Roof rack wind noise on Maverick – what actually causes it?

[Ryan_V]

I see a lot of people blaming roof racks for wind noise on the Maverick, but in most cases it comes down to fitment, bar positioning, and how the mounting system sits against the door frame.

From my experience, no-drill door clamp setups can be quiet if everything is aligned correctly and torqued evenly. Bar spacing and placement make a bigger difference than the rack brand itself.

Curious what setups others are running and what helped reduce noise. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.

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[710-oil-614]

I haven’t seen many (if any) complaints about wind noise but of course the potential exists.

Since there is obviously trial and error involved it would be nice if you shared what you did and the exact placement you landed on to avoid the most noise. Did you test dBs inside before and after?

 

[Bob zimmerman]

Yup it happens.

roof rack bars are so noisy that I can’t leave them on if I’m not using them.

However when I have a canoe on them, the noise is very tolerable.

I think it’s the immense amount of air moving over the windshield and hitting the bars. I also think there is some vibration from the bars that resonates into the roof.
Bob

 

[Maverick123]

I'm curious if this would work for you:

 

[BigLog7]

I see a lot of people blaming roof racks for wind noise on the Maverick, but in most cases it comes down to fitment, bar positioning, and how the mounting system sits against the door frame.

From my experience, no-drill door clamp setups can be quiet if everything is aligned correctly and torqued evenly. Bar spacing and placement make a bigger difference than the rack brand itself.

Curious what setups others are running and what helped reduce noise. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.

That's why companies offer fairings; the typically black acrylic shield that helps reduce noise. They also add some degree of flair. In a previous life I used to make them and decorate them with custom designs and could do that for you if you're interested. DM me if you'd like samples. (I'm a graphics guy).

 

[TheSEARCH]

I had these same crossbars on my previous Ecosport then put on Mav. Much more noise so I tried the bungee cord wrapped around front bar. Much quieter for me. Mine for some reason was most noisy around 30 to 45 mph. Less noise faster. Bungee much improved.

 

[iam2sam]

Yup it happens.

roof rack bars are so noisy that I can’t leave them on if I’m not using them.

However when I have a canoe on them, the noise is very tolerable.

I think it’s the immense amount of air moving over the windshield and hitting the bars. I also think there is some vibration from the bars that resonates into the roof.
Bob

I seem to recall seeing roof rack setups for SUVs (Toyota 4Runner, I think) that have (or had, it's been a while)an air deflector in front of the forward-most bar. Think that might help?

 

[BigLog7]

I seem to recall seeing roof rack setups for SUVs (Toyota 4Runner, I think) that have (or had, it's been a while)an air deflector in front of the forward-most bar. Think that might help?

Yes, those are called a fairing, something I've made custom for others in the past. I’ve got custom designs for them and with the current technology just about anything can be printed and applied to them.

 

[iam2sam]

Yes, those are called a fairing, something I've made custom for others in the past. I’ve got custom designs for them and with the current technology just about anything can be printed and applied to them.

Got it. Posted that before I saw your reply, sorry...

 

[hiball]

wrap a bunjie cord around them and it will help with the noise a lot. Plus you will have some extra bunjies on hand if you ever need them.

 

[Ryan_V]

I haven’t seen many (if any) complaints about wind noise but of course the potential exists.

Since there is obviously trial and error involved it would be nice if you shared what you did and the exact placement you landed on to avoid the most noise. Did you test dBs inside before and after?

Good point. I didn’t do formal dB testing, but I did a lot of trial and error with bar spacing and moving the front bar slightly rearward. Even small changes made a noticeable difference at highway speeds

 

[Ryan_V]

I had these same crossbars on my previous Ecosport then put on Mav. Much more noise so I tried the bungee cord wrapped around front bar. Much quieter for me. Mine for some reason was most noisy around 30 to 45 mph. Less noise faster. Bungee much improved.

Simple but effective solution. It’s interesting how small airflow disruptions can make such a big difference in noise.

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