Subaru Forester racks.....

and you probably even know
how the yakimas are attached

use the OEM for 50 lb. Impex boat

– Last Updated: Jul-11-07 10:05 AM EST –

I have been using Thule kayak glides and cradles on the Subaru OEM crossbars of my 07 Subaru Forester. I actually bought the Yakima rail attachments and 48 inch round crossbars and tried them. Of course they are more solid than the composite non-metal OEM crossbars.

But they are far more noisier (unacceptable noise on highways) and the Thule kayak cradles rotate on the round Yakima bars. I only carry one boat but do worry a bit about the Subaru bars. Thus, I tie down the stern and bow of my boat.

We don’t use the factory rack
We are not using the factory rack ,we use the towers that fit into the tracks that the factory rack sits in. The boats are on the Yakima rack. Besides the straps on the saddles, we tie down with line and use bow tie downs to stabilize the front. I check my boats, and rack when we stop and we keep the sliding inside roof pannel open when we are driving.

I’ll be the first

– Last Updated: Jul-11-07 8:49 PM EST –

to tell you, I no very little about Subarus so I would never claim that subarus have poorly designed racks. My only point was, and it actually sounds like we agree, that people, in general, dont know what holds their factory rack onto the vehicle, yet many claim their racks are strong. Im not talking about subarus specifically.
What isnt archaic about Cheokees?
Theres nothing wrong with drum breaks if you keep them clean and adjusted properly. I pull my drums off everytime I rotate the tires so my drums work fine.
Its poor maintenance that killed drums, not poor performance, although I guess they go hand in hand. Considering that the rears only do about 20% of the braking, I doubt I would see any great gains going from properly adjusted drums to discs in the rear although they would be easier to take care of.

Subaru cross bars
I’ve been using the factory crossbars with a two sets of Thule J cradles on my Forester for years without problem. At the local Paddlefest last year, I asked both the Thule and Yakima factory reps if I was risking any sort of “catastrophic failure” by doing so, and both said no. The Thule rep. told me that Subaru is one of the car companies that does a good job when it comes to factory racks, which was reassuring. That said, I still use bow and stern tie downs on longer trips. Of course, if I wanted a wider spread, I wouldn’t hesitate to pop for a set of aftermarket cross bars.

ok
(sorry about the drum brake crack, that was out of line).



I get your point, and partially agree, except my angle is that most people know little or nothing about all of the safety systems of their car, yet they trust them. Why? Experience? Trust? The fact that subaru states a 150# limit? For me it’s all of these, and the fact that subaru makes available parts for almost any darn carrier - many yakima or thule components - through the dealer network. Moreover, they promote them pretty aggressively.



Also, I may be able to see how a yakima or thule rack works - but I’m not an engineer who can tell anyone else what the structural limits are at the attachment points. So while it “looks” strong, we actually have no idea in either case.