How To Interior/Exterior :: Installation of OEM roofrack
#52
#53
Bend back the rubber piece where the cutouts are with a plastic knife and you will see that you can push the knife into the slot where the OEM rack will mount.
Another way to see one is to open the club door and pull the door gasket down oat the top and you will see the clip that the OEM rack mounts to.
Or you could go look in my gallery and there are pictures there of how this all goes together.
Another way to see one is to open the club door and pull the door gasket down oat the top and you will see the clip that the OEM rack mounts to.
Or you could go look in my gallery and there are pictures there of how this all goes together.
#54
#56
#57
#58
I can't figure out where/how to take the rubber part off of the roof so I can put in the roof rack. I spent the past 30 minutes measuring/looking, etc.
The only indicator I found was 2 slits that look like they SHOULD have been cut on the rubber near the b pillar on the passenger side 1 3/4 inches up where the rear rack goes.... am I just not looking hard enough? Seems like one solid piece to me on each side...
The only indicator I found was 2 slits that look like they SHOULD have been cut on the rubber near the b pillar on the passenger side 1 3/4 inches up where the rear rack goes.... am I just not looking hard enough? Seems like one solid piece to me on each side...
#59
#60
I only found that on one of the 4 locations, and the slits were only about 1/4 length or so of the rubber - it's like they marked them on that spot but forgot to cut?
#61
Thanks
#62
Cut or rip, it depends
My wife's Clubby 3 of the four ripped easily. The last one required a razor knife to cut it. No big deal.
No they do not go as far as you think, you are only removing a small section to allow the feet of the rack to get into the receiving slot in the roof. You will still need the plastic card to pry the rubber out of the way while you place the rack feet. Once you get the feet in place, the rubber will fall back against the feet.
It will make more sense as you do the job. Ours was tough, I would recommend you loosen the feet from the bar so you have a little more play/slop in all the parts. Ours were too close together and I had to fight them to get them installed.
No they do not go as far as you think, you are only removing a small section to allow the feet of the rack to get into the receiving slot in the roof. You will still need the plastic card to pry the rubber out of the way while you place the rack feet. Once you get the feet in place, the rubber will fall back against the feet.
It will make more sense as you do the job. Ours was tough, I would recommend you loosen the feet from the bar so you have a little more play/slop in all the parts. Ours were too close together and I had to fight them to get them installed.
#63
I am one who paid about $500 to have my racks installed on my new '09 Clubman.
I thought that they were permanent!
I didn't realize that I could have installed them myself.
Anyway, since I have never yet used them, I took them off until I need to use them.
The real reason that I removed them was that during a trip from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, only 2.5 hours, DS2 complained bitterly about the noise and had a splitting headache by the time we arrived home.
I did have leakage over the club door when washing the car.
Rain did not cause any leakage.
I was surprised that after taking the racks off, the leaking stopped.
I had no idea that the racks were causing the problem.
Since the dealer installed the racks, I plan to have them fix the leakage problem when Little Wing goes in for service.
In that sense, I suppose that since the dealer did the installation it may not have been a complete loss after all.
BTW - I am totally deaf in my right ear and never hear any car noise.
Conversation while driving is difficult and passengers complain when I have the sound system loud enough that I can hear it.
So, although everyone has said that the noise level is much improved without the racks, I never could hear it anyway.
I thought that they were permanent!
I didn't realize that I could have installed them myself.
Anyway, since I have never yet used them, I took them off until I need to use them.
The real reason that I removed them was that during a trip from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, only 2.5 hours, DS2 complained bitterly about the noise and had a splitting headache by the time we arrived home.
I did have leakage over the club door when washing the car.
Rain did not cause any leakage.
I was surprised that after taking the racks off, the leaking stopped.
I had no idea that the racks were causing the problem.
Since the dealer installed the racks, I plan to have them fix the leakage problem when Little Wing goes in for service.
In that sense, I suppose that since the dealer did the installation it may not have been a complete loss after all.
BTW - I am totally deaf in my right ear and never hear any car noise.
Conversation while driving is difficult and passengers complain when I have the sound system loud enough that I can hear it.
So, although everyone has said that the noise level is much improved without the racks, I never could hear it anyway.
#64
My wife's Clubby 3 of the four ripped easily. The last one required a razor knife to cut it. No big deal.
No they do not go as far as you think, you are only removing a small section to allow the feet of the rack to get into the receiving slot in the roof. You will still need the plastic card to pry the rubber out of the way while you place the rack feet. Once you get the feet in place, the rubber will fall back against the feet.
It will make more sense as you do the job. Ours was tough, I would recommend you loosen the feet from the bar so you have a little more play/slop in all the parts. Ours were too close together and I had to fight them to get them installed.
No they do not go as far as you think, you are only removing a small section to allow the feet of the rack to get into the receiving slot in the roof. You will still need the plastic card to pry the rubber out of the way while you place the rack feet. Once you get the feet in place, the rubber will fall back against the feet.
It will make more sense as you do the job. Ours was tough, I would recommend you loosen the feet from the bar so you have a little more play/slop in all the parts. Ours were too close together and I had to fight them to get them installed.
Whats YOUR take on the noise these add, out of curiosity?
Thanks again EVERYBODY
Jeff
P.S. To the guy that paid $500 for the install, that sucks - that REALLY sucks, I would not go back to that dealer other than to have them fix any issues that were caused bc of that.
#65
My wife and I find the noise change is so minor it is not even noticed, unless you try to hear it. I wonder if LittleWing had the bars on properly, meaning the front bar has some plastic bits on the bottom that disrupt the airflow and try to eliminate the noise.
As for the club door leaking with the racks, mine did too. Supposedly a huge problem for some of us, and others none at all. I was told when the dealer re-installed them, it took two Mini techs like 8 hours each to get it right and not leaking!
As an Architect, a real one of building design not software ;-), I find the connection design typical of BMW, so well thought out and elegant, but not tried in reality enough to know that it is not the best solution. The best solution in this case would be to do what my E46 has, 4 threaded receivers built into the roof. All you do is flip up a cover, place the foot of the rack and snug a bolt down.
The Mini design with the compression fitting to flare the wings is nifty but really fraught with problems in the installation process.
As for the club door leaking with the racks, mine did too. Supposedly a huge problem for some of us, and others none at all. I was told when the dealer re-installed them, it took two Mini techs like 8 hours each to get it right and not leaking!
As an Architect, a real one of building design not software ;-), I find the connection design typical of BMW, so well thought out and elegant, but not tried in reality enough to know that it is not the best solution. The best solution in this case would be to do what my E46 has, 4 threaded receivers built into the roof. All you do is flip up a cover, place the foot of the rack and snug a bolt down.
The Mini design with the compression fitting to flare the wings is nifty but really fraught with problems in the installation process.
Last edited by pineypl; 02-19-2010 at 12:31 PM. Reason: spelling correction
#66
As an Architect, a real one of building design not software, I find the connection design typical of BMW, so well thought out and elegant, but not tried in reality enough to know that it is not the best solution. The best solution in this case would be to do what my E46 has, 4 threaded receivers built into the roof. All you do is flip up a cover, place the foot of the rack and snug a bolt down.
Very true but once they are set up properly then they should go on and come off fairly easily with out problem.
#67
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#69
Really? In a suit and tie? I may indeed get adventurous one day and try removing them and replacing them after loosening and re-tightening the foot to crossbar bolts. That would allow everything to sit in a more natural position I think. Funny thing is, I asked the wife if she wanted the off, and she said no, thought the Mini looked so much cooler with them on. That and all the checkerboard she has, they must stay on.
#72
also use of the white card that comes with the kit helps a lot as you can get that behind the rubber and pull the rubber out making the slits open up and visible.
#74
It will not come off unless you loosen the brass but that tightens agains the locking arms. I suspect the reference to the brass bolt means the one that goes down through the middle. Some have adjusted it. Mine needed no adjustment, and, once fitted, it should not require further attention. But the large brass nut is the central locking device. No way to remove it without loosening that nut.
As an aside, when the rack was new, I fount it helped to loosen the small allen bolt on the top of the cross bar to allow some additional movement. Don't loosen it much, or the nuts will come off and you'll waste some time putting them back. Once the rack is in place, don't forget to tighten them back up.
I hate the mounting system that BMW has chosen, but it is effective and it does hold things very tightly. I'v carried some strange stuff up there.
As an aside, when the rack was new, I fount it helped to loosen the small allen bolt on the top of the cross bar to allow some additional movement. Don't loosen it much, or the nuts will come off and you'll waste some time putting them back. Once the rack is in place, don't forget to tighten them back up.
I hate the mounting system that BMW has chosen, but it is effective and it does hold things very tightly. I'v carried some strange stuff up there.
#75