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Yakima Roof Rack

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by diatomguru, May 15, 2008.

  1. diatomguru

    diatomguru Junior Member

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    Does anyone have suggestions for measurements (M1, M2, M3 and M4)? I am following what Yakima says, using Q5's in front and Q124's in back. M2=42.5 inches in front seems to be way off. I tried M2=40, which I came to by incremental adjusments, but couldnt get the rubber feet to grip correctly (they slide), even with clips as tight as I can get them. I have been using Yakima for years on other vehicles but cant seem to get this to fit right.
    Any suggestions?

    I dont want to take any chances, as I have had a Yakima rack fly off of my Prius with my kayak, damaging my car, kayak and rack.... :(
     
    #1 diatomguru, May 15, 2008
  2. minkforce1

    minkforce1 GWC

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    ive been poking around looking for some ideas on roof racks, and i havent heard too many good reviews on the yakimas (seems like you can attest to that), i heard thule makes pretty good racks that fit nicely on the prius'
     
    #2 minkforce1, May 15, 2008
  3. problemchild

    problemchild New Member

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    Had the same problem last weekend at REI's 20% off sale. Could not make them fit. Found out the q5's are a patch job for the repaced 124's for the front. I took them back and got my money back they just did not fit right. The measurements were all wrong.
     
    #3 problemchild, May 15, 2008
  4. diatomguru

    diatomguru Junior Member

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    I replaced my damaged parts at the REI sale too. Also got the King Cobra for my bike. Im hoping I can make it work, otherwise I will be returning everything too...
     
    #4 diatomguru, May 15, 2008
  5. Lana

    Lana New Member

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    I recently installed a Yakima roof rack, using my old bars and cargo basket with new Q towers and clips I got at Sport Chalet. The book at the shop said Q5 in front and Q124 in back so that's what I bought, not having yet read the posts from folks here saying the Q5s are a bad fit but the Q124s fit in both the front and rear. I got my Q5s to work with a lot of effort & adjustment. I also used pieces of cloth under the clips to protect the paint rather than use the adhesive strips they came with. The rack held about 50 pounds on an 850 mile road trip with no problem. However, I think I still may return the Q5s for another set of Q124s. My shoulder still hurts from all the adjustments I made trying to tighten the front clips.
     
    #5 Lana, May 16, 2008
  6. tkil

    tkil New Member

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    My rack fits great with 4x Q124 clips. Has held multiple loads (some pretty heavy) at 75-85mph without any issues at all. (This is on my 2005, and I bought the rack in late 2005; maybe Yakima has had some quality issues since then?)

    [​IMG]

    Good luck!
     
    #6 tkil, May 16, 2008
    DLC82SV likes this.
  7. diatomguru

    diatomguru Junior Member

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    UPDATE: I called Yakima this morning and potentially found the problem. The Q5 clips that I ordered one year ago came with the F foot pad. The Q124's that I bought at REI last weekend came with A pads. The guy at Yakima said these should be the opposite, the A pads in front and F pads in back. Im not sure if it was an isolated packing incident or they have made this mistake. In light of this the measurements that Yakima gives may be correct. I am going to try the install and will post back.
    Anyone else have this pad issue??
     
    #7 diatomguru, May 16, 2008
  8. limetime13

    limetime13 Junior Member

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    I have a Yakima rack with Q5 and Q124. Just got back from a 1600 mile road trip with a Skybox on roof and everything was A-ok. The guy who installed it at Rusted Moon Outfitters in Indy where I got it put black dots on either side of where the clamps should go for future reference. I checked it multiple times and they never budged. They weren't too difficult to get off - took a bit of strength to open the clamps, but then was able to lift right off. (The Skybox was totally another story!!!!! Getting THAT off the car and into the garage by myself was like herding cats blindfolded!) We'll see how my kayak does.
     
    #8 limetime13, May 16, 2008
  9. tkil

    tkil New Member

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    How did the Skybox affect the drive? Did the handling change (from an even higher center of gravity)? Was it noisier? And, dare I ask, how did your MPG work out?
     
    #9 tkil, May 16, 2008
  10. diatomguru

    diatomguru Junior Member

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    UPDATE: Everything is on, and is snug. The source of my problem was having the wrong rubber feet. The clips I got at REI had the wrong feet. I went to my local bike shop and got a new set of Q5s with the correct feet. Just in case someone else has the same problem, the A pads go in front with the Q5s and the F pads go in the back with the Q124s. Thanks for everyones advice. I hope this helps someone else. Here are some pics.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    #10 diatomguru, May 16, 2008
    DLC82SV likes this.
  11. diatomguru

    diatomguru Junior Member

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    #11 diatomguru, May 16, 2008
  12. problemchild

    problemchild New Member

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    #12 problemchild, May 16, 2008
  13. imfletcher

    imfletcher New Member

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    Here's how I used a Yakima rack and some plywood to gain a little extra cargo capacity for our family vacation last Summer.
     

    Attached Files:

    #13 imfletcher, May 19, 2008
  14. Harry Potter

    Harry Potter New Member

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    How did you get the sks cores to lock? I can't seem to get the clamp down far enough to get the lock to engage the clamp:(
     
    #14 Harry Potter, May 10, 2009
  15. imfletcher

    imfletcher New Member

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    I don't think I had a problem with that. Mine was a little stiff but I just held it down while locking the clamp. Hope this helps.

    Thanks,

    Pat
     
    #15 imfletcher, May 27, 2009
  16. Billinak

    Billinak New Member

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    Has anyone come up with an estimate as to how the Yakima Rack effects gas mileage? I'm thinking of taking mine off for good as it seems to be having a pretty big impact, but I haven't had the rack long enough to actually figure out what it is
     
    #16 Billinak, May 27, 2009
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