Roof racks have been known to fail at high speeds with lots of updraft so take the extra precaution of tying the roof rack down to the roof of the vehicle as well.
How to tie down a load on roof racks.
On each side of the roof you ll see a rack that runs the length of the roof of the vehicle.
The second option is the side racks.
However not all of them are good to use.
There are plenty of options for securing your cargo.
With the cargo on your roof lay the safety strap across the width of your cargo.
With the third option crossbars with side rails you can secure an item to the side rails and run tie downs from front to back securing them to the crossbars.
What types of tie downs work best.
First loop the strap under the roof rack s crossbar and drape the loose ends over your oblong load i e.
Remove your rack when not in use to avoid the added weight drag and noise.
Use ratchet or cam straps to tie the roof rack through the doors not the windows.
Next pull the long end of the strap under the crossbar on the.
This means getting yourself a set of strong non stretching tie downs.
Leaving your rack on all year will increase the price you at the pump.
Use a tie down that wraps around the item and the rails.