!!

front and rear tie downs
Do yot mean bow and stearn lines? Do you strap the kayak to the cradles? I have Thule hullaports on yakiama bars and I have not had any problems. I do use the spacers and replaced the rubber washers with nylon washers. They rotate some but it seems to rotate to the shape of the side of the kayak. I run the straps thru the hullaports an wrap around the cross bar. In my set up I have a yakaima drydock in my hitch receiver and a roof rack on the cab of my pickup, its 9 feet between the bars so I am closer to the ends of the kayaks than most. The rotation on the bar works as an advantage because it rotates a little and the kayak just kind of settles in. I always use bow and stern lines when I am going to go at highway speeds. I have done 800 miles with speeds of 80 mph with no problems.

Steve

Thanks Steve,
That is the answer that I was hoping for.



JackL