Crossbars Noise

I don't even see roof top cross bars listed in the Toyota accessories for the Prime. Did the dealership just put some on as a way to pack more profit into the price? Were they installed backwards? Some have an aero shape and get noisy if installed backwards.

 

What the heck are you hauling on the roof?

 

Dealer must be trying NOT to sell the Prime if they have that thing mounted to make so much noise! My dealer, like most, don't have the Prime charged up, so it drives like a normal Prius in HV mode and is noisy (in comparison). When I drove it home, i immediately put it on charge mode to get a few miles in EV when I got nearer to the house. What a difference in sound!

 

Found it!


$299. Not good looking. I wouldn't buy a car with these on it unless I knew in advance that I needed them. 152# limit. Fits all Gen 4 Prii.
"Aerodynamically styled with a durable, weather-resistant finish "
Cargo Cross Bars
Toyota Part No.: PW301-47005

 

Having owned PRIME for a full week now. I am considering expanding it's limited cargo space by putting a roof rack and cargo box, but now I read this thread. Are the noise that bad? Hummmmm. Does anyone have experience with after market Yakima roof rack? JetStream - Roof Rack Crossbars | Yakima Is it better than OEM cross bar? Yakima costs almost twice as much as OEM.

 

And the flip slip to that is the slipperier it is in terms of aerodynamics, the less wind noise it makes, and anything changing the airflow can be more noticable.

 

The link to the instruction sheet is on this page:
PW301-47005 - Genuine Toyota Cargo Cross Bars

Dave, were there any gaps in the bars that would catch the wind? Were the rubber strips installed without gaps? Anything else that isn't smooth for smooth air flow?

 

Wondering if the crossbars from Thule are noisey.

 

"Features

• Bar: WindDiffuser™ is a textured surface on the t-slot cover that disturbs the airflow better than a smooth surface, greatly reducing wing noise."

Roof bars | Thule | USA


$510. They'd better be quiet. We're still unsure if Dave's were correctly installed.

 

I installed the stock crossbars too, and yes, they're pretty loud. I took them off after one day, and will only be putting them back on when I need them. I don't think you can install them backwards, the front and back are different sizes and they have pins that line up on the underside of the door frame.

 

Is the crossbar aero shaped? I know of another brand of OE crossbar where the bar was installed backward when the feet were bolted on.

 

Yes, it is aero shaped. It tapers toward the trailing edge. I may try add some additional padding to see if changing the air flow quiets it down.

 

Extremely glad that I found this thread. I have a cross bar and have noticed excessive Wind Noise at 65+mph even when windows are closed. First I thought my windows are open or something is wrong. Now after reading this thread, can someone please confirm that after removing the crossbar, was this excessive noise went away.

 

Yes, you'll be amazed how much quieter it is.