Roof Rack For The Mazda5 Thread
- Thread starter barryWest
- Start date
Mazda 5 racks are on backorder right now. They are expected to come in 7/15.
Please check with us if you want one when they are available. Free shipping. 20% off MSRP, and we are a forum sponsor.
sensinitas
Member
- :
- 08 Mazda 5
- :
- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
That carrier box seems much slimmer but longer than the 1500, that is for sure. It is almost touching the antenna, no wonder you asked earlier (scratch). Regardless, it looks it fits pretty well the MZ5
It's got about 3 inches between the box and the antenna, but that's with the box adjusted so that it's as far back as possible. With the adjustable Quick Snaps, the box can be brought forward more. I'm surprised at how cavernous it is inside...it'll be good for the 2200km roadtrip from Vancouver out to Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, the Rockies, Prince George and then back down to Vancouver. It's gotta hold everything a family of 5 needs clothing, etc. wise for the trip. I'm looking forward to how the whole thing performs AND if we can squeek 40 imp. mpg on the trip (thumb)
whosurdaddy
Member
Can anyone tell me how high is the Mazda OEM rack? I read that the Thule are 4 inches.
Whosurdaddy
Whosurdaddy
- :
- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
Roof to bar is around 4in. The bar width is around 1in...
The roof rack is finally installed...
I had a feeling that the rack would not clear the fully opened sunroof and I was right. The OEM rack appears to be really tall for a good reason...
Sucks a little that I can't open the roof when I have stuff up there, but it still works when in the vent position and that's all you need because you sure aren't going to see much sun with a box or boards up there.
Mounting to the right allows me to avoid removing the whip antenna and is easier to access. When I actually transport the board it will be in it's bag and fins will be off.
I didn't want to wait any longer for the OEM rack and I didn't really like the way it appeared to sit so high. Can OEM rack owners open the sun roof completely when there's a box up top? I got the Thule rack shipped in parts from various US sources for a very good price, almost half what local Canadians would pay for the OEM rack and they were all on galactic back order anyways.
Can anyone tell me if these racks can be left and used during the winter with road salt exposure? I'm wondering how the hardware holds up.
Thanks!
I had a feeling that the rack would not clear the fully opened sunroof and I was right. The OEM rack appears to be really tall for a good reason...
Sucks a little that I can't open the roof when I have stuff up there, but it still works when in the vent position and that's all you need because you sure aren't going to see much sun with a box or boards up there.
Mounting to the right allows me to avoid removing the whip antenna and is easier to access. When I actually transport the board it will be in it's bag and fins will be off.
I didn't want to wait any longer for the OEM rack and I didn't really like the way it appeared to sit so high. Can OEM rack owners open the sun roof completely when there's a box up top? I got the Thule rack shipped in parts from various US sources for a very good price, almost half what local Canadians would pay for the OEM rack and they were all on galactic back order anyways.
Can anyone tell me if these racks can be left and used during the winter with road salt exposure? I'm wondering how the hardware holds up.
Thanks!
sensinitas
Member
- :
- 08 Mazda 5
The roof rack is finally installed...
Thanks!
What's with the DC sticker? Any relation to the company?
I skateboard (more in the past) and threw it on there because I have a couple Friends with the same surf board.
No relation to the company. Free advertising.
Distinct,
The sunroof clears the empty racks, correct?
It just wont clear any flat surface mounted up between them.
BTW what if you added some risers to the actual board clamps and raise the board itself up a bit more.
How close are you from getting the roof completely open?
You also made an excellent point:
The sunroof clears the empty racks, correct?
It just wont clear any flat surface mounted up between them.
BTW what if you added some risers to the actual board clamps and raise the board itself up a bit more.
How close are you from getting the roof completely open?
You also made an excellent point:
That's a good idea. The first problem is the sunroof barely clears an empty rack. If you have any attachments like in the picture, the glass comes so close it will actually contact the protrusions. When there's no board up there, I have to remove one of the board attachments so I can use the glass roof. So raising the board up won't work because it's the clamps that will contact the glass at one point as it opens.
I still need to figure something else out. It would involve raising the whole podiums up and then I start to get into high-rise look of the OEM Mazda rack.
From the Mazda USA website, accessories section for roof rack:
"Sleek and aerodynamically designed, this durable, removable, locking Roof Rack is a convenient way to increase cargo capacity. Versatile design accepts bicycle, ski/snowboard, and cargo carrier attachments and features 165-lb. capacity evenly distributed. Attachments sold separately."
165lbs/2.2 = 75kg, same as the non-Mazda-branded Thule.
sunglassguyjack
Member
- :
- 06 mazda5 07 legacy 96 dakota 03 kawasaki
just ordered my thule from ors racks.com $234 with discount code i found online. My only concern is the sunroof. We are heading to florida soon and would love to be able to open it.
Update: I love the internet....nice deal on the rack...and today........craigslist....thule cascade xt box for $100 woohooo!!!!
Update: I love the internet....nice deal on the rack...and today........craigslist....thule cascade xt box for $100 woohooo!!!!
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twentysixtwo
Member
Very nice - I like these a lot more and since I have a Sport without Moonroof, it's better than the OEM rack on stilts which looks goofy....
jeffmrwonderful
Member
Fantastic forum
Hi guys. This was an informative forum which help me with info about getting racks for myself. I ended up finding some Mazda 5 racks on ebay and purchased them there. I recall someone asking about a step by step instruction on installing racks so I took it upon myself to photo document my installation process. It was very easy as most of you have mentioned. The only other thing I would add is to spray the racks with a rust protector (you can see it on picture 6). This is especially important if you are using the racks through winter as I will be carrying baby stuff such as strollers in a thule box throughout these months. That way the bolts won't rust to your car, something I learned from my previous vehicle. Hopefully I have installed these racks correctly but if I didn't I am sure you guys will let me know. Hope these pics will help any future mazda rack installer. Good Luck.
Hi guys. This was an informative forum which help me with info about getting racks for myself. I ended up finding some Mazda 5 racks on ebay and purchased them there. I recall someone asking about a step by step instruction on installing racks so I took it upon myself to photo document my installation process. It was very easy as most of you have mentioned. The only other thing I would add is to spray the racks with a rust protector (you can see it on picture 6). This is especially important if you are using the racks through winter as I will be carrying baby stuff such as strollers in a thule box throughout these months. That way the bolts won't rust to your car, something I learned from my previous vehicle. Hopefully I have installed these racks correctly but if I didn't I am sure you guys will let me know. Hope these pics will help any future mazda rack installer. Good Luck.
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justchecking
Member
roof rack
do the mazda 5 roof racks fit on the mazda 3?
do the mazda 5 roof racks fit on the mazda 3?
