Once you have all four of the slots cut, first pic shows both on the driver's side, you need to get the bars ready to install. This involved loosening the clamp nut, whitch will draw the mounting clamp together.

 

Then you need to check orientation, here I had issue as the little pictograph pretty clearly points to the front and rear on the passenger's side, but those stickers really corrisponded to the driver's side. Right bars, front and rear, just backwards left to right.

Then just set the bars on the roof, they will rest on the little rubber bands and should sit gently in place.

 

Wow - Thanks for the pictures. That's REALLY helpful.

I also emailed Otto's MINI of West Chester for a quote & they said $295 installed, which is much more reasonable. So I went back to my MA & asked about the difference (wondering if it was actually that different in price or if he made a typo) and he hasn't gotten back to me yet. For $60, I'd definitely consider it. For $300, I'd take my chances on doing it myself.

 

From here you need to feed the latch tongues into the body of the car, which is just a bit scary as it sure seems to take enough force to poke them in that it feels like you're scraping and denting the roof. Relax, push gently and firmly, wiggle a bit as necessary, they really do just poke in and sit in place. You will need to re-engage the tongues to their brass tightening nut, though, but it's pretty self explanitory.

Once they are all in place, put just a couple turns on the jam nut to make sure everything stays put, then attach the tools for tightening to each tower in turn to make sure it's in tight and torqued to spec. (Torqued to spec is until the arrows line up on the included torque driver.)

 

Once the jam nuts are tightened, they should look like this, then all you do is flip the covers down, lock them in place, and admire your work. It's hard to tell, but as everything is tightened up the little rubber bands are actually drawn up off the roof, so the only place it actually touches the car is where the tongues go though the body and latch in.

 

Oops - Didn't mean to interrupt the lesson. Regardless, thanks for all of the pictures.

 

I was going to do up a how-to anyway, easy enough to just do it this way. I figured since my own parts department still thought that holes had to be drilled in the roof that some actual install photos would come in handy.

Glad to help.

 

As posted, it is not that difficult to install, BUT, it is a pain in the ****!!!! And it is DEFINITLY NOT something you can easily install and remove on an as needed basis. I bought one, installed it once, and after cursing at it cause it's kinda tricky, I finally got it on. Then removed it, and will probably sell it, cause it is too difficult to just pop on and off when needed. I only wanted it on once in a while....

oldopelguy,
Did you have problems pushign down the "wire thingy tool", that is supposed to push the clamp together while you tighten down the nut? That thing kept coming off when I was pushing down on it hard enough to get the clamp together and under the nut, it would come off and fly. Almost scratched the car a few times....

There HAS to be an easier way to design this thing?

Is there any other roof racks for the mini yet? Yakima make one?

 

I actually didn't even use the little tool for tightening the clamps. The trick for me was to wiggle each of the "tongues" into the slots on the car, then while I was holding them in place with one hand tighten a couple turns on the tightening nut to keep it all in place. Once they were tightened down a little bit they stayed in place just fine.

After I got all four sets slipped into their slots I went around the car a couple times tightening everything up. I went basicly hand snug with the tool, not even deflecting it, to get all four nuts all the way down and then went back and actually torqued everything. I just used the palm of my hand to apply firm pressure to them, then torqued to spec.

My tool however, the one for tightening the clamps, is pretty tough to get slipped in under the support bow it hooks to to pry against. I don't see if flying off easily at all. Perhaps they made a bit of a change between yours and mine with regards to the tool.

 

Oldopelguy,
Thanks for posting this excellent tutorial. Very informative and inspiring. My dealer wants $160 to install the roof rack. I didn't think that was sooo bad, but now I think I might try myself.

 

I decided my MINI looks cool with the rack on all the time. So I have left it in place. Heck, I don't even have any of the kits for it yet. It is totally not worth it to have a dealer do the install, it's just easy enough.

Anyone in the DC area... if you want help installing the R56 roof rack, come down to Old Town, Alexandria, I'll help and you'll buy me dinner at Overwood, a nice restaurant around the corner from my house. I can even get a deal at MINI of Sterling on the rack and accessories for DCMetro MINI Members.

 

Hey, well that rack system is cool!

LOL~ i just finished installing a thule rack system. I was under the impression that the mini system drilled into the roof. Never saw the new design. Also, the thule rack system was 20% off.

Personally i kinda like the clamp on idea that the thule rack offers. It clamps onto the gutters from the bottom...instead of fitting into holes in the roof. Are those holes painted? Id be worried about the rack violating the paints protection of the metal....or maybe im justifying my purchase ;-)

Nick

 

Bent,
There is no problem with the "holes" not being painted, or the rack scratching the roof as since the bottom of the rack is very heavy coated with rubber, and just sits on the roof nicely. BUT, the rack just sucks in my opinion. It is very difficult to put on and take off (by difficult, I mean time consuming and a pain in the ****, not technically difficult).

What does Thule's rack for the Mini look like? Any pics? I have always used Yakima racks because I like there attachments the best, especially their surf rack. They are al REALLY quick and easy to install and remove... BUt, Yak hasn't made a rack for the MINI yet.

 

Oh, PS- I'll be selling my band new MINI rack, along with the Surfboard attachment. If anyone is interested, PM or email me. Otherwise I'll just plop it on ebay...

 

hmm.... im kind of confused as to what can actually mount to the MINI factory rack. Its also unclear as to how practical this rack is for someone that only wants the roof rack on sometimes.

Im looking to get a yakima HighRoller bike rack but im not clear on whether or not Yakima or Thule racks can even mount to the MINI base. Can anyone chime in?

 

You can mount pretty much any of the Yakima bike racks (the Highroller, King Cobra, Raptor, and Sidewinder for sure) using the Yakima Universal Mighty Mounts (part #8003590, @$45) onto the factory rack.

You can also mount virtually any Yakima or Thule accessory to the factory rack using the Thule Ride on Adaptor (SKU 532, $43)

Those are both pretty universal solutions, and both work well. Since the factory roof rack is basicly a Thule Aero, though, you can also mount most of the Thule accessories using the Thule Xadapt1 bolt and mounting kit, which is @$8. Looking over the parts that come with that kit, I'm pretty sure they could be used to mount most of the Yakima stuff too, if you can figure out pieces/parts yourself and don't need to follow directions all the time.

There's also a lot of accessories available from the dealership, and not just the Mini dealership. The same basic Thule Aero roof rack is used on almost every European import, from BMW and Saab to VW and Volvo, so there's a lot of used "factory" stuff out there too. The Jetta Trek's are one notable example, but there's a lot out there.

There's also a couple, well, let's call them less expensive, options:
http://www.prolineracks.com/64720-roof-bike-racks.html
http://www.prolineracks.com/64710-ro...bike-rack.html
http://www.racksforall.com/index.asp...TS&Category=88
And several others you can pick up at strange and wierd places that'll work as well. I picked up a Reese 2 bike roof rack set-up new in the box st a surplus store a couple years back that fits perfectly. It's a bit crude, and heavy (and whenever was it that Reese made any roof products anyway?) but it would probably work just fine.

Big thing for me is the load capacity. The factory roof rack fits solidly into the slots in the car and is rated for 150# or so. The Thule one and the previous generation's Yakima racks are rated at 70#. I also grabbed the rain channel on my car a couple times and it gave way too much for me to feel comfortable with more than a Huffy up there clinging to it.

The extra 10 minutes it might take to mount or dismount vs. using either the Yakima or Thule racks I already had is to me more than made up by how solidly it mounts and the fact that it won't scratch my paint. Your mileage will vary. I really don't think it's that hard to get on and off, I have to wonder if maybe Birdman's is messed up somehow?

 

I am so glad I found this thread guys - thanks. I am waiting to pick up my Mini in a couple of weeks and my MA told me $700 installed for the rack. I don't think I'll be going that route; DIY it is!

 

wow, thanks for that super insightful post... now i just have to order my MINI! haha

 

Birdman, here ya go. Let me know if you want some daylight, better pics....All i can take right now...

Ill take some pics with the bicycle racks installed tomorrow, had to wait for the adapters for the peleton fork clamp-type rack.

I also purchased the "wheel-on" so i dont have to find a place for the wheels in the car. ive always found that to be a pain.

Finally, I plan on building a cargo basket for the top that fits between the two bike racks. I want a narrower one (and one that isnt 400 bucks!). Some streamlined steel tubing will make it slick!

Let me know if you want more pics,

Nick

 

Wait....

does the Mini Rack lock at all? Or can somone with the right wrench take the rack off?

THanks!

nk

 

The Mini rack has covers that lock in place over all the hardware. Where you're supposed to put the key, though...?

 

So there is a key? Secret compartment for me!

nK

 

Does anyone have any pic of their Mini with only the roof rack cover caps on (the kit comes with 4 cover caps to seal the hole that was exposed)? I plan on taking the rack on and off and would like to know how well the cover caps look and seal.

 

Here ya go.... I would NOT recommend this rack if you will install and remove it. It is not very easy to install and remove on a regular basis.

 

I ordered the rack for my 07 MCS. I had the dealer install with a bike rack attached. More after I get it. I'm pretty jazzed though. Cramming my touring bike into my Cooper is getting old.