Front Runner Roof Rack on OEM Rails

[timchilcott]

@jeffdude how realistic is it to leave slats out where the sunroofs are so you can still use them?

 

[Jerbo]

Jerbo - 80.25" If you have the short rails you would not have to get new rail covers.
Tim - 77.75"

both measurements while the LR4 was at "normal" ride height.

Thank you, I have the long Rails. Right now just thinking of going with a Yakima Megawarrior. Which sucks because I love the FrontRunner.

Please note I did call them. They were very helpful, however indicated that they do not have a plan to integrate to the OEM rails because it would require them to De-Rate the load capacity and go against the company marketing slogan.

 

[navigare]

I’ve got the same problem, @Jerbo - long OEM rails plus OEM ladder. And, like @timchilcott , I’d like to be able to use my sunroof (I only have the front one, the other two are just glass panels in Europe). There seems to be NO rack on this planet, though, that allows for all three.

To the best of my knowledge, Front Runner’s DOES allow to move slats to permit exit via sunroof. However, it requires its own FR ladder AND short, rather than long, OEM rails.

Pro Speed have multiple on/off floor sections but also require the long rails to be removed, AND you can have no floors above the sunroof if you still want to use it.

Then there is a company called Patriot, whose rack is OK with the OEM ladder and they can (at a bonus) insert a hatch into it. BUT, even they want me to remove my long rails…

So, it seems like the LR4 world is still waiting for an all-encompassing solution. Anybody know better, lemme know!

 

[navigare]

One more thing - has anybody actually checked what the OEM long rails look like when you take off the plastic cover panels? Rack manufacturers routinely say they can only go with short rails (or in some cases none) because they need the fitting points in the front. But I’m guessing (I’m away from my car now, can’t check) that since the plastic covers are fairly tall (3-4 cm), the metal part or the rail below them must be quite close to the actual roof and perhaps contains some mounting or other to which things could be attached… Which, if true, would solve a lot of problems.

 

[Ben Myton]

I just finished my full length FR install and can add some feedback for you navigare.

First, you could use as many or as few slats as you want keeping in mind that the rack is secured to the roof (or rails) by those slats. There would be no issue removing slat #2 and 3 so you could climb out of the top. If you took all of the slats out I suspect the perimeter would become less rigid, but probably not by much.

Second, the OEM ladder doesn't work because the default slimline positioning is too close to the back. If you're going to be using the factory rails in some manner, just mount the whole thing further forward and the ladder won't be a problem.

Third, the huge advantage to FR is that the M8 bolt slots are structurally stable, the middle two roof points attach directly to the standard slats. This means that you could fabricate almost any device to connect the rack to the roof system. FR makes a "grab-on" system for factory rails (LINK) that you could use as a model, or you could buy some factory cross bars from eBay and use the feet to use as a starting point for your own system. Remember if you're making the mount yourself there are concerns with safety and weight ratings.

Fourth (last), the FR tray is a separate piece from the mounting rails. You could buy a few of the factory cross bars and mount the FR tray right onto those if you wanted.

 

[Ben Myton]

One more quick point, the full length FR rack ends on top of the sun roof. That means even with all the bars removed it would be tricky to climb out the opening. If you wanted that ability you would need non-standard mounting equipment, or a different rack.

The sun roof does open if you use the FR foot rails.

 

[navigare]

Thanks, @Ben Myton, interesting stuff… There seems to be some problem with the FR webpage right now, so I can’t see the grab-on system you mention but I may already have what you have in mind - three Rhino Rack bars, each rated 150 kg, that have their own detachable feet. They look more or less like these below, that what you have in mind?

rhino rack bar feet

If so, then I guess yeah, it’d be possible to do a mount. But it would add an inch or more to the height, I suppose, and less solid/stable than mounting directly to the rails. Most importantly, though, the front-most mounting point would be 10+ cm further back…

So I was kinda hoping to find a way to mount the rack directly to the front-most edge of my long rails (after taking off the plastic covers). I’ve managed to google out what they look like then. The photo is low-res but gives you an idea. Now, it there was a way to mount the rail on top of that lower end of the rail, I guess I’d be home at last.

 

[Ben Myton]

that what you have in mind?

The FR piece grips directly to the rail and then bolts to the rack. Something like that might work in the gap in the front of the long rails. Unfortunately there isn't a similarly good solution for the back section of the factory rails.

Honestly I think you are going to have to compromise. Either you replace the long rails with short rails and go with the ProSpeed rack (lowest full coverage rack I know of), or you remove the rails entirely and go with the Front Runner (next lowest profile), or you mount a standard basket to factory crossbars and then remove the whole thing when you're not using it.

 

[navigare]

I’m beginning to wonder why LR even bothered with the long rails then… But I also have to admit I don’t really understand why you say:

Unfortunately there isn't a similarly good solution for the back section of the factory rails.

The rails are just the same all along to my eye… This is getting frustrating.

 

[toddjb122]

I’m beginning to wonder why LR even bothered with the long rails then…

If you use the factory cross bars on OEM side rails, I think there are 4 positions where you can put the crossbars. Whatever the number, the long side rails give you one more position. That's it. But, that does let you get a wider spread from front to back which is more stable for long loads, racks and boxes. I think that's what they were going for, and to add the style of the grab bars up top. My guess, anyway...