Luggage rack cross bars.

[BBBronk]

Anyone bought aftermarket luggage cross bars that fit nicely? I have the stock side roof rails and I am looking for a good pair so I can add a roof basket. The stock ones from Ford are $300 plus, that’s why I am looking at the aftermarket. Thanks.

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[Jmuns]

Tons of threads on this. Lots have added crossbars from Amazon that fit and are low profile, but might lack any type of locking mechanism. The bars from ford lock using a security torx bit. Then there are bars from Thule/Yakima which will lock using keys for the feet.

Personal preference and obviously can be financial as well. I bought Thule because I trust them more than Amazon brands and anything I put on top of my car is valuable enough to me that spending a little more on the front end gives me peace of mind that it's not going anywhere.

https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/threads/lost-in-a-sea-of-cross-bars-and-roof-racks.3874/

Start here. Search function is your friend as posters move on but have left valuable information behind.

 

[sajohnson]

There are definitely some good aftermarket bars.

I do not automatically go with mfr (Ford in this case) accessories, but in this case the factory cross bars are very nice. They are low profile and strong. They have hooks that engage the slots in the bottom of the side rails, so the mounting is very secure. As mentioned above they use security hardware.

They are pricy but IIRC, the decent quality aftermarket bars are in the same ballpark. Maybe that's changed in the last 4 years?

I wrote up our installation experience here on the BS Forum:
https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/threads/picked-up-bs-bl-today-dealer-claimed-1-000-order-incentive-did-not-apply-to-bronco-sport.5473/page-8#post-116060

"If the bolts that secure the mounting hooks to the roof rails were long enough to remain threaded into their holes during installation, it would have been quick and easy. Unfortunately the bolts must be removed to position the hooks in the slots on the bottom of the rails. Getting the bolts reinserted is a real trick. Again, it should be easy but the piece that the bolts thread into is spring loaded, the hole is obscured, and, well, you'll see."

Not a reason not to get them though.

 

[Bill G]

Cross bars I bought @ Harbor Freight for @$100 fit pretty well and have locking mechanism. I’ve had them on for 4-5 years with no complaints.

 

[BBBronk]

Cross bars I bought @ Harbor Freight for @$100 fit pretty well and have locking mechanism. I’ve had them on for 4-5 years with no complaints.

So these did fit well? I went in a Harbor Freight to check one out but they sell them by pulling a place card and going to the register. The line was long, the item is in lockup and trying to get assistance in there is tough, so I had to pass at that moment. I’ll give it a shot another day.

 

[sajohnson]

Cross bars I bought @ Harbor Freight for @$100 fit pretty well and have locking mechanism. I’ve had them on for 4-5 years with no complaints.

$100 beats $300, or whatever Ford is charging now.

How do they attach to the side rails? Do they utilize the slots on the underside of the rails?

 

[sajohnson]

So these did fit well? I went in a Harbor Freight to check one out but they sell them by pulling a place card and going to the register. The line was long, the item is in lockup and trying to get assistance in there is tough, so I had to pass at that moment. I’ll give it a shot another day.

I have a couple of items from HF. They sell some good stuff, but they sell junk as well.

I have no idea about their cross bars. Bill has had good luck with his. I would want to find out if HF is still selling the same ones. Also, how they are used is important. Have they had close to the full rated weight on them while driving off-road or on rough roads?

Maybe that doesn't matter if all a person plans to do is carry the occasional sheet of plywood on paved roads.

Another concern is aerodynamics. We have generic Rhino Rack bars on our '97 RAV4. They are very strong but they are square which creates some wind noise and reduces mileage some on the highway.

 

[BBBronk]

I have a couple of items from HF. They sell some good stuff, but they sell junk as well.

Used to be the best place to find cheap disposable tools and grab a free flashlight. Nowadays not so much. It’s not the same anymore.

 

[sajohnson]

Used to be the best place to find cheap disposable tools and grab a free flashlight. Nowadays not so much. It’s not the same anymore.

I have a HF floor jack that's 35 years old. It's had a lot of use and still works fine. It was $50, delivered! They had to be losing money on that -- shipping a full size floor jack!

FYI, there's a lot of discussion of HF on the Garage Journal Forum.

I'd want to read many reviews from different sources before buying aftermarket bars, regardless of the source. I looked at them briefly back in 2022 when we got our Badlands. One concern I had was that none of them attached to the side rails in the stock manner (IIRC). That's not necessarily bad, and it may have changed since then, but at the time the stock bars seemed to be the most secure.

 

[Bill G]

The bars clamp over the roof rails; the clamps are a little bulky compared with others (but the sleeker mounts are pretty pricy), but not worse than some OEM bars I’ve seen.
I don’t recall the weight limit any longer (nothing I would carry on the roof is that heavy) but I think it was 250lbs.
I’ve had no problems with the bars, though I did check, and re-tighten, a couple times but not in the last 3-4 years.
If I were to do this again, today, I think I might cut the bars down a bit prior to mounting. They’re not objection, but they might look a little better if they didn’t hang over the sides quite so much. Trimming them prior to assembly wouldn’t be hard but could be a problem after the ends are installed (might be impossible to remove the caps w/out damage).
I think there are pics of my BS with them installed somewhere in the “what did you do to your Sport today” thread

 

[rorlow]

Rhino-Rack Sportz crossbars on mine. I had less expensive Amazon and did not care for the fit and height. Ironically I had them on here as a "pay it forward freebie" and did not get any takers.

 

[Whpony96]

EBay for Ford OEM Roof Rails. Got my Off-Road version brand new for $140 with free shipping. (Keep in mind there are 2 versions On-Road and Off-Road.)

 

[BBBronk]

I imagine off road is sturdier than on road, but is there a fitment difference also?

 

[sajohnson]

EBay for Ford OEM Roof Rails. Got my Off-Road version brand new for $140 with free shipping. (Keep in mind there are 2 versions On-Road and Off-Road.)

$140 is a great deal! We paid ~$300 4 years ago, and they are $350 now (I'm guessing that's for the on-road bars).

Do you happen to know how long Ford has been offering the 2 versions? IIRC, there was only one set when we bought our Badlands in 2022.

I wonder what the differences are? <Later> I found these descriptions on Ford's site:

On-road:

• Low profile, on-road design for use with Base, Big Bend, 2021 Outer Banks, Heritage and Free Wheeling models only
• Not compatible with Bronco Sport Off-Road side rails
• Check your vehicle’s Owner’s Guide for roof-rack carrying capacity

Off-road:

• Original equipment design that attaches to the factory side rails
• High profile, off-road design with slightly wider rail spacing for enhanced accessory capability
• For use with Badlands, 1st Edition, Outer Banks and Heritage Limited models only
• Not compatible with On-Road side rails
• Check your vehicle’s Owner’s Guide for roof-rack carrying capacity

They are both $350 -- ~$300 on sale.

IDK if this is legit, but here's an eBay listing for OEM bars for $90:
https://www.ebay.com/p/4044718566?iid=117110352955

 

[RidingTheBronco]

I have a HF floor jack that's 35 years old. It's had a lot of use and still works fine. It was $50, delivered! They had to be losing money on that -- shipping a full size floor jack!

FYI, there's a lot of discussion of HF on the Garage Journal Forum.

I'd want to read many reviews from different sources before buying aftermarket bars, regardless of the source. I looked at them briefly back in 2022 when we got our Badlands. One concern I had was that none of them attached to the side rails in the stock manner (IIRC). That's not necessarily bad, and it may have changed since then, but at the time the stock bars seemed to be the most secure.

It's not much of a risk if there's a good return policy. I will test stuff from Amazon for this very reason.

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