wind loud threw roof rack

[patty]

So i built a roof rack earlier this month, very happy with it. Only down side is when im getting around 80km/hr plus the wind going threw the rack is very loud and AMAZINGLY annoying. Any one got any ideas for a wind scoop or something?

[konadog]

Oh yeah, I can relate, TOTALLY!! When we first installed the rack it HOWLED badly even at low speeds. I figured it was the hollow tubes in the corners acting like Pan-flutes, so I filled them with expanding foam - messy, but effective. Then, a few months later (last week) the rack started to howl again at about 80 km. I went up there and tapped the cross pieces which resonated like a tuning fork! I envisioned drills and bolts or getting a welder involved, but ended up simply tightly tying the cross pieces together - works.

Messy but effective expanding foam filler.

rack 3.jpg (62.65 KiB) Viewed 3629 times

A simple tight tie job to quell the resonating cross pieces.

rack 2.jpg (52.05 KiB) Viewed 3630 times

[Jonny5ive]

Just to add a few cents, I use a fairing on my roof-rack to get rid of a few noises.

The wind rolling through the rack and the sound of my wife complaining about how she can't stand the noise of the wind rolling through the roof-rack.

Fairings are easy enough to manufacture, but I use a Yakima one on a yakima roof-rack.

[dfnder]

I think the older I get the less tolerant I become - regarding irritants anyway lol

[patty]

yeah it was pretty funny. i didn't notice the noise until my dad rode with me for a bit ( we took two cars for the trip up to PG. he was only in the deli for about 2 min before he was like "stop! i got to get some ear plugs."

[patty]

So the consensus is the sound of the air shooting threw and around the bars slightly bending them back and forth in the wind? I should put down a center beam in mine then cause mine has lots of wide lengths.

[konadog]

Like I said above, in our case it was two separate issues - 1 was the tubes acting like a bottle when you blow over the top of it and the other was the cross members vibrating like guitar strings causing the whole bus to resonate like a gutitar body! So, if your rack doesn't have any hollow tubes then the noise is likely the guitar string scenario. Climb up there and tap the cross pieces until you find the one(s) that ring. I bet it will be (was for ours anyway) the front and back pieces. A centre beam should help for sure. You can just use a bit of string like I did in the picture above to test it and see if the noise stops by securing the cross pieces. Good luck and let us know how it goes - and any chance of a picture or two of the roof rack?

[FalcoColumbarius]

Try tuning your roof rack until it sounds nicer... smiles... maybe you can save on the stereo costs.

Falco.

[dfnder]

Try tuning your roof rack until it sounds nicer... smiles... maybe you can save on the stereo costs.

Falco.

Dang Falco you beat me to it!!!!!!!!

[patty]

haha, actually on the way up i turned the bass way down and the treble way up on the stereo and it actually didn't sound as bad...for me at least ,my dad was still in the shits.