How to lock a factory installed crossbar?

[Cricket Fan]

My question is - If I buy a lockable ski roof rack from Thule or
Yakima and mount it on my factory installed crossbar, I still have to
lock the factory installed crossbar, don't I? It is simply attached
to the rails by allen screws. How do I lock these? Is getting
separate towers and crossbars the only alternative?

I would appreciate any thoughts.
-Recently initiated.

 

[99Red_Forester]

I remember a lock on each of the crossbar on my 99 Forester.
I would think that should prevent someone taking the whole thing off.

leo

 

[Ignignokt]

My question is - If I buy a lockable ski roof rack from Thule or
Yakima and mount it on my factory installed crossbar, I still have to
lock the factory installed crossbar, don't I? It is simply attached
to the rails by allen screws. How do I lock these? Is getting
separate towers and crossbars the only alternative?

I would appreciate any thoughts.
-Recently initiated.

I'm not aware of any way to lock the factory crossbars. Fortunately, I also
live in an area where theft isn't a major concern. I've considered having
some replacement bolts made up with keyed heads (similar to locking wheel
lugs), but haven't gotten around to actually doing so yet. I have a friend
who's an excellent machinist and who I'll recruit to make them for me. If
you're not lucky enough to have such a friend, any machine shop should be
able to make them for you. I'll probably have them made up before using the
crossbars someplace far away from home, where theft might be a concern. (If
you go this route, don't forget to have the shop make up a wrench or two to
fit the keyed bolt heads!)

HTH,

- Greg Reed

 

[Edward Hayes]

My 2000 Forest has a special tool in the cars' tool kit to tighten down the
cross bars after moving them. Looks something like a torx but, is not. ed

 

[George Adams]

I really wouldn't worry too much about the theft of a car top carrier, as it
would be much simpler for the thief to simply steal the entire car. Also, if
there was a lockm on the factory bars, it would be fairly easy to just saw
through the factory cross bars.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

 

[Cricket Fan]

It pays sometimes to think pragmatically Thank you for putting it
in perspective.

For what its worth, yesterday I checked at the dealer. They
mentioned, that the cross-bars have keyed screws. The tool is
provided with the car. Actually it is separate from the toolkit.
Also, I believe if you have the security upgrade package, then it
starts sounding off alarm when the roof-rack is removed with the
security system armed. I think that also applies to the wheels.

Thanks.

 

[Ignignokt]

I really wouldn't worry too much about the theft of a car top
carrier, as it would be much simpler for the thief to simply steal
the entire car. Also, if there was a lockm on the factory bars, it
would be fairly easy to just saw through the factory cross bars.

Stealing the car and sawing through the crossbars *are* indeed ways that a
determined thief could steal a properly secured car-top carrier, but I'm not
so sure they can be properly described as "simpler" or "fairly easy" when
compared to removing eight allen bolts. With a cordless drill and
properly-sized allen bit, I'm betting even a novice such as myself could
have the crossbars removed and have absconded with whatever was attached to
them in less time than is required to use the facilities at a highway rest
stop.

- Greg Reed

 

[George Adams]

From: "Ignignokt"

Stealing the car and sawing through the crossbars *are* indeed ways that a
determined thief could steal a properly secured car-top carrier, but I'm not
so sure they can be properly described as "simpler" or "fairly easy" when
compared to removing eight allen bolts. With a cordless drill and
properly-sized allen bit, I'm betting even a novice such as myself could
have the crossbars removed and have absconded with whatever was attached to
them in less time than is required to use the facilities at a highway rest
stop.

But while you were performing this feat, you would be very conspicuous, and a
determined car thief would be out of there, car and all in less than a minute.



George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

 

[Hallraker]

But while you were performing this feat, you would be very conspicuous, and a
determined car thief would be out of there, car and all in less than a minute.

So true. There's really no way to prevent someone from taking your stuff,
the best you can do is install things that will "inconvenience" people and
slow them down, making the theft riskier and therefore a possible deterrent
to all but the very smartest - or dumbest thieves. When I installed my amp
and subwoofer, I initially used basic sheetmetal screws to secure the amp to
the back of the seat. I later switched these to Torx screws, reasoning that
although a "real" thief will have the proper tools at his disposal, a
teenager looking to transplant my stereo into his Hyundai will likely not.


-Matt