I've been patiently waiting for MINI to release their roof rack for the F56. Now that they have, I find myself hesitant about how the base system attaches.
Anyone gotten one or planning to get one?


Thanks!

 

I can't say anything about the OEM rack, but I have the Yakima Q-Towers, and they work great:

http://imgur.com/a/fpzHX

 

Thanks for the tip and photos! Are they easy to put on and remove?

 

Initial setup is annoying, but yes.

I said bah and raise you a roof box instead



My only complaint is that the rubber feet move about after the 6,000 miles I went with my racks resulting in fine little scratches where they sat.

 

I have the OEM rack for my wife's Countryman and will get an F56 or F55 with the roof rails and get the OEM rack. Real happy with it, much better than the q-towers I had on my R56.

 

When I ordered my F56 there wasn't a roof rail option, otherwise I would have gotten them pre-installed. I only just started looking to get some put on, I was to waiting to see how the ones from MINI looked before making any real decisions.

What is it that you like about the OEM ones?

 

Good to know! Thanks. These are exactly the sort of things I wonder. I plan on taking it down when I'm not using it. Scratches could bug me a lot.

 

I had scratches on my 07 R56 after removing my q-towers. Plus, put on or take off of the rack base bars takes less than 5 minutes. I also think it looks cleaner, but that may just be me.

 

Do scratches occur only if you leave the rack on for extended periods of time? I plan on just using the rack for a 2 day camping trip but don't want any scratches.

Also, don't the q towers have rubber feet on the bottom? Or are you guys talking about where the q clips connect to the car.

 

Even though there are rubber feet, slight shifting of the rack can occur while driving, especially with a load on the rack. To prevent scratches on a previous car, I installed small patches of 3M clear bra film where the "feet" rest on the roof and this did a great job of protecting the roof.

 

On a previous vehicle, the rubber feet left a gummy residue but I don't remember scratches. I wonder whether Yakima themselves would have any suggestions regarding potential scratches or the clear bra film.

 

What about having the dealer install the roof rails?
Pull down the headliner, drill a few holes?
Bolt it up
Re-install headliner.
I would have had them as OEM as well, but they weren't offered.

 

MINI Dealerships should have the ability to retrofit the roof rails, but it is ridiculously expensive...

Prices may vary depending on your area, but I would budget for around $1,000.00.


-SewellParts

 

And that would probably cover just the labor here in my area of the world, sadly!

 

I put some clear bra on myself the other day. Got it for $10 on ebay. But I think they sold me the wrong stuff... it says 3M Graphic Film on the back, and is not really glossy- has a wavy semi-gloss look. Plus plenty of bubbles from my DIY job. I cut it around 3 x 9 inches, and rounded the corners. I'm probably going to take it to a shop to do a good job at some point soon. I also put some under the rubber molding where the arm grabs, but I don't have any confidence that it's gonna stay in place. Or actually goes deep enough to the part that the arm grabs. I ALSO coated the metal arms in plasti-dip, but I think that's gonna come off after a few mount/unmounts.

 

I asked about adding roof rails to one of the 2014s on the lot but was quoted $1000. So ended up ordering a 2015 with the rails.

 

I think we got our cars about the same time.



The part I found on MINI's website said they can be installed without tools. Which lead me to believe they don't need bolts, while I know some epoxies are really good I just have a slight hesitation with it. Perhaps it was also just the wording they used on their website.

 

The factory roof rails are indeed bolted on. Retrofit does require removing the headliner and drilling into the roof panel. I looked through the website and did not see any offering of accessory roof rails on MINIusa.com. The older style roof base rack system (that was for the R5x models) does not appear to fit the F56 and there is no new accessory part available at this time.

 

RealOEM does not show bolts, but rather 8 base mounts and 8 alignment elements, whatever that might be.
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...20&hg=51&fg=20

 

The roof bars have threaded studs which pass through the roof, the nuts are installed from inside the vehicle. Special tools are required.

If anyone would like a copy of the installation instructions, send an email to mini@sewellparts.com.

The instructions estimate a minimum of 4-6 hours to complete the installation.

-SewellParts.com

 

Labor estimate to install these OEM roof rails from my dealership was quoted at $1,405.00 - estimating 5-6 hours total.

 

Thanks, it looked like there should be some bolts involved in that. Sounds like this job should be about as much fun as changing the rear shock mounts in my Z3 M Coupe.

Sewell, thanks for the help, do you happen to be able to search for F55 content yet, are they the same rails?

 

The F55 will have a similar rail system, but they are different part numbers. 51137331935 and 51137331936.

The base support system (cross bars) are also a different part number on the F55 - 82712327919


-Thanks!

 

For those wondering, this is the part number according to miniusa.com is: 82712327916
The description reads: The Base Support System can be mounted without the use of any tools and meets strict MINI saftey requirements. Usable width approximately 35.5". Maximum roof load 165 lbs.

Since their selection of accessories for the F56 has been so small, every so often I pop over to their website select my car and browse. This is how I found the above mentioned base rails.

 

That is the part number for the crossbars that attach to the roof rails. This part requires no special tools. It comes with the little wrench to secure the crossbars to the rails and the coded key to lock it into place so no one steals it. You would then purchase accessories (bike holder, ski holder, kayak carrier, roof box) to slide into the crossbars.
You cannot use this part WITHOUT the roof rails already in place