Roof Rack Failure- Insurance

spanker_jeep · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:40 pm Post subject: Roof Rack Failure- Insurance

Hi All,

If you're carrying boards or bikes on your roof notify your insurance carrier of such. My racks held but my side rails on my 2014 Jeep failed. Fortunately no one was hurt or killed but I lost a very expensive and highly prized windboard. In my case since I wasn't charged more for extraneous accessories I didn't get more money. They only covered %30 and I was notified my premiums would "shift" and guess which direction. Inspect your rack and straps. Notify your carrier.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I've been amazed how poorly anchored some factory rails are. If I used mine for anything more than carrying my mother-in-law, I'd ask a body shop exactly how mine are anchored. Some anchors look like little more than a pop rivet through light sheet metal.

spanker_jeep · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:20 pm Post subject:

That's exactly what they were. I ground the old ones off and installed steel M6 bolts. From beneath I installed fender washers and steel nuts.

spanker_jeep · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:22 pm Post subject:

Lucky no one was hurt.

LoveSplittingLanes · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 97 Location: Back in CA!

Similar happened to me a few years ago. Yakima bars were clamped on the black part #5 on your diagram. This part is not bolted to the roof, just a clamp/cover... The cover detached itself and my SUP + a Starboard went flying off in my rear view mirror Shocked

... No one got hurt and lucky the entire kit fell on the side of the road with minimal impact to the boards... Lesson learned : ensure your bars are not clamped all the way forward on the factory rails but slightly behind the pretty looking aerodynamic clamp... I won't even comment on the quality of these factory cross bars : cheap!

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

spanker_jeep · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:30 pm Post subject:

I've carried boards on 5 different cars over 27 years. Never had a failure. Subaru and other manufacturers do it right. They use 3 stanchions to support the rail. Not just "fore and aft" but a middle.

I replace these in original position. Rivets can be seen protruding. Stanchion were dangling after the accident.

View from below with the headliner removed. In place original rivet with the hole left by the one that broke free.

Original Rivet before removal. You can see the sheet metal is distorted and with failure likely imminent.

Rivet ground out

After prime and paint

From Below with sealant and fender washers installed. New side rails from Chrysler/Jeep.

spanker_jeep · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:34 pm Post subject:

LoveSplittingLanes · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 97 Location: Back in CA!

2012 Toyota Sienna. The cover on the very front of the black factory rails is just clamped... Not bolted!

I think other cars/ mini vans have similar sleek looking covers designed to be clamped and hiding the screws below... Attaching my Yakima on such covers was not a wise idea... Since added some zip ties and moved the bars behind the cover where it looks solid...

spanker_jeep · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:54 am Post subject:

Yikz, sorry to hear about that. Saw someone hauling a sea kayak and a huge SUP elevated above the fiberglass camper shell. If it looks sketchy, it probably is sketchy.

I'll never follow a car with boards on the racks again. Especially on the freeway!