# Roof Bars for MK2



## stevereid (May 15, 2009)

Hi all,

I'd like to buy some room bars and cycle holder. I have a MK2 Coupe that was built in 2006. My local dealer says roof bars won't fit, yet Halfords sell Thule system that says it fits 2006 models onwards.

Does anyone have any advice or has roof bars that will fit to sell please reply to this post or email me at [email protected]

Thanks


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## Howdy-TT (Oct 1, 2008)

When you say 'My local dealer says roof bars won't fit', I assume thats an Audi dealer. Shocking...they sell 'em for Christs sake ! [smiley=dizzy2.gif]

I have the Thule roofbars, footings and fitting kit on order, due Monday. How they fit I'm not sure yet and if I'm honest I'm a bit nervous the rubber feet may mark the paint when they get a load on them. Having never had roofbars before can anyone give me an idea as to whether to expect any marking from the feet?

Will post pics when I have had chance to fit them.


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## Singletrack (Aug 1, 2007)

Howdy.... :wink: there is a real risk of marks from the footpads - you need to make sure the paint in the area where you will be placing the footpads is absolutely clean (claybar and wax if you have not done so recently) - then clean the footpads well before fixing them (a wipe with something like isopropyl alcohol). The pads should be mounted as tightly as Thule and the car's fixing points will allow - you must not have any movement!! I'm assuming that this whole kit is for the occasional longer trip with your bike(s) and that you do NOT plan to leave the rack on the car - that would be the worst thing you could do.

You will probably have some slight surface marring but that will easily come out after a quick clay bar and a bit of fine polish.

Final thing - I know this sounds really stupid and that's probably just me....but I measure the height of the car with the bikes mounted then write it on a yellow postit which I stick to the dashboard. Reminds me both that the bikes are up there and how much clearance I have when I come to a toll booth....forgetting this is just too ugly to contemplate.


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

A small piece of paint protection film - the stuff used at the front for stone chip protection - applied where the foot goes will surely help to avoid paint damage and be easily removable when no longer required.


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## monkey_boy (Feb 3, 2007)

I contemplated roof bars, but then read a horror story somewhere on this forum about an unfortunate guy watching his bike and roof bars disappear in his rear view mirror and the damage caused to the car as a result. That and it spoils the looks of course!

Instead, I opted for a DHB bike bag, it only takes 3 or 4 minutes to fit the wheels at each ride. At the end of a muddy ride at Ashton Court I simply put the whole bike in the bag and my car remains clean and tidy inside and out and no scratches or scrapes inside the car. I even get to carry the bike straight into the house without my lady complaining about the mud!

The bag has a tough interior, 2 pockets for the wheels etc.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/dhb_Elsted_Wheeled_Bike_Bag/5360032373/

One word of caution, the two plastic fittings that the removable parcel shelf(?) slots into are very vulnerable and poor mounting method (they appear to be glued in), so take care placing anything large in the boot as its easy to catch these.


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## Howdy-TT (Oct 1, 2008)

Singletrack.....no I dont intend to leave the bars on the car. They are just for the occasional trip when I wish to use a roof box. At this point I do not intend to carry any bikes (thats Steve who started this post). I think I have taken note of the important bits then, namely make sure everything, feet and car, are mega clean and everything is a tight as poss.

Great suggestion of the paint protection film as well (thanks VicTT), just ordered some off ebay...£13 with postage. Well worth it if it stops my pride n joy getting scratched. It should help alot I think and was something I hadn't thought of.

You've only got to blink to close to Audi paintwork and it would leave eyelash grazes on the paint. :lol:


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## cw955 (Apr 8, 2003)

Get one of these then you don't need a rack http://www.mezzobikes.com/ and it fits in the boot of my roadster


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## frankbaeyens (May 14, 2008)

Howdy, did you get your Thule roofbars? Do they fit nicely? Just curious, 'cause I want to order them too....
Frank


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## Howdy-TT (Oct 1, 2008)

I did get them. Fitted them last Saturday but the holes in the roofbox did not line up with the bars :? so I had to drill them. Anyway the Thule bars, footings and fitting kit all fit superb (when I finally worked out how to fit them). I placed some paint protection film under the footings and have had the roofbox on for 2 days now just to test. I am going to take everything off tomorrow and see if there are any marks etc. The bars kind of screw down and clamp really tight onto the roof and seem really solid. I have the square bars and they are really noisy above 40 mph. When you get up to 60 mph + they are really howling and it is almost unbearable. They have gone quieter now the roof box is on and it breaks the airflow before the air hits the bars. So my only advice so far is that if I was buying again I would definately go for the aero bars.

I have taken some photos and will try and post them tomorrow if I get time.


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## Paul S (Jul 20, 2008)

I have a set of the genuine AUDI roof bars... they are ace and I have no paint marring/ scratching at all


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

I'd like to see some photos of where a roof rack fits on ..


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## Howdy-TT (Oct 1, 2008)

Hi, well as promised here are some photos. The Thule fittings do attach to the audi fittings behind the seals (just in case you were wondering).

Just bars: -

View attachment 9


Close up of the footing, with paint protection flim (craply fitted I admit, but I wasn't to bothered about bubbles etc as I was for function just for 1 week).

View attachment 8


The gap....

View attachment 7


Another: -

View attachment 6


View attachment 5


With box: -

View attachment 4


View attachment 3


View attachment 2


Yes the boot does open but this was more by luck than judgement 

View attachment 1


The gap: -



I removed them yesterday after 1 week and absolutely no marks whatsoever. If anyone is interested I would definately recommend.


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## frankbaeyens (May 14, 2008)

Howdy, thanks for the pics!

Paul S, when you see the Thule bars: are the Audi roof bars worth the extra money? What is your opinion?

Frank


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## Paul S (Jul 20, 2008)

I would say so yes (but I always go for the OEM options).

I will put them on tomorrow and take a pic


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## frankbaeyens (May 14, 2008)

Paul S said:


> I will put them on tomorrow and take a pic


Paul, if you can find some time for this, I would really appreciate it!

Frank


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## conneem (Nov 4, 2006)

Very good but you gotta spray the top of that box matching gloss red


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## frankbaeyens (May 14, 2008)

Howdy, is this  [url=http://www.rackultra.com/html...w.rackultra.com/html/Pop/An/pr ... nderA.html
[/url] the same roofbox as yours, Length 55'' (140 cm), Width 38.5'' (96 cm) , Height 14.5'' (46.3 cm) ? I am going to buy something similar, and I want to make sure that the boot opens completely with the box on the roof...So I want a box that is no longer than your Weekender. Could you please tell me?
Thanks!
Frank


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## Howdy-TT (Oct 1, 2008)

Hi Frank, I've just been out and measured it. I make mine 140 x 95 x 37. So yes I think its the same length and width but I think the one you have attached (in the link) is slightly higher, but I don't think that will make a difference, better if anything. I bought mine off ebay and it is 12 years old !! so I'm amazed they still make the Weekender. The only thing to bear in mind is that the holes did not line up with the bars so I had to drill the metal strips underneath (and the roofbox itself) so as long as you are prepared to do that it should be fine. I have attached some photos so you know what I mean. Good luck and lets see some photos of the finished job :wink:

View attachment 2


View attachment 1


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## frankbaeyens (May 14, 2008)

Thanks a lot Howdy!! As soon as I get my roofbars & box, I'll make sure to post some pics too!
Frank


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## Singletrack (Aug 1, 2007)

frankbaeyens said:


> Howdy, thanks for the pics!
> 
> Paul S, when you see the Thule bars: are the Audi roof bars worth the extra money? What is your opinion?
> 
> Frank


I would be very surprised is the Audi OEM bars are not Thule bars....


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## Paul S (Jul 20, 2008)

Not the same as the Thule bars in the previous pictures...


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## frankbaeyens (May 14, 2008)

Paul, I have the original Audi roofbars since yesterday morning too, and I could "test drive" them for 450 kms (without a box). Silent under 100 km/h, quite some turbulence between 100-140 km/h. But they do fit very nicely without any gaps between connectors and roof of the car. I wanted to buy a Thule roofbox today (a newer version of Howdy's "Weekender" of about the same dimensions, the Pacific 100 or Ocean 80), just to find out at the shop that the standard clamping brackets of a Thule box are way too small for the quite big Audi roof bars. They have to order special "T-adapters" that slide into the reversed T on top of the bars...

Just one question: the instruction manual reads "Warning! When positioning the clamping brackets (20,21), _do not insert them into the keyhole (see figure 4)_". Any idea what they are talking about, and why?

Cheers,
frank


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## Blanchie (Jun 2, 2009)

any Audi OEM pictures yet?, 
as in the same boat, need to buy some roof bars and have the choice between the Halfrauds Thule ones or the OEM ones at £30 more...are they actually Audi ones or just rebadged Thurle ones?
Cheers.


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## slshag (Sep 21, 2008)

I ordered the Audi OEM roofbars when they finally allowed them to be purchased in this country. The parts guy from the local dealer kindly offered to help fit them to make sure they were the correct ones (and probably out of curiosity too). Anyhow, we soon discovered that my Sept '07 MkII did not have the required seating bracket - we finally discovered some small print that said they were not suitable for MKII pre-08 models (sounds like clucking bell). So does anyone know of a workaround, or to the Thule bypass this issue.


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## 5alive (May 27, 2014)

Slshag, did you try the Thule kit on your MKII pre-08 TT? I am very interested in knowing if this worked. I noticed Howdy-TT mentioned the Thule ones do attach to audi fittings behind the seals, which I assume we are missing? Question is will it still work without them?

Cheers.


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