Front runner rack
- Thread starter KingexporterLC
- Start date
I’ve enjoyed my Front Runner from the start. Yes, some wind noise but to be expected like mentioned. I think the majority of my mpg loss is from the KO3s, but never tested them all independently.
Shovel mount and maxtrax mounts work well. Rigged up the Yakima skybox to attach with the T-slots.
Shovel mount and maxtrax mounts work well. Rigged up the Yakima skybox to attach with the T-slots.
Got any more pics? I've got the same Blue LC as you, gives me a better idea of what the rack will look like on Heritage Blue!
From the side and the back. Also with RTT.
Attachments
After a 4 hour install, finally got it attached! Was looking at Sherpa & the ARB Base rack but I really liked the look & versatility of the Front Runner rack.
Wind noise at 65 mph+ is noticeable with the sunroof shade open, but once shut, goes away and isn't bad at all!
As others mentioned, this is a heavy duty rack, couldn't have installed it without another person helping!
Wind noise at 65 mph+ is noticeable with the sunroof shade open, but once shut, goes away and isn't bad at all!
As others mentioned, this is a heavy duty rack, couldn't have installed it without another person helping!
Anyone have any thoughts on the Front Runner vs. Wescott? Love the table slot for the Front Runner. But love the low profile and likely lower noise of Wescott. Would love any thoughts. Going to pull the trigger on one pretty soon.
Following up here.
Going on just about a year & decided to take it off. Great rack, but it does have a few issues.
1- Wind noise can be bad if your going 80+ down the highway on a headwind
2- The design while awesome looking is flawed, the sides are raised therefore making long items (lumber) tricky to attached without it bowing in the middle, same with 4x8 sheets of plywood
3- The design calls on you to modify the drip molding (cut it down) in the very front, the replacement parts + clips is $160 bucks, not a huge issue, but something to consider
4- Possible rattle on the interior during Cold Weather temps (under 55F). I've had rattles occur during the winter in the ceiling exactly with the front Pilars sit (not connected, where I cut the drip molding). It could be possible I just didn't tighten the rack enough to it's main contact points (but I checked and there's no give on the rack). I will confirm this in the coming months after I take it off.
5- Not compatible with normal Cargo boxes (only square, smaller sizes), the big ones you can get from REI don't work, but thats the case with a lot of racks
What will I replace it with?
I've ordered a set of Sherpa Load Bars, seems to be a pretty new product (no mention on the forums or videos online about it), but will allow me to use my Cargo box again, and still load lumber products or other gear on the roof. Separate review thread soon!
Nice and useful review for folks looking at the Front Runner and similar racks that have the "rim" that encircles the entire rack. I have the Prinsu Pro and have my own gripes about it, but avoiding this particular issue of the front and back ends being slightly higher than the load bars is not something I think I would have thought about in advance. I would probably be dazzled by all of the accessories and not even think about lumber or anything else that is longer than the rack itself.
@solidbrix Have you installed the sherpa crossbars and do you have any observations? I bought my LC with a naked roof and am trying to figure out what rack to go with. My biggest use case is a cargo box and snowboard rack/carrier. I did find the Yakima landing pads that you can install in the factory rack locations and then just install a tower on and have crossbars, but they don't seem to have landing pads for the LC 250s. I do like the look of the full length racks like the Prinsu, Sherpa, Westcott, etc. There is a Thule add on called the Caprock that you can add to any of these racks that basically is an elevated attachment point so you can use a cargo box. I am also just thinking of installing OEM rails and then using my existing Thule crossbars.
Hey, following up. Really good questions—you and I have very similar use cases.
I ended up going with the Sherpa rack because I wanted to keep things as low profile as possible. I use my LC as a daily driver and park in garages regularly, and the Front Runner rack just added more height than I was comfortable with.
I went back and forth between the Westcott and the Sherpa, but ultimately decided the Sherpa was better built. I also preferred that it didn’t have the huge Westcott logo across the front. Having now seen a couple of Westcott racks in person, I would absolutely recommend the Sherpa over the Westcott. In my opinion, there’s no question that the Sherpa has a nicer build quality and feels noticeably more solid and sturdy.
I’ve been extremely happy with the Sherpa. Installation was straightforward, and I was able to do almost all of it myself. I only needed a little help when putting the side rails on so I didn’t scratch or damage anything. Their installation video was excellent and made the whole process pretty intuitive.
I’ve used it multiple times with a Thule roof box, and I’ve also hauled 4×8 sheets of plywood without any issues. It’s been rock solid, looks great, and has performed exactly the way I hoped.
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Looks nice. Thanks for the info.
Did you have to get any additional hardware to mount the Thule cargo box? The attachment hooks on mine are recessed in the middle of the box. The entire middle of the box is recessed so it would sit lower on traditional crossbars.
Did you have to get any additional hardware to mount the Thule cargo box? The attachment hooks on mine are recessed in the middle of the box. The entire middle of the box is recessed so it would sit lower on traditional crossbars.
Nope. My box has these closing claw mounts that hooked right onto the Sherpa bars once they were strategically placed.
One other cool thing, I placed the bars in a way that my sunroof is not obstructed by a bar. The rack sits essentially flush with the antenna fin top.
