Cross Bar Width

Hello,

Can anyone please share the dimension of the OEM cross bars? I'm trying to see if it can accommodate my old cargo box's 3.75 inches wide U Bolt clamps.

Thank you so much!
 
Thank you. Not sure if I can get wider bolts since the hole attachments in the cargo box are fixed. It is an old Sportrack from late 90s era..
 
More than likely you'll need to do some surgery to the box. Drill new holes to match up with cross bar position. Unless it's a short box, you'll need to shift it forward to open the hatch fully.

You could make a long slot out of the existing holes and upgrade to new Yakima or Thule box hardware which will be worlds easier to use and more adjustable than the old u bolts. REI always has damaged boxes in the back room. try to negotiate a deal for just the hardware.
 
Thank you. The box actually has the perfect length for the cx5 thats why I'm trying to save it. I don't think I have the option to just drill holes since the existing holes are in the 5" reinforced fixed steel strip. The strip is not movable and I dont want to just drill in the plastic bottom. Just to clarify, this box is vehicle specific (old Ford vehicle) with probably a slimmer cross bars. I attached a picture of what I needed. Thank you much for all your help!
61MOgNl5YHL._AC_SL1100_.jpg
61MOgNl5YHL._AC_SL1100_.jpg
 
Mine are 2.75", but there might be some differences in 2020?

The metal plates in my two boxes aren't fastened down so I could easily drill new holes to relocate. If you want to keep your s
in the same location but with a different spread for a new u-bolt I guess you could just drill an extra hole through the metal plates.

I use u-bolt pipe hangers from Ace hardware on my Yakima box, and they fit the holes without modifying anything. Mounting hardware is probably available online from places like eTrailer and no doubt Amazon.
 
Yes, 2.75”. i found the bars to be very strong, but the factory rails mounting set up Puts them a bit too close together for our box. I bought the factory bars but decided they didn’t give enough width across the car for the box and one bike rack. They also have a rather extreme bow to them, and the airfoil curve is so tight that it was really stressing the bottom of the box. I bit the bullet and bought a new Yakima rack for it, and that will work a lot better for us. I’m going to sell the factory cross bars. They are perfect if you are just running a ski rack or something. Just my 2 cents.
 
Thank you so much for the dimension. I was thinking of just ordering the similar OEM style cross bars in Amazon and see if it works with my "shorter" roof box. Thank you again!
 
Thank you so much for the dimension. I was thinking of just ordering the similar OEM style cross bars in Amazon and see if it works with my "shorter" roof box. Thank you again!
Sorry, I just put a caliper on the Mazda bars, and it reads 2.85”. You wouldn’t think that would make a difference, but I did have to bend my old U-brackets and drill the holes a little wider to use them. The Yakima's are 2.75, and fit my old hardware. Sorry for the mis-information.
 
All of the u bolts on my two boxes have a 4 inch spread and I didn't have to drill any new holes.

You can almost make a new hole with a pocket knife, the black plastic isn't hard to drill.
 
Thank you so much for the dimension. I was thinking of just ordering the similar OEM style cross bars in Amazon and see if it works with my "shorter" roof box. Thank you again!
How long is your box? I can't use the Yakima box I have on the cx5 because of the roof curvature.
I bought a smaller box last summer but have nt used it yet. It's taller than the Yakima so I have to mount it after I back out of the garage.
 
The box is 70 x 30 x 14. I probably still need to remove it before entering the garage but I store it by hanging on the wall..
 
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