Roof box question

[Jax]

Roof boxes suck for gas mileage....

As an anecdote, I was pleasantly surprised when the XL box on my smallish SUV only dropped mileage by 1 mpg. I notice more of a difference when I've swapped to winter tires.

caveat- I am a lead foot, ymmv

[lowsparkco]

Anyone have tips for a finicky old Thule box?

We’ve had a lot of moisture and cold temps, older box, okay real old box - but it’s in great shape for 20 years old - decided it doesn’t want to open and close.

I brought in inside and heated the garage up and it works great. So is there lube, grease, cleaning, realignment of the rails, anything that can be done to help it survive more storm skiing? I took the key off the ring and drove it home locked, skis in the box, key in the keyhole as I wasn’t going to stand around and fiddle with anymore and couldn’t force it any further in either direction without fear of breaking the key off.

[toast2266]

Anyone have tips for a finicky old Thule box?

We’ve had a lot of moisture and cold temps, older box, okay real old box - but it’s in great shape for 20 years old - decided it doesn’t want to open and close.

I brought in inside and heated the garage up and it works great. So is there lube, grease, cleaning, realignment of the rails, anything that can be done to help it survive more storm skiing? I took the key off the ring and drove it home locked, skis in the box, key in the keyhole as I wasn’t going to stand around and fiddle with anymore and couldn’t force it any further in either direction without fear of breaking the key off.

Maybe try a dry graphite lubricant in there? Should be fine in a cold, moist environment and won't gum up like oil or grease.

[XXX-er]

try some heat, also a penetrating oil

you gotta do maintenance once year IME so if you don't lube every threaded part on a thule rack it will become frozen to the vehical

[El Chupacabra]

The best roof rack or roof box lock lubricant I've found is the Dumonde liquid grease. Haven't had an iced up lock since I started using it. It's a bicycle lube company, not sure what bike part it's supposed to be used on.

Seems like old Phil tenacious oil, but thicker.

[Cocximus]

Pledge furniture works well as a lube for the inside of the box without staining stuff. It's also a great cleaner for the car interior without leaving that awful armourall look.

[wkd-rdr]

Does anyone know of any roof boxes that will work on bars that are 42.5" apart? My Mazda's factory tower locations are apparently quite far apart - my existing Yakima box won't adjust far enough to clamp on the crossbars.

New car thread, JONG!

[lowsparkco]

Thanks for the recommendations. It’s weird because some stuff turns and moves, and at room temperature it works fine. I’ll bring it inside and warm it up again and try to figure out where it sticks. It’s just the lock / latch mechanism. It comes off the car every spring, so the attachment to the rack is always maintained reasonably well.

[sb]

WD40

[XXX-er]

WD40

W D stands for " Water Displacing and 40 is the 40th concoction buddy tried, it is not a lube but ever one thinks its a lube

[plugboots]

I keep a chunk of climbing webbing in a spot in my trunk so that if I’m worried at all about the box, I strap a loop around it and tighten it.

[XXX-er]

yup a thule strap also works well, I had a paddling bud who used a cam strap over the box and around the bars even tho he worked at a thule dealer

but once you got a it up there and secure the hard ware is more likely to rust in place and become part of the vehical, than fall off

I would patch all the cracks, pop rivet all the sprung rivets, take apart all the threaded parts to apply anti-sieze on all the threaded parts once a year

I back then I used chain lube in the locks and that would have been progold

[::: :::]

the wife once put vegetable oil in the box locking arms: "it works great now"
one month later: "i can't get into the box"

had that box actually been at all new, i'd have had a fit...but it was just an opportunity to upgrade silently

[plugboots]

...but it was just an opportunity to upgrade silently

This is the way.

[singlesline]

Anyone have tips for a finicky old Thule box?

We’ve had a lot of moisture and cold temps, older box, okay real old box - but it’s in great shape for 20 years old - decided it doesn’t want to open and close.

I brought in inside and heated the garage up and it works great. So is there lube, grease, cleaning, realignment of the rails, anything that can be done to help it survive more storm skiing? I took the key off the ring and drove it home locked, skis in the box, key in the keyhole as I wasn’t going to stand around and fiddle with anymore and couldn’t force it any further in either direction without fear of breaking the key off.

If you want to go all-in, get a core changer-key , pull the core, pop out the wafers and apply a light grease. Make sure you don't lose track of what order they go in when you put them back. No tools needed other than the real key, the changer key, and a fingernail.

That's how they come from the factory--not sure what grease they use, but I bet something like freehub grease would be perfect and actually keep water out unlike any sort of spray lube.

[El Chupacabra]

If you want to go all-in, get a core changer-key , pull the core, pop out the wafers and apply a light grease. Make sure you don't lose track of what order they go in when you put them back. No tools needed other than the real key, the changer key, and a fingernail.

That's how they come from the factory--not sure what grease they use, but I bet something like freehub grease would be perfect and actually keep water out unlike any sort of spray lube.

This is what I do, but using that Dumonde liquid grease I mentioned above. Dribble that goo into the lock wafers and insert / remove the key a couple of times to work in the goo.

[whyturn]

Anyone have tips for a finicky old Thule box?

We’ve had a lot of moisture and cold temps, older box, okay real old box - but it’s in great shape for 20 years old - decided it doesn’t want to open and close.

I brought in inside and heated the garage up and it works great. So is there lube, grease, cleaning, realignment of the rails, anything that can be done to help it survive more storm skiing? I took the key off the ring and drove it home locked, skis in the box, key in the keyhole as I wasn’t going to stand around and fiddle with anymore and couldn’t force it any further in either direction without fear of breaking the key off.

I took mine to rack attack and they replaced all locks and greased hinges for like $40


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[lowsparkco]

I took mine to rack attack and they replaced all locks and greased hinges for like $40


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Good recommendation. Thanks.

[Harry]

I took mine to rack attack and they replaced all locks and greased hinges for like $40


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I’m shopping for a mummy box right now, and I was about to post asking if Rack Attack was legit. I called their store in Minneapolis and on the phone they were super helpful.


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[lowsparkco]

Sprayed the key with white lithium grease, hit the back of the lock mechanism, and both latch mechanisms at either end of the box. Seems to have made a huge improvement. I didn’t think it was a lubrication problem, but after reading a bunch of your posts it made sense to try. There was quite a bit of water inside. I dried it out, but I’m considering drilling a little hole in each end to drain the melted snow back out. Good idea? Bad idea?

[gravitylover]

A little lube goes a long way

No, don't drill holes in your box

[sb]

Keeping the snow out to begin with goes a long way.

I was lazy the other day and opened the box with a shitton of snow on the lid. Result, some fell right into each end of the latch mechanism rendering it inoperable until i cleaned the pockets out at both ends. PITA

[fatnslow]

Sprayed the key with white lithium grease, hit the back of the lock mechanism, and both latch mechanisms at either end of the box. Seems to have made a huge improvement. I didn’t think it was a lubrication problem, but after reading a bunch of your posts it made sense to try. There was quite a bit of water inside. I dried it out, but I’m considering drilling a little hole in each end to drain the melted snow back out. Good idea? Bad idea?

spray down the whole thing by inserting tip into the key slot with WD-40 with a rag under it (WD=water dispersent), use a heat gun or hair dryer to really get it dry, then lubricate with a quality lock lube

[irul&ublo]

spray down the whole thing by inserting tip into the key slot with WD-40 with a rag under it (WD=water dispersent), use a heat gun or hair dryer to really get it dry, then lubricate with a quality lock lube

This. And use graphite based lock lube.

[riser4]

A little lube goes a long way

No, don't drill holes in your box

That's what she said.