Roof Bar Help Please

[caledonia2k]

Hi All,

I wonder if anyone has experience of of the Mont Blanc roof bars and fitting them to an 05 Avensis Hatch.

I've followed all the guidelines and measured the offsets 4, 5 and 6 times, yet still it doesn't look right.

The rear ones went on no sweat, and the K42 footkit fitted the contour of the roof perfectly ! Sitting exactly between the black roof strip and the top of the door.

The front one however, is not looking so pretty.

When I sit it on, using the guidelines the foot catches about 2/3rds of the roof as above, but 1/3 of it overhangs the black roof strip and (just) touches the centre of the roof.

I'm not happy leaving it like that. I REALLY don't want to damage my roof.

The offsets on the MB instructions are to be measured from the centre of the door pillar.

For a second opinion I looked at the fitting instructions for the Thule units and they say the front should be 200mm from the windscreen, which is about 50mm forward from where mine are currently following the Mont Blanc instructions.

Thule - http://www.roofracks.co.uk/fitting_kit_upload/1405.pdf (Page 6)

Mont Blanc - http://www.montblancuk.co.uk/support/inst/kits/K42.pdf

If it makes any diff it's for a roof box and a bike carrier if it makes much diff.

Can anyone help ?

Pics can be uploaded if needed.

Many thanks

Cale.

[Myko]

I use Thule bars on my hatch and always worry when fitting them that i'm going to tighten them too much bending the door frame.

The advice I would give as I only measured the width of the feet on the bars to make sure they were correct, I didn't measure the distance from the windscreen as the feet have a little ridge under the foot that goes into the rain gutter of the car, I figure this is more important to get right that playing all day with them. I see it as if this little ridge (strip) on the bottom of the foot is correctly in the gutter and both sides are straight then they are fine.

Hope this gives you a little confidence and help with what your doing, i've no experience with the MB bars but this may give you some insight to how others are fitted.

[Fitter]

Hi All,

I wonder if anyone has experience of of the Mont Blanc roof bars and fitting them to an 05 Avensis Hatch.

I've followed all the guidelines and measured the offsets 4, 5 and 6 times, yet still it doesn't look right.

The rear ones went on no sweat, and the K42 footkit fitted the contour of the roof perfectly ! Sitting exactly between the black roof strip and the top of the door.

The front one however, is not looking so pretty.

When I sit it on, using the guidelines the foot catches about 2/3rds of the roof as above, but 1/3 of it overhangs the black roof strip and (just) touches the centre of the roof.

I'm not happy leaving it like that. I REALLY don't want to damage my roof.

The offsets on the MB instructions are to be measured from the centre of the door pillar.

For a second opinion I looked at the fitting instructions for the Thule units and they say the front should be 200mm from the windscreen, which is about 50mm forward from where mine are currently following the Mont Blanc instructions.

Thule - http://www.roofracks.co.uk/fitting_kit_upload/1405.pdf (Page 6)

Mont Blanc - http://www.montblancuk.co.uk/support/inst/kits/K42.pdf

If it makes any diff it's for a roof box and a bike carrier if it makes much diff.

Can anyone help ?

Pics can be uploaded if needed.

Many thanks

Cale.

The measurements are taken from the front edge of the door pillar. The front bar should be 25cm in front of this and the rear bar at 64cm centres from the front one. Foot offsets can be altered to suit.

Fitter

[caledonia2k]

Hi Fitter,

Thanks for that.

I rang the supplier and he checked with Mont Blanc and they said based on my pics they were fitted correctly.

I wasn't convinced, so I widened the stance by 20mm each side and they look WAY more planted now.

Much happier with them sat on the outside of the roof rather than overlapping the raingutter.

Thanks for your help all !