Hi there.

So I bought myself a set of Wingbar racks for my car, as they reviewed very well, and were highly recommended. They have an aerodynamic design, and on a recent 300km+ trip to Warnambool, they had almost zero noise on the freeway. My old 'Aero' bars used to make a bit of a hum especially in windy conditions, but these performed a treat.

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The only trouble was finding pads to fit, as they are quite wide (almost 3") and quite flat, so normal pads just wouldn't do it for me.

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So I dropped into CLARK RUBBER, and they had a new product specifically made for the new 'wing'-type bars, called an Aero Wing Bar Roof Rack Pad Set (or something like that - sorry I threw away the pack, but they were is a clear plastic bag with a cardboard top, pretty plain.) They were $29.95 for a set of two.

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However... They are sealed and designed to thread over the top of the bars prior to attaching to the roofrack - which means they are pretty permanently on the racks, and require the removal of the rails each time you want to put the pads on and off - a pain in the arse, and with them on, they defeat the purpose of noiseless aero bars; the noise when they are on without a board is not good.

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So... I got DIY on it's arse, and thought I share the process, as they are now an excellent fit...

STEP 1:
I split each pad down the middle of the flat face with a knife to allow them to be slipped over and taken off easily.

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STEP 2:
To allow for the underside brackets of the roofracks, whilst maximising the width of the pads, I made a cutout on the underside of each pad:

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STEP 3:
Then I just open them up and fit them over the racks:

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I would say that these will stay on when parked, during the most persistent of gusty winds. Not sure if I'd drive with them on without a board on, although I am working on some velcro fasteners to put on each end to keep them on.

Aerodynamic, high-density and most of all, they actually FIT!

- Teeps.

So why do you need padding when you have the rubber strip on the rack? I run Thule racks on my wifes car and mine. They both have the rubber strip. Longboards, SUP's no padding required.
ET.

even 'aerodynamic' bars are going to induce some drag, I brought a Thule SUP carrier for my wagon, not that noisy and can carry 3 boards, securely with the steel belts for security (only for opportunisitic theaves).

Highly reccommend.

note. my fuel consumption hasn't changed markedly

I used the Thules with just the rubber strip a while back and it marked even indented the board slightly - they seem to focus strength on high risk areas such as rails. It was only very slight, but I think the pads spread the weight over a greater surface area though.

You're probably right, a quick trip down to the beach a few Ks wouldn't me a problem but for example when stacking boards for DWers I wouldn't go without pads.

^^^
On fire tonight Grom .... now ya Pimping the Catters to shizz geez hahaha

Hey Tim that looks better and easier to make than mine.

Here.. www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/SUP-roof-rack-pads/?SearchTerms=How,to,make,roof,rack,pads

I've found that new racks with that thin rubber strip are often ok but after the UV has had some time on it the rubber starts to perish slightly and then you really start getting black marks on your boards that is very hard to get off.. Especially on the grip.. I never used pads with surf boards and windsurfers in the past and any sups under about 9' are light enough to not need them.. But these big 12'6" and 14' boards defiantly need some padding to prevent board damage.. They also have some give (squish) in them that prevents rail damage if you happen to pull your straps a bit too tight.. They also raise the board enought help prevent board bags flapping up and down on the metal roof of your car..

DJ