[dave225]

Hi All,

After my enquiries about roof bars, I went for the Saab ones (£72). Look good, but I've yet to use them. However, I thought they used screws, into the holes in the roof rails, but they don't! Each foot has a couple of pins - one foot is fixed and the other slides along the roof bar, and in this way the whole thing clamps onto the car.

When you look in the holes on the car, the first bit is plain, but further in there is a threaded portion.

Do we know what this is all about? Have they changed the design of the roof bars along the way? from using screws to clamping??

Obviously it's not a life and death situation, but it did make me think.
Dave

 

[WindyH]

Maybe the threads are used to insert these "sockets" during manufacture?
I think you've been right to buy the genuine article. The universal type sold by the likes of Halfords etc have padded feet that actually put the weight on the roof panel itself. I've carried some heavy loads on the genuine rack (100kg max)without any problems.

 

[mark e]

Originally posted by dave225:
[qb]Do we know what this is all about? Have they changed the design of the roof bars along the way? from using screws to clamping??
[/qb][/b]

No, I've recently inherited a set of OEM 9000 bars that are about 7 years old and exactly as you describe.

With clamps in the correct place, you simply need to locate the pins in the holes, and then they can't come out.

I would guess that the threading of the inserts is to allow "universal" non OEM aftermarket bars to be fitted.