WOW Noisy roof bars!!

After 3 weeks of waiting the key for my roof bars turned up last weekend. The roof bars came with the motor when I bought it but the keys were missing. (bloody cheek, £12 for a new key)

Anyway fitted them on Sunday as I am away on the grand tour of Scotland soon and need to take a roof box. (boot full of camera kit)

Went out tonight and got up to 30 and started hearing this droning noise, Though it was the back axle to start with as the faster I went the louder it got.

I was in a bit of a panic and then it hit me 'bloody roof bars' !!

So i took them off and done another trip down the road and the droning sound has gone!

However I ain't looking forward to driving 3000 miles around Scotland and spending 2 weeks putting up with the droning noise when I have the bars back on again with the roofbox.

i think with the roof box it may help! best thing is to try it!

I think the aerodynamics are a bit strange. When the bars are unloaded, they can resonate as there is nothing to stop them vibrating. When you have something fixed to them (e.g. roofbox, or in my case ladders) they don't seem to do it. Paradoxically, mine are quieter with a pair of 8 tread steps clamped down with ladder stays than they are with nothing on.
Hope it proves to be true for you too !

Thanks for that, this will be the first trip up with the Freelander. I bought it so I could access some places to do photography work that I could not get to with my Ford Mondeo.

The trouble is the Mondeo had a very large boot and all the kit I need and luggage for 2 people for 2 weeks at a time would go in.

I like me freelander very much and it will help no end to get the kind of pictures I need but the boot seems tiny in comparison with the old motor.

The Kergan said:

Thanks for that, this will be the first trip up with the Freelander. I bought it so I could access some places to do photography work that I could not get to with my Ford Mondeo.

The trouble is the Mondeo had a very large boot and all the kit I need and luggage for 2 people for 2 weeks at a time would go in.

I like me freelander very much and it will help no end to get the kind of pictures I need but the boot seems tiny in comparison with the old motor.

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Had a freelander 2.0Xdi 5 door and managed to go to cornwall for 2 weeks with luggage for 2, all me fishing gear, a dog cage, a dog (labrador), and any other things we needed for self catering. Solution was to fold down one of the back seats and stick everything around the dog cage, no roof box needed why don't you just fold down both back seats?

Turn the radio up a bit!

Hi,
we have a 2.0 xedi with dog gaurd fitted, when we go camping dog goes in the back,all the camping equipment on the rear seats (tent,table,chairs,cooker,gas bottle,fridge,clothes,everything we need) if you put the seats down you lose space on the floor.

I fitted some home made roof bars to my Freelander to carry some 8 x 6 sheets of chipboard.

On the way down to the timber merchants the arial kept banging on the bars but no problem on the way back with the chipboard strapped on. Left the home made bars on for a few days and not a reap problem except for the arial. But then one day, I too got the awful droning noise. Went away as soon as I removed the bars. Yes its an aerodynamic thing bbut it also seems to be a wind speed/ direction thing. But that sounds stupid because you go at different speeds and in different directions in relation to the wind direction.

I couldnt work it out and put it down to the makeshift bars I had fitted. Its interesting to find even genuine bars have the same problem.

Andy

well I shall be picking the roofbox up in a couple of weeks so I will either have no noise or I will have to wear earmuffs all around the highlands.