I just put a yakima rack (low riders plus 66" in cross bars) on my wife’s Toyota mini van. I was surprised that there is a fair bit of wind noise no matter how I position the cross bars. Is this normal?
This may
silly but do have the end caps on.
Get the Fairing…
Get one of the fairings they offer (the plastic visor looking thing). It is designed to cut down on the wind noise. It really works.
Matt
Yup, about normal
Try a couple of Windjammers clipped onto the bars. I think they work better than a fairing.
Jim
Varies from car to car
My rack made little noise on my old Tempo, but howled when I put it on a Honda Accord. Much of the noise went away when I attached a bike tray or cradles.
It varies…
depending upon the car…and also what attachments you have on the rack. During the past month I was riding with just the bars…and there was a howling sound. With the kayak attachments (have two types)…the sound almost disappears…though varies depending upon the positioning of the attachments…
Check out different positions…
Bob
Yes it does vary
based upon what attachments you have on. Now, when I just have bare bars I use the Windjammers. When I have J-cradles and/or a Spacecase mounted, the howling disappears.
I like the WJMRS because they are quick to clip on or off, and slide out of the way when needed. I have a nearly new fairing whicj I do not use. Happy to part ways with it - Good homes only.
Jim
How many Windjammers do I need?
Thanks for suggestions. I’m going to try the windjammers. How many do I need with 66" crossbars? (Oh yea, I had the endcaps on, thanks).
Fairing
I had the same problem on our Blazer. I installed the Yakima fairing and it took care of the noise.
Windjammers
I only use two, one for each bar. On my Outback it reduces the noise acceptably.
Jim
Jim,
what are these windjammer things. I’ve been too cheap to buy the fairing after spending all the $ for the rest of the stuff…
rick
I WAS DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION
by the %(%^%$#$^ howling of my Yak rack on the Jeep on a trip back from Tampa to Miami. I was so disturrbed and perturbed by it I pulled into a K-Mart going out of business, and bought a couple of swim noodles and a roll of packing tape and a pack of single-blade razor blades.
I slit the brilliant orange noodles along one side from end to end, slipped them over the round Yak bars, and taped them up again.
I did this in the rain I was so determined to get that infernal howling to cease and esist.
Crossing my fingers, we took off agaon.
Voila!
5 Years later, I’m spending $4 a year for peace of mind because it works, and it’s a great pad upon which to rest the yaks.
Besides, with out big fire-engine red Jeep, and our orange-clad (most of the time, right now, they’re lime green, and they’ve been police car light bar red and blue) bars, we’re occasionally mistaken for a fire chirf;s car, I think, because every once in a while, people will pull over and let us pass for no (other) apparent reason, LOL!
So think about an inexpensive way to sooth the snarling sounds of a Yak rack gone noisily bad, so it makes your yak-hauling system a nice thing to drive around under, even if you’re NOT using it to
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami
Windjammers are
mini-aero winglets that snap around the bar. Yakima sez that you only need one (front) to conquer the howl. Apparently it disrupts the low pressure area that forms behind the round bar cross-section. $15.00 each, overpriced for a plastic moulding, but it works.
Jim