Thule 422XT Xsporter Bed Rack.

I've seen some videos online and heard some thoughts about the Thule 422XT Xsporter. Some said the noise was noticeably annoying, but most everyone said the cost was absurd but aside from cost, what do you, the owners, think of this bed rack?

Thanks.

 

I use them like this......


and like this...........


I don't know what noise people would expect not to hear on the frwy hauling shit like this but IMO they aren't any kind of crazy noisy. They will haul up to 450 lbs of whatever you wanna put on them although I wouldn't want 450 lbs that high up. They're cool heavy duty racks that are good for any kind of long shit you may need to haul. I just have them on when using them, they don't stay there all the time. EZ on, EZ off. Locking. Cable lock them to the d-rings if need be. All kind of uses. Cost is up there but isn't crazy compared to other racks for bikes and different things.

 

Thanks. Those pictures were great as well.

The noise I was referring to was when there wasn't anything loaded on top of the rack, do you hear anything like that or it might be that their mount was loose or something else.

Cheers.

 

Also, how did you secure the bike/s?
Via handle bars in the front and dare I say rear wheel in the back?

 

OK, I do see how they could bump around without any load on them. They do have just enough to make that clunk I guess. I don't roll like that but if you try to put them down lower they will tighten up against the bed sides and won't go down all the way because of the shape of our bed walls. The bike is secured in pics with motorcycle straps on brake levers by handlebars using bed rail cleats up front on both sides so it fits under the rack. Usually the bike goes without front wheel using rocky mount clutch in the front bed rail................BTW, your truck looks badass, diggin the drk grn/tan, always have.

 

I haven't updated my pics yet but I have a roof rack mounted on my Xsporter and it sits just above the back window and mostly below the roof line.

I plan to mount my Thule bike racks on each side of the roof rack, but I'm gonna have to mod something myself as the cross bars are bigger than normal roof cross bars.

Also, I plan on cutting holes in my bed where the vertical bars meet the bed. As it sits right now, I can't move the rack all the way down.

I totally recommend the rack and the aluminum looks sweet. My wife even likes the look and she doesn't generally care for vehicle stuff.

 

Had them and LOVED them! Sold the truck (NISMO Nissan), should have kept the racks.

 

I cut holes in my bed and it goes all the way down now...

 

I have these racks and they r the best. Lots of people here in Hawaii use it for their surfboards and ladders.

Only bad part if rack is when your going fast on the freeway or high way it makes a medium to high pitch noise. Sounds like when your brake pads r worn down and u brake hard on it. It's due to the knotches for the height adjustments. Other then that it dies it's job really well.

Alohaz

 

If you don't adjust the height very frequently, tape the notches with black duct tape. It matches the trim of the rack.

 

I have had no issues with rack noise.

 

Noisy! Until you get the rubber strips like on 2nd Gen roofs to seal the track on the rack. Also they make plastic pieces to cover up the holes on the uprights. After that, no more whistle.
I also had to put 3/4" square tubing behind my bedrails to allow it to drop to lowest position!

 

Dep3091-
got any pics of where you cut your bed for the rack to go down??

 

I've got a few pics of where I cut mine, I'll post some up once I get home. As far as noise goes Thule supplies you with rubber strips that eliminates the whistling sound.

 

nice!
lets see em'

 

bumpity bump bump

want to see those pics of the holes you guys cut in your bed...

 

anyone?

 

Ok here are a few pics of where i cut mine. As you can tell i wasn't worried about looks.

 

Hi- Did you need to cut the bed rail for the rack, or did you just go over the rail and then click into the bed channel?

 

The rack legs were cut to be able to lower it in the pics and another guy took the bedrails off and put sq tubing between the bed and bedrails to move the rack legs further inside where they don't hit the sides of the bed instead of cutting the legs shorter. I will be doing neither since I only use them in the over the cab position.