# Roof racks for the A3



## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

I really need a rack on my A3. I can't stand the thought of putting both my wifes and my mt. bike/snowboards in the car. 
Dealer quote on just the rack is $330. Each bike/snowboard attachment is another $150. All this while the Audi racks look horrible







(Yakima and Thule are usually lower profile and -I believe- stronger).
Yakima and Thule both do not make roof racks for the A3 (at this time...). Does anyone have more info on Yakima/Thule racks and if they're developing anything at this time?
Does anyone have a good source for getting the Audi rack at a more reasonable rate? 
If anyone has one, please give me the skinny on it/how it works/looks and if possible, post photos.
Thanks in advance.
Tarik


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## PaulP (Sep 10, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Tarik D)*

Yakima has said that the A3 is "unyakable" - meaning that they can't fit it and are not going to try to fit it anymore. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 
Thule has basically stated that they are working on it. First heard on this forum the ETA was November. Last heard it was end of January. I just keep checking the Thule site once in a while.


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## cheewy (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (PaulP)*

Yep Thule said it gonna be ned of Jan early Feb b4 we see it. But the OEM Audi one is on a national backorder. Even if you wanted to get one you can't. No one has any idea when Germany will ship more over. This really really Sucks!


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (cheewy)*

This is very frustrating news.


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (PaulP)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PaulP* »_Yakima has said that the A3 is "unyakable" - meaning that they can't fit it and are not going to try to fit it anymore. http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 
Thule has basically stated that they are working on it. First heard on this forum the ETA was November. Last heard it was end of January. I just keep checking the Thule site once in a while.

Called yak up and they said no such thing . . . 
Dave


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (crew217)*

What did they say Crew?.... Should we expect something from them...?


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Tarik D)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Tarik D* »_What did they say Crew?.... Should we expect something from them...?

he said the new fitments will be released in mid to late March . . . . said the A3 is on the list for fitment and it *should* be released then. Told him that someone said that it was "unfittable" and he laughed.
Dave


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (crew217)*

That's excellent. Seeing all my "extras" are Yakima as well, this is good news for the wallet too.


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## Nuvolari (Jun 22, 2004)

I might have an OEM set of crossbars available. A client got them but is selling his A3 (back problems!), so he might sell the rack separately. Let me know and I'll hook you up. Need email addy.


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

Tarik . . . . if you need anything Yakima . . . send me an email . . . i bought a bunch of stuff last year for my old car (before I got the A3) put like two months of use on it and then stored it . . . have bike mounts, ski attachments (NIB), crossbars, Q-towers, SKC cores and etc .
Dave


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: (crew217)*

Thanks guys - I might take one/both of you up on your offers as soon as I figure what I'll do. I have several Yakima attachments, but none for Thule. However, it's all back east...
That said, I found a link on a previous post referencing this place in the UK. 
http://www.car-roofracks.co.uk...s.cgi
My mom lives in Italy and if they'll ship to her (then she'll ship to the US), this may be an alternative to getting at least the Thule rack here. If it works, I'd be willing to purchase extras for other people as well. I'll be putting in a phone call this week and update.
Nuvo-email me at [email protected] and let me know what you'd want for the rack. 
Crew-let me know about 2 fork-mount bike carriers and a snowboard attachment. 
I'll use some of this info to make a decision....
Thanks!
Tarik


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## PaulP (Sep 10, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (crew217)*

Yakima had originally posted this on their site regarding A3:
"Our marvelous Yakima Fit Team is currently racking their brains out, assessing a rack fit for your vehicle. Generally, this means that we will have a fit for your vehicle sometime in the near future, but not always. Sometimes we find that there is no way to fit your vehicle; in this case, we will upgrade this note to a "No Fit" status. Otherwise, we will list what towers, clips, and bars will work for you. Please be patient, though, there are a lot of new vehicles out there on the road today for our hard working team to check out!"
Then they changed it to this:
"No Fit
We apologize, but we don't have a rack fit for your vehicle. Our Fit Technicians have scratched their heads over this and they don't easily admit defeat, but unfortunately your car is "unYakable". If you believe that you have received this message in error - please use the back button and make sure that you have entered your vehicle and all of its modifications correctly. Questions? Call Yakima Customer Service at 888.925.0703 (M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PST)."
They have since changed back to the original. Personally, I don't like the back and forth and the denial that they had given up. Maybe they got enough inquires that they decided to try again.


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## crew219 (Oct 18, 2000)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (PaulP)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PaulP* »_Yakima had originally posted this on their site regarding A3:
"Our marvelous Yakima Fit Team is currently racking their brains out, assessing a rack fit for your vehicle. Generally, this means that we will have a fit for your vehicle sometime in the near future, but not always. Sometimes we find that there is no way to fit your vehicle; in this case, we will upgrade this note to a "No Fit" status. Otherwise, we will list what towers, clips, and bars will work for you. Please be patient, though, there are a lot of new vehicles out there on the road today for our hard working team to check out!"
Then they changed it to this:
"No Fit
We apologize, but we don't have a rack fit for your vehicle. Our Fit Technicians have scratched their heads over this and they don't easily admit defeat, but unfortunately your car is "unYakable". If you believe that you have received this message in error - please use the back button and make sure that you have entered your vehicle and all of its modifications correctly. Questions? Call Yakima Customer Service at 888.925.0703 (M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PST)."
They have since changed back to the original. Personally, I don't like the back and forth and the denial that they had given up. Maybe they got enough inquires that they decided to try again.

I saw that too. but . . . . did you ever look at what the car was in the upper left? It was a glitch that changed it to the 2006 Chevrolet HHR or something like that. I called them about that a month ago and they fixed it recently.
Dave


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## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (crew217)*

Though you guys are Yak oriented, rather than Thule, I just got off of the phone with Thule, and they have the part numbers for the A3. The problem is the Fit Kit is not in stock yet. "Some time in the next month".
Foot pack 400XT
Fit Kit 2168
Load Bar: LB50
HTH


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## cheewy (Sep 18, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (abarthol)*

Yep thats what Thule told me too.


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (cheewy)*

So there may be some hope on either front. I'll probably put in a call to Yakima as well and see what's up.


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## Nuvolari (Jun 22, 2004)

My client is selling his NIB Audi OEM racks with surfboard attachments. He is asking $300.
Let me know if you are interested and I'll hook you up. This is between you and him, I'm not involved in the deal.


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: (Nuvolari)*

Thanks-expect an email soon.


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## revt (Jan 12, 2006)

*Re: (Tarik D)*

I was cruising the Thule UK site today (thule.co.uk) and they seem to have options for racking the A3. Has anybody tried purchasing from overseas and then fitting it to a North American vehicle?
Tim


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## forma (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: (revt)*

from another thread, i cut and paste some info from a site that carries roof rack/cross bar for the A3 with and without factory rails...
http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=2392459
still need to yet find out about the opensky clearance especially when it's tilted up for an A3 with factory rails fitted with that thule cross bars...


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## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: (forma)*


_Quote, originally posted by *forma* »_from another thread, i cut and paste some info from a site that carries roof rack/cross bar for the A3 with and without factory rails...
http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=2392459


So these threads now cross reference each other in both directions...


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: (abarthol)*

Obviously lots of interest in this, but the aftermarket (Yakima/Thule) support is still way behind.
All this waiting-Yakima better come up with something GOOD!


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## GregZ (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: (Tarik D)*

Thule already MAKES the correct parts for both railed and non-railed cars. There available over in europe. Box 'em up, ship 'em over, so we can BUY THEM!


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## oreo8716 (Oct 15, 2005)

hey GregZ where in woodbridge you located and what color is your car.
we're pratically neighbors.


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## Nuvolari (Jun 22, 2004)

*Re: (GregZ)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GregZ* »_Thule already MAKES the correct parts for both railed and non-railed cars. There available over in europe. Box 'em up, ship 'em over, so we can BUY THEM!
















Can't you order directly from their European site?


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## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: (GregZ)*

Further up in this thread, you'll see that I called Thule and they listed the Thule part numbers, as well as said the parts are one their way, but they don't know when they'll be here. (I assume that's what "they'll be here at the end of the month" means).
edit- typos fixed.


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## GregZ (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: (oreo8716)*

I think I have the only A3 in my town. And it's Brilliant Red, BTW


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## bulldog2.G (Jul 25, 2004)

*Re: (GregZ)*

Good thread.Clean info.


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: (bulldog2.G)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bulldog2.G* »_Good thread.Clean info.

Do I get a gold star?


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## bulldog2.G (Jul 25, 2004)

*Re: (Tarik D)*

Settle for a Newcastle at the Net?







(oh..weird. Sounds like a date....*was in reference to the Malibu Cruisey thingie..)


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: (bulldog2.G)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bulldog2.G* »_Settle for a Newcastle at the Net?







(oh..weird. Sounds like a date....*was in reference to the Malibu Cruisey thingie..)









Sure, a Newcastle?! Woohoo! YOU OWE ME!


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## OO3 (Dec 20, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (crew217)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PaulP* »_ 
Yakima has said that the A3 is "unyakable" - meaning that they can't fit it and are not going to try to fit it anymore. 
Thule has basically stated that they are working on it. First heard on this forum the ETA was November. Last heard it was end of January. I just keep checking the Thule site once in a while. 


_Quote, originally posted by *crew217* »_
Called yak up and they said no such thing . . . 
Dave

In defense of Paul, I contacted Yakima back in July when I got my A3 after Thule told me they were in development. Yakima (at least the idiot I spoke to) said that with the Open Sky roof it was not something they could make feet for. So if they told you something else then they are refering to A3s w/o open sky or they have decided to not let Thule have all the sales. I personally want Thule since all my accessories are Thule. I can't understand why it is taking so damn long. The car has been out for years and when you talk to the NA Thule guys they make it sound as if they are designing this thing. I would think it would have been designed in Sweden since the A3 is not something new over there.








Guess if I read ahead I would see that the Thule feet are out. Just like always the states will be the last to get it. Damn ski season will be over by the time I can get one.










_Modified by OO3 at 8:39 PM 1-20-2006_


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## Hobbs_R32 (Jan 5, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Tarik D)*

i ran nothing buy yak raks on my old a4, but run a thule on my r32. it's hard to find the farings for the ole yak raks now though


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## Hobbs_R32 (Jan 5, 2005)

*Re: (Nuvolari)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Nuvolari* »_Can't you order directly from their European site?

last time i tried i could not do it.


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## egecko (Mar 27, 1999)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (abarthol)*


_Quote, originally posted by *abarthol* »_Though you guys are Yak oriented, rather than Thule, I just got off of the phone with Thule, and they have the part numbers for the A3. The problem is the Fit Kit is not in stock yet. "Some time in the next month".
Foot pack 400XT
Fit Kit 2168
Load Bar: LB50
HTH
Nice! I knew the foot pack was going to be the 400XT, but I was waiting on fit kit info. All I need is the fit kit since I had them on my Audi90. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## SimoP (Dec 29, 2004)

Guys, I bought Thule roof kit almost a year ago








It's amazing how they "don't have" it yet, it's only a question of trabsportation..
Check from http://www.thule.com - Car rack systems - and for example UK. 
Gutterless Foot Pack 
Part #: 750
Rapid Fitting Kit 
Part #: 1362
T Track Bars - 127cm 
Part #: 869
Optional Locks (x4) 
Part #: 544
Got all those, bought 04/2005..


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: (SimoP)*

Good info Simo.
I'll wait to see what Yakima puts out. If it takes too long, I'm glad you've posted Thules part #'s.


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## Caffein4all (Jan 12, 2006)

*Re: (SimoP)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SimoP* »_Guys, I bought Thule roof kit almost a year ago








It's amazing how they "don't have" it yet, it's only a question of trabsportation..
Check from http://www.thule.com - Car rack systems - and for example UK. 
.......bought 04/2005..


Great, but will that kit work/fit on a US A3 which wasn't even available until 04/2005?


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## GregZ (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Tarik D)*

Anyone have the factory roof rails? I do. I just got this response from Thule regarding a rack kit.
Unfortunately, the A3 with rails is not available in the US. Thule 
will not have a fitment for this vehicle with the factory side rails. I 
do apologize for any inconvenience on the matter. Thank you for your 
inquiry.
I am so pissed!







I just sent them an email saying they ARE available. The saga continues...


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (GregZ)*

Three weeks ago I was ready to order the Thule rack from roofrackshop.co.uk for my A3 with the factory roof rails: 
Thule 4901 foot pack
Thule 4914 fitting kit
Thule 869 bars
Shipping Airfreight £50.00 (5/7 working day delivery)
Total would come out to about $309 US. Only thing I am concerned about is Open Sky compatibility, which they have not been able to confirm for me. My local dealer said I could order the OEM roof rack for roof rails through them and to expect it in 5-7 days and I could return it if there were issues with Open Sky so I decided to go this route instead. That was 3 weeks ago. I called 10 days later and was told to expect delays because it was being shipped from Vancouver. As of last Friday, they could not give me an ETA. I'm waiting patiently, but I really hope that the rack gets here before the snow melts.


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## Damn Newbie (Jan 18, 2006)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (GregZ)*

Greg,
The SPO rails are exactly the same as the new ones offered on the A6 Avant. Even if they don't know it, they will be making a fit kit for those of us that ordered our A3 with rails. Thule sells the rack as a Subaru rack foot that they will modify for the audi rail with a fit kit. not only that but it's only 160 bucks for both rails and feet, 25 for the fit kit.
In th EU they already make one in both the black bar and the silver aero bar.
http://www.thuleracks.com/thul...u=440
Hope this helps.
Kraig


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## GregZ (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Damn Newbie)*

So the U.S. 440 feet are the same as the euro 4901 feet?


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## Damn Newbie (Jan 18, 2006)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (GregZ)*

I don't know that much about the euro part numbers, but it is designed for what they call 'enclosed roof rails'. I belive there have been some people here in the states that have already installed them... 
Not only that, but then you compare the feet with pics of people in europe with the euro kit, it is identical.
http://forums.audiworld.com/a3/msgs/23855.phtml
and 
http://www.thuleracks.com/thul...u=440
Keep in mind that I do't have them yet since my car was just ordered a few weeks ago.








Kraig
P.S. The kit should fit with open sky. I have heard you may have to place the bars and accessories out of the way of the tilt/sliding glass.


_Modified by Damn Newbie at 4:41 PM 1/24/2006_


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## forma (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (SFBay-A3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SFBay-A3* »_Three weeks ago I was ready to order the Thule rack from roofrackshop.co.uk for my A3 with the factory roof rails: 
Thule 4901 foot pack
Thule 4914 fitting kit
Thule 869 bars
Shipping Airfreight £50.00 (5/7 working day delivery)
Total would come out to about $309 US. Only thing I am concerned about is Open Sky compatibility, which they have not been able to confirm for me. My local dealer said I could order the OEM roof rack for roof rails through them and to expect it in 5-7 days and I could return it if there were issues with Open Sky so I decided to go this route instead. That was 3 weeks ago. I called 10 days later and was told to expect delays because it was being shipped from Vancouver. As of last Friday, they could not give me an ETA. I'm waiting patiently, but I really hope that the rack gets here before the snow melts.


my A3 with factory roofrails will be here next month and i also plan to get the rack that will fit the rails. please give us update on how it works for you with the ones that you ordered through the dealer and pics of them fitted would be wonderful! by the way, how much is it from the dealer? thanks!


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## SimoP (Dec 29, 2004)

*Re: (Caffein4all)*

Don't you also have the 8P model? I can't think of no reason why they wouldn't work.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

I emailed a couple of online Thule dealers today asking specifically for the 2168 Fit Kits. One of them just kind of blew me off, but the other said they would be available in March. Assuming I get my car next week as planned, I'll just have to make due until then, I don't care for the factory rack, which one local dealer actually has in stock.


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## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

*Re: (SimoP)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SimoP* »_
Check from http://www.thule.com - Car rack systems - and for example UK. 
Gutterless Foot Pack 
Part #: 750
Rapid Fitting Kit 
Part #: 1362
T Track Bars - 127cm 
Part #: 869
Optional Locks (x4) 
Part #: 544
Got all those, bought 04/2005..

Simo, do you have a picture of the rack? I am about to pull the plug and order from the UK, but want to see the design.
Here is the reply I got .......

*Thanks for your enquiry, we can ship to the US via airfreight @ the following rates:

Audi A3 5-Door Sportback (no roof rails)

Thule 750 foot pack £42.00
Thule 869 aero bars £45.00
Thule 1362 fitting kit £24.00

Shipping airfreight (5/7 working day delivery) £50.00

Total cost £161.00 (approx $286.00 US Dollars, subject to prevailing exchange rate)

You can make payment by credit card, details can be faxed to us from US on 0044 1505 418123, telephoned to 0044 1506 418218 or emailed to [email protected]*


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*UK too*

I called the roofrackshop.uk this morning. I ordered the same thing as above but with regular bars so 151 UKlbs, or around $270 USD. He told me I should have it early next week. I talked to Thule USA first, they do now have the A3 application with the 2168 Fit Kit listed in their database but actual ship date is still vaguely "sometime next month." I needed the roofrack for a trip in two weeks so just couldn't chance it. I'll be sure to have some pics when I get it, the sales person wasn't positive that their towers are just like ours, but the bars are for sure so I can use the bike attachments I already have.


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## forma (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (forma)*

ok, for those who have the SPO factory roof rails, i've found another manufacturer that makes the rack for our cars. the system is MONT BLANC 3000 FLEXIKIT 2
http://www.montblanc.se/default.asp?fla=Y
i found an ebay auction from the german ebay site and i contacted them for pricing, but i got a response back stating that they dont ship their products outside of germany. so i emailed mont blanc sweden and i am waiting for their response. i do know that there are some dealers here in the states that carry MONT BLANC rack at least for the MINI COOPER, so in the meantime, i am gonna try to see if i can find a dealer here that actually carries or can order the 3000 FLEXIKIT 2.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (forma)*

In my conversation with Thule USA, and after seeing the factory rack, Mt Blanc is the manufacturer of it. The one you have pictured will likely be offered through the Audi dealer at some point.


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (mtbscoTT)*

You lucky dogs with your factory aluminum rails








I WANT! I WANT!


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (forma)*

I called my dealer for an update on the OEM rack for the factory roof rails and I was told to expect it around Feb 6th. Price: $293. I will post pics from all angles and open sky positions for those of you considering going the same route. 
It's been a little bit over a month since the original order date and at this point I'm a little skeptical it will arrive on Monday. I don't know if someone forgot/delayed shipping or if that is the actual time it takes to get here, but it almost feels like the waiting process for my BTO A3 all over again.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Got it*

I got my Euro model Thule rack today from roofrackshop.co.uk just 5 days after ordering over the phone. The towers and bars are different from typical US applications, the towers are lower and the bars fit on top of them rather than through them. Installation was easy and it does not interfere with the Open Sky. This is somewhat of a moot point though as racks create lots of wind noise, so you wouldn't likely want your sunroof open anyway. I'll try to get some pics up soon. Anyone needing a rack right away, this is a great option. I reckon I could have gotten it here maybe $50 cheaper, it was worth it to me to have it now.


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## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

*Re: Got it (mtbscoTT)*

Ordered the same thing from UK, but with aluminum crossbars, so mine will ship at the end of this week! Can't wait! We got snow but I wanna get ready to ride soooooo bad!!!
Wanna see your pics scott!


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## SimoP (Dec 29, 2004)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/19527432/
Here's a bad picture of my car with ovals


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)

*Re: Got it (mtbscoTT)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mtbscoTT* »_I got my Euro model Thule rack today from roofrackshop.co.uk just 5 days after ordering over the phone. 

Please take a picture and post it on this thread. Do all of the US Thule accessories work with the Euro kit? Thanks.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: Got it (yam)*


_Quote, originally posted by *yam* »_
Please take a picture and post it on this thread. Do all of the US Thule accessories work with the Euro kit? Thanks.

The diameter of the square bars is the same, so yes. I put on my V2 bike trays last night.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: Got it (mtbscoTT)*

Ok, here's what it looks like on the car.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: Got it (mtbscoTT)*

One more.


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)

*Re: Got it (mtbscoTT)*

Thanks for posting. Thats not the kit I'm looking for. A lot of us have the aluminum roof rails and are looking for a kit with this setup. I think it should be made clear that there are two different setups. 
1.) Roof Rails setup
2.) Gutter setup.
Thanks again.
I'm looking for a setup similar to the ones below.










_Modified by yam at 8:22 PM 2/7/2006_


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## snaprhead7 (Apr 2, 1999)

*Re: Got it (yam)*

For those of us without the OEM rails.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...photo 



_Modified by snaprhead7 at 11:28 AM 2/8/2006_


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## GGVDub (Apr 8, 2004)

*Re: Got it (snaprhead7)*

Here is a picture of the OEM roof-rack. the dealer is letting my try in out to see if I like the way it looks. this was the first A3 roof rack they did.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

My problem with the OEM rack is the HUGE crossbars. First off, it limits you to using the overpriced Audi accessories, or trying to use adaptors for more commonly available stuff. Second, those things have to be loud on the wind noise. The smaller Thule square bars are the most quiet roofracks I have ever had.


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: (mtbscoTT)*

Holy chimichangas people! Thanks for posting, but those are the tallest rack towers I have ever seen!








That's not at all what I'm looking for,.
I'm going to have to talk to someone about installing the factory rails on my car. I know it's been said to be impossible, but nothing is "impossible"







Possible mod of the century if I can do it, but I'm fairly active, need a rack, but I'm not willing to sac the looks...


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: (Tarik D)*

Maybe the pictures exaggerate it, but the Thule is actually pretty low compared to the one I had on my M3. Roof racks are what they are, if you want one that's closer to the car roof, you may have to design and build it yourself.


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## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

The Thule rack aint pretty, but it is what I have coming, but with al oval crossbars.
Scott, why do the black crossbars stick out past the feet on your rack? That looks like a bump on the head coming!


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## neonix (Nov 19, 2001)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Tarik D)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Tarik D* »_You lucky dogs with your factory aluminum rails








I WANT! I WANT!

Are they an option for the 3.2Q? I would love to add that to my future A3.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: (logicallychallenged)*


_Quote, originally posted by *logicallychallenged* »_Scott, why do the black crossbars stick out past the feet on your rack? That looks like a bump on the head coming!

Thule crossbars and feet are not model specific, only the fit kit for the feet. They do have several different lengths, I'm pretty sure the ones specified for the A3 are the narrowest. The included instructions show you how wide to set the bars and where to place the feet on the car. I'm a roofrack veteran, this is my fourth one. As an avid cyclist, I think they make the car look sporty, like it gets used for more than just posing.


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## fathomit (Feb 8, 2006)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Tarik D)*

Check out the "What do you guys think?" post. There is the following link to an A3 list for salein auto-trader, and the A3 is sporting a Thule rack!
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/...t=415 
Check it out.


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## SimoP (Dec 29, 2004)

That's Thule with oval bars.


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## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: (SimoP)*

I just recieved an email from Thule, stating that the fit kit is now available. So, it looks like they part they were waiting on finnally came in...
You are receiving this e-mail because you have previously subscribed to
Thule's e-mail fit update service. This service is designed to inform you
about products that will be available for your vehicle on 02/22/06. The
information you provided us is listed below:

_Quote, originally posted by *Thule* »_
Make: Audi
Model: A3
Year: 2006
This solutions can be viewed on our website under this address:
http://www.thuleracks.com/fit.asp?id=7907
If this message has reached you in error, please reply to the address
above and we will remove your name from this service.
Thank You,
Thule Car Rack Systems


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## kayaker10 (Jan 10, 2006)

*Re: (abarthol)*

Available and In Stock are completley different. Have you called any rack shops to see if they have them? My shop will not even try and guess when they will be shipped. As a side note, my rack guy has not been able to confirm if they will work with the Open Sky option. Until Thule confirms this, I'm not willing to experiment.


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: (kayaker10)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kayaker10* »_Available and In Stock are completley different. Have you called any rack shops to see if they have them? My shop will not even try and guess when they will be shipped. As a side note, my rack guy has not been able to confirm if they will work with the Open Sky option. Until Thule confirms this, I'm not willing to experiment. 

My MINI has a Thule rack with the XT400 towers, while my A3 has the Euro towers. There's really very minimal difference between them either in appearance or function. If anything, it was easier to adjust the Euro rack. The feet on my Euro rack mount way outboard of the OpenSky, doesn't interfere at all, I say almost certainly the US model feet will do the same. As I stated in a previous post though, opening your roof with a rack up there is mighty noisy. A fairing helps some, but trust me, you won't drive around much with the Open Sky opened with your rack on.


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## Nuvolari (Jun 22, 2004)

*Audi OEM cross bars for roof rail system*

Somebody claims they are the same as the new A6 Avant's. Here are some pix for the A6's roof racks. Again, these are for the new roof rail system!
Looking at what I saw from Thule or Mont Blanc, these Audi parts look so much more streamlined and custom designed, not from out of a parts bin with a fit kit...


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## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

*Re: Audi OEM cross bars for roof rail system (Nuvolari)*

I just installed my new Thule roof rack and bike tray today. I bought the rack from the UK, and the tray from my local bike store. I came away a little unimpressed although I have to note this is my first ever rack as I usually used my pickup truck to haul the bike. Instructions are vague and I am a pretty astute guy. I broke one of the plastic ends that are used to tighten the rack to the car--not a big deal though. Thought you might enjoy these images.








I am afraid the constant leaning over the car will scratch the bodywork, and the dirt and mud will also ruin the roof. Thinking about applying some clear vinyl up there.
























Can someone tell me if this is correct? The curvature of the roof feature line iin plan view changes quite a bit in the area of the door, and the rubber gasket/protection mount doesn't exactly follow this. Do I need to get this to a better fit condition? Also, will the rubber mar the paint? How about the metal clamp that is coated with a softish material, will that finally rub through and scratch the paint??? Any history on this stuff?
It also seems that the effort to remove this thing will take quite a while and some extreme care. For example, the Criterium bike rack itself has metal clamps under the aluminum roof rack, and if/when these fall upon installation and removal, it is likely some time they will scratch or dent the roof!!! Why aren't these coated in a soft material? Also, these metal clamps scratched the nice powdercoated aluminum rails real easily. The straps that tie down the wheels of the bike should have a "this end up" molded in (it is free) as the instructions are a bit vague, and it took a while trying to not only figure it out but again not scratch the car.
Anyway, I am ready to go riding!


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## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: Audi OEM cross bars for roof rail system (logicallychallenged)*


_Quote, originally posted by *logicallychallenged* »_Can someone tell me if this is correct? The curvature of the roof feature line iin plan view changes quite a bit in the area of the door, and the rubber gasket/protection mount doesn't exactly follow this. Do I need to get this to a better fit condition? Also, will the rubber mar the paint? How about the metal clamp that is coated with a softish material, will that finally rub through and scratch the paint??? Any history on this stuff?
It also seems that the effort to remove this thing will take quite a while and some extreme care. For example, the Criterium bike rack itself has metal clamps under the aluminum roof rack, and if/when these fall upon installation and removal, it is likely some time they will scratch or dent the roof!!! Why aren't these coated in a soft material? Also, these metal clamps scratched the nice powdercoated aluminum rails real easily. The straps that tie down the wheels of the bike should have a "this end up" molded in (it is free) as the instructions are a bit vague, and it took a while trying to not only figure it out but again not scratch the car.
Anyway, I am ready to go riding!

I'm on my 4th roof rack and will be the first to admit the factory installation instructions are not very detailed. I set my towers/bars to the factory recommened specs, then "wiggle" them around a bit to get the curvature/fit more precise. Don't worry, if the rack is securely clamped down, none of its parts will scratch your paint. There is some risk involved taking it on and off, for that reason, I just leave mine on most of the time (plus I ride a lot). If you do remove it, get a second person to help you lift off the rack after loosening all the clamps. I use the Thule V2 bike trays with mine that require front wheel removal. I just added a third one facing backwards in the middle, I think it makes my car look like a team support vehicle!







Enjoy your rack, and your ride.


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## forma (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (forma)*

i've found a supplier that will ship to the U.S. and i plan to order a set for mine. for those who have the factory roof rails and are interested in getting a set, i can perhaps organize a small group buy. the price for the whole set is $250 shipped to the U.S. and it includes the foot units (4), aluminum load bars (2) and locks (4) and the price is $225 if you want the steel load bars instead of the aluminum ones. please IM me if you're interested, i plan to do this by the end of the week.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Quote, originally posted by *forma* »_ok, for those who have the SPO factory roof rails, i've found another manufacturer that makes the rack for our cars. the system is MONT BLANC 3000 FLEXIKIT 2


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (forma)*


_Quote, originally posted by *forma* »_i've found a supplier that will ship to the U.S. and i plan to order a set for mine. for those who have the factory roof rails and are interested in getting a set, i can perhaps organize a small group buy. the price for the whole set is $250 shipped to the U.S. and it includes the foot units (4), aluminum load bars (2) and locks (4) and the price is $225 if you want the steel load bars instead of the aluminum ones. please IM me if you're interested, i plan to do this by the end of the week.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 



whoa..good stuff. i assume the factory attachment or aftermarket attachment such as Yakima or Thule will be compatible with the bars? can you tell us the supplier? thanks.


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails*

After nearly 2 months I finally got these today. They are quite different from the pictures of the OEM rack for the A6 Avant posted by Nuvolari. It looks very similar in design to the OEM rack for the A3 without rails, which I think is unfortunate because I don't like the look as much as the Thule rack.
Part number: 8P9 071 151 666
Price: $293








Pic with clamp closed:








Pic with clamp open:








As you can see, the feet on the rack have two little pegs that insert into the holes on the rails:








Scanned instructions:








The fit is perfect... definitely custom made for these rails and feels very solid. You can adjust how tight it clamps by adjusting a bolt with an allen wrench but after initial setup, installation is as simple as placing the carrier bars onto the rails, lining up the pegs with the holes and then closing the clamp... it can probably be done in about 5 minutes without any tools.
While at the dealer today I quickly placed them on the rails and checked for open sky compatibility. Lot's of room to spare. I just got home and it's raining pretty hard now so I'll probably have the rack installed tomorrow and will post more pics for you guys.



_Modified by SFBay-A3 at 6:16 PM 2/27/2006_


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## jdkoston (Feb 28, 2006)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (forma)*

I'm interested! I sent you an im.


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## Damn Newbie (Jan 18, 2006)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (SFBay-A3)*

Wow, those look really high. Can you post a pic once you install them?
I like the aero look of the bars, but I might just have to go with the Thule to bring the height down a bit.
Thanks!
Kraig


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (Damn Newbie)*

Weather cleared up enough for me to throw on the racks and snap some shots during lunch. No tools or preliminary adjustment needed. Simply place on the rails and clamp them on in just a few minutes.
Racks are pretty high but it's necessary for clearance of Open Sky. Some people say it's too noisy so they would never open up the roof with racks on top but I don't open up the roof either while driving. However, I often like to have it open to let in some sunshine and fresh air while sitting in the car just parked somewhere.

















Open Sky tilted:
















Open Sky tilted - view from front:








Open Sky tilted - view from rear:








Open Sky fully open - view from side:








Open Sky fully open - view from top:


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (SFBay-A3)*

does sit kind of high. i am guessing the lower profile racks such as Mont Blanc or Thule will clear the open sky also. It looks like you have enough room to spare.


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## neonix (Nov 19, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails*

I kind of like more, the ones that Arno posted. They tend to stay closer to the roof.
Arno do you have the Part # for them, and also any dimensions?


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sniper27* »_does sit kind of high. i am guessing the lower profile racks such as Mont Blanc or Thule will clear the open sky also. It looks like you have enough room to spare. 

Keep in mind that Open Sky tilts up a little bit higher when opening than what you see in the pics of the Open Sky at its "tilt" position.
The feet on the OEM rack are bulky and pretty damn ugly to me but this rack has a great benefit of being able to be placed on or taken off the rails by a single person in about 5 minutes or less.


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (SFBay-A3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SFBay-A3* »_
Keep in mind that Open Sky tilts up a little bit higher when opening than what you see in the pics of the Open Sky at its "tilt" position.
The feet on the OEM rack are bulky and pretty damn ugly to me but this rack has a great benefit of being able to be placed on or taken off the rails by a single person in about 5 minutes or less.


we need confirmation from FORMA when he gets his Mont Blanc if the open sky clears or not. this is the only issue i am waiting on to clarify before i order my car.










_Modified by sniper27 at 3:32 PM 2-28-2006_


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## neonix (Nov 19, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sniper27* »_... before i order my car.










What difference does it make? If you order your car with the rails now, it will go in production week 13+ which means that you would get it pass mid May







Order now, do not wait


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## Damn Newbie (Jan 18, 2006)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (neonix)*

I agree... 
Also, with the Thule or the Mont Blanc (I assume since they are the same thing) you can put the cross bars anywhere along the rail, not just where they have the pin holes. That way you can keep the rails low and still make sure they are placed out of the way of open sky...


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (Damn Newbie)*

no, my point is, if i see that the lower profile racks will not clear the open sky, i will not order the car with rails. i need to decide if i want to order the car with the rails or not. also, i am pretty certain Thule or Mont Blanc designed the feet to mount where the mounting holes are. just want to make sure, since i don't need the car until july anyways, so i have time to spare.


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## Damn Newbie (Jan 18, 2006)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*

Check out this link...
http://www.thuleracks.com/thul...0.pdf
it shows that the clamp is not specific to the holes...
Kraig


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (Damn Newbie)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Damn Newbie* »_Check out this link...
http://www.thuleracks.com/thul...0.pdf
it shows that the clamp is not specific to the holes...
Kraig

thanks. that helps a lot. is this the same system as the Rapid Intracker 4900 for integrated roof rails on the Thule UK site?
http://www.thule.com/templates...61798


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## forma (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*

ok i asked about the opensky clearance on the mont blanc and i was told that the sunroof can still open, but not completely open. as SF-BayA3 mentioned, the sunroof goes higher when it's completely opened so i take it as with the mont blanc, the sunroof can tilt and slide open a bit but not slide open all the way through. i am gonna try to get some dimension numbers to do some measurements with my opensky. regardless, i personally like the lower profile mont blanc better compared to the OEM ones so i think i will still go ahead to order the mont blanc. worst comes to worst, i will just settle with tilting the sunroof when the rack is fitted. i think i can live with that.










_Quote, originally posted by *sniper27* »_we need confirmation from FORMA when he gets his Mont Blanc if the open sky clears or not. this is the only issue i am waiting on to clarify before i order my car.









_Modified by sniper27 at 3:32 PM 2-28-2006_


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (forma)*


_Quote, originally posted by *forma* »_
ok i asked about the opensky clearance on the mont blanc and i was told that the sunroof can still open, but not completely open. as SF-BayA3 mentioned, the sunroof goes higher when it's completely opened so i take it as with the mont blanc, the sunroof can tilt and slide open a bit but not slide open all the way through. i am gonna try to get some dimension numbers to do some measurements with my opensky. regardless, i personally like the lower profile mont blanc better compared to the OEM ones so i think i will still go ahead to order the mont blanc. worst comes to worst, i will just settle with tilting the sunroof when the rack is fitted. i think i can live with that.











http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif thanks...keep us informed when you do get the dimensions and measurements. as with you, i also prefer the lower profile racks.


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (Damn Newbie)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Damn Newbie* »_Check out this link...
it shows that the clamp is not specific to the holes...


The Montblanc kit is designed to clamp into the holes. I suppose you can grind them down if necessary.
http://www.montblanc.se/attachment/151273-2.pdf


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (yam)*


_Quote, originally posted by *yam* »_
The Montblanc kit is designed to clamp into the holes. I suppose you can grind them down if necessary.
http://www.montblanc.se/attachment/151273-2.pdf

does step 12 means that sunroof (opensky) is not to be used with this?


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## forma (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*

regarding the Mont Blanc compatibility with Thule and Yakima attachments, here is the response i got:
Thule and Barrecrafter various attachments having the standard attachement brackets designed for 22 x 32mm rectangular shaped bars should readily fit the MB bars (Thule & Barrecrafter rectangular bars are the same dimensions as MB rect. bars.). However, most of Yakima's various attachments will require a Yakima adapter to convert their standard "round" bar connectors to ones that will fit the 22 x 32mm rectangular bars. 
as for the sunroof, here is the response:
Yes, the crossbar will interfere with the operations of the sunroofs. You can open the sunroof a little bit, but not all the way since it than hits the bars.









p.s. i plan to place the order by the end of this week so the order can make the current shipment from sweden, if you are interested, please IM me. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by forma at 10:45 AM 3/1/2006_


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## Damn Newbie (Jan 18, 2006)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*

Sorry Sniper, I went away for a bit...
As far as I can tell the Thule here is the same mechanism as the euro bars (I wish I could get the aero here!).
From the look of it, if you can strech out your attachments, you should be able to let your O/S open all of the way by placing the front rail as far forward as you can. As long as the glass doesn't hit the back rail (by placing it far enough back) you'd just have to worry about it hitting the accessories. If it doesnt clear... I wonder if you could place a spacer on the rail to lift the bar just enough...
I think there was a pic earlier in the thread of a blue A3 with the euro rail. He had it placed really far forward and it seemed that it shouldn't interfere...
Hope this helps.
Kraig


_Modified by Damn Newbie at 12:44 PM 3/1/2006_


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (Damn Newbie)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Damn Newbie* »_Sorry Sniper, I went away for a bit...
As far as I can tell the Thule here is the same mechanism as the euro bars (I wish I could get the aero here!).
From the look of it, if you can strech out your attachments, you should be able to let your O/S open all of the way by placing the front rail as far forward as you can. As long as the glass doesn't hit the back rail (by placing it far enough back) you'd just have to worry about it hitting the accessories. If it doesnt clear... I wonder if you could place a spacer on the rail to lift the bar just enough...
I think there was a pic earlier in the thread of a blue A3 with the euro rail. He had it placed really far forward and it seemed that it shouldn't interfere...
Hope this helps.
Kraig

_Modified by Damn Newbie at 12:44 PM 3/1/2006_

yes, i saw that one. it looks as if the glass will not hit the rear bar. just the front one might be an issue. i can live without opening the roof while it's loaded with snowboards. as long as i can still open it with just the bars on, then i'm happy. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
i dont think it is possible to put a spacer to lift the bar. it slides into the feet and it doesnt seem like there is way to raise the bar up. 


_Modified by sniper27 at 12:51 PM 3-1-2006_


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## forma (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*

for those who are interested in getting the mont blanc set up, i will be placing the order by the end of friday, so IM me if you want in. thanks. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=2476792


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (forma)*

Mont Blanc system still looks the best to me. Very slick http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (Tarik D)*

very similar to Thule. i want to try and see if i can find out if Thule mounting position can be adjusted and if it is more open sky friendly.


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (sniper27)*

I wonder if any rack system would grip onto the roof rails very tightly if it doesn't use the pin holes. Also, my rear crossbars are almost 2 inches shorter than the front crossbars, indicating that the rails aren't exactly parallel with each other.. not sure if that makes it harder to place a rack on different mounting positions.
For those of you concerned about spending money on propietary Audi accessories, the T-track on the OEM carrier bars is identical to the T-track on Thule's aluminum aero bars... I was told it was a European standard. I was able compare them them both side-by-side and found no differences. I installed the Thule 726 Deluxe Pull Top 6pr Ski Carrier on my OEM bars and they fit perfectly. I only needed the proper Thule bolts (they did not come with the Thule 726 and REI doesn't seem to have a clue about them) that slide into the T-track. A local rack dealer had them and gave them to me for free. I was even able to reuse the original nuts that came with the 726 carrier for the original bolts. However, I had to use a hacksaw to cut them shorter since they were too long and prevented the 726 Pull Top carrier from sliding in and out along the track.
I will probably go with Thule for other rack accessories instead of Audi.
Here are some pics. I know, I know, those bars look really high:


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## Hobbs_R32 (Jan 5, 2005)

*Re: OEM roof rack for A3 with factory roof rails (forma)*

the farings on those are a PITA.


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## PaulP (Sep 10, 2005)

*Saris has rack available (and in stock) for A3*

I got a Saris roof rack about 3 weeks ago. Never used Saris before (only Thule) but have been very impressed with the design. Took a 6 day, 1500 mile drive through CO and UT (in some pretty nasty weather and bad roads) and the bikes were very secure.
3 things I really like about the rack:
1) very secure - I wailed on that thing before I put my $3000 bike on it, and as I said, it held up good on the long trip.
2) nice looks IMO - very low profile - doubt you could open Open-Sky (I don't have it)
3) by far the easiest rack to take on and off the car - can be done in 60 seconds by yourself
One last note - its up on their website but THE 50" BARS DO NOT FIT - trust me, I tried like hell. You need the 59" - they stick out a bit but not too bad.
I'm sorry I don't have any pics but I'm too lazy to register with another website just to post pics for this forum - IMO the forum should have its own space for members.
I'd be happy to answer any other questions about the rack.


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## Old Hockey Guy (Jan 26, 2006)

I like my new Thule bike rack. We drove a bike down the Jersey Turnpike at about 75 mph and had no problems.
but, I don't like the whistle and lag from the roof rack.
Has anyone tried a wind deflector, which they call a "fairing?" I am not looking for perfection, just something that reduces the problem and lets me feel comfortable keeping the bike rack on at least from spring through fall.
Thanks in advance for what usually are very helpful comments.


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## PaulP (Sep 10, 2005)

*Re: (Old Hockey Guy)*

Fairings work so-so depending on the rack. If the bars stick out past the fairing then they are less useful IMO because its the ends of the bars that often produce the most whistle. To save money you can do what most people do - use electrical tape. You'll want to put it over any grooves on the bars, bar ends, towers, etc - may take a little trial and error to figure out which spots are causing the whistling. You will still get wind noise, but covering the groves should prevent that annoying whistle.


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## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*I put mine on, over the weekend.*


_Quote, originally posted by *PaulP* »_Fairings work so-so depending on the rack. If the bars stick out past the fairing then they are less useful IMO because its the ends of the bars that often produce the most whistle. To save money you can do what most people do - use electrical tape. You'll want to put it over any grooves on the bars, bar ends, towers, etc - may take a little trial and error to figure out which spots are causing the whistling. You will still get wind noise, but covering the groves should prevent that annoying whistle.

I just got the last part for my Thule Rack this weekend. I mounted it up and took it for a ride. I'll post some pics tonight. The fit was very good, and the feet lined up exactly how they should have.
I have the following setup:
Foot pack 400XT
Fit Kit 2168
Load Bar: LB50
Fairing (don't know the part number, its an older one)
I took the car out for a ride with just the rack and the fairing installed. There was some slight but noticeable wind noise, however, with the radio at 7, the wind noise was too quiet to be heard, at 80mph. Open sky opened, without touching, in all positions. With the sunroof open, I had to have the radio turned up a little higher. I think it was 9. But, it really wasn't that loud at all. With the sunroof closed, I was very surprised at how quiet it was, as my last rack whistled like hell on my Mk3 GTI.
I then put my box on: 672 Evolution 1600
With the box on, I took it back up on the highway. Again, there was some noticeable wind noise at 70 mph (didn't go any faster), but with the open sky closed, the radio drowned it out at 8. It was raining at this point, so I didn't open the sunroof, so I can't tell you how loud it was. The most annoying part is how dark it makes the cabin. I can't comment on how it effects handling, as I only had a baby stroller in the box, while driving around. For the most part, it handled pretty much the same as it always does, but then, I wasn't driving the car very hard.
All in all, I've driven in a number of cars with roof racks on, and I was surprised how quiet it was inside the car. There was some noticeable noise, with the radio off, but it was confined to a "hum" and didn't take a lot of radio to make it un-noticeable. There was no noticable whistling noise.
I'll post some pictures of the fit up later tonight. 
edit: a few pics
Clamp from the side








The Fit kit seating in the slot. It was actually quite a good fit, all the way around








View from the rear. rack only








View from the front corner. rack only








Open Sky, Open!








Open Sky from the back









A couple shots of the Box.



























_Modified by abarthol at 4:02 PM 4-4-2006_


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## snowboardegn (May 4, 2003)

*Re: Saris has rack available (and in stock) for A3 (PaulP)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PaulP* »_I got a Saris roof rack about 3 weeks ago. Never used Saris before (only Thule) but have been very impressed with the design. Took a 6 day, 1500 mile drive through CO and UT (in some pretty nasty weather and bad roads) and the bikes were very secure.
3 things I really like about the rack:
1) very secure - I wailed on that thing before I put my $3000 bike on it, and as I said, it held up good on the long trip.
2) nice looks IMO - very low profile - doubt you could open Open-Sky (I don't have it)
3) by far the easiest rack to take on and off the car - can be done in 60 seconds by yourself
One last note - its up on their website but THE 50" BARS DO NOT FIT - trust me, I tried like hell. You need the 59" - they stick out a bit but not too bad.
I'm sorry I don't have any pics but I'm too lazy to register with another website just to post pics for this forum - IMO the forum should have its own space for members.
I'd be happy to answer any other questions about the rack.

i have a Saris rack that i had on my Mazda3, it worked great. my only complaint is that the fairing vibrated and rattled a lot, but i took it off eventually. i think i have the 50" bars, i guess i'll have to double check that. i was really hoping i wouldn't have to buy an entire new rack.


----------



## clockwork2 (Feb 14, 2006)

*Re: Saris has rack available (and in stock) for A3 (PaulP)*

Paul P. would you mind emailing me some pictures of the rack? 
[email protected]
-Scott


_Modified by clockwork2 at 8:21 PM 4/3/2006_


----------



## PaulP (Sep 10, 2005)

*Re: Saris has rack available (clockwork2)*

will try to do it tonight


----------



## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Saris has rack available (PaulP)*

Yakima - I'm waiiiiiitiiiing....


----------



## superfuzz (May 6, 2004)

Pictures no worky!!


_Modified by superfuzz at 4:34 PM 4-4-2006_


----------



## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: (superfuzz)*

bah.
I must have disabled off site linking. I'll have to fix that.

edit- yup. images should work now.


_Modified by abarthol at 8:34 PM 4-4-2006_


----------



## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

hey, that looks nice with the silver shuttle and black rack. The black rack matches the window trim (as opposed to 3 liter A4's with bright trim).

Wonder why they didn't bring the parts like I got from England over here? One design would have been more cost efficient dont you think?
See my blue car earlier in this post for images.


_Modified by logicallychallenged at 10:16 PM 4-4-2006_


----------



## bassbiker (Oct 30, 2005)

*Re: (abarthol)*

Thanks for the pics, abarthol
I really like this fitment best so far. It does not look overly high or bulky and still works with OpenSky. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
I already have the load bars and Thule bike trays I took off my Jeep before I traded it in, so I've been waiting for them to come out with this fit kit.


----------



## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: (a few folks)*


_Quote, originally posted by *logicallychallenged* »_
Wonder why they didn't bring the parts like I got from England over here? One design would have been more cost efficient dont you think?
See my blue car earlier in this post for images.


Not sure why your's and mine are so different. The pics of your foot kit really had me worried. 
I do know that Thule in the USA is a seperate company from Thule in europe, and that they do make/ source some parts locally. So that might be part of the reason. But... the fit kit I got definitely came from Europe. I think EN was the 2nd or 3rd language out of about 15-20 in the instructions.


_Quote, originally posted by *A Bass Riding a Bike? I gotta see that...* »_
Thanks for the pics, abarthol
I really like this fitment best so far. It does not look overly high or bulky and still works with OpenSky.
I already have the load bars and Thule bike trays I took off my Jeep before I traded it in, so I've been waiting for them to come out with this fit kit.


Glad to help. The only "close call" with the open sky is with one of the hangers for the valence. It doesn't touch, but it's kind of close. However, I bent the hell out of that one hanger in the past, and that's the only reason why it's close. 
I also had a number of older thule parts sitting around, so the re-use was part of the reason I went with the same brand. I took some other pics of the fit kit, but for some reason they were all blurry, so I didn't post them. All 4 feet fit just like that one shot.


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

maybe the difference is in the square bar foot kit (400XT) versus the aero bar foot kit(400XTR)??
i'm debating which rack to get too. i like the oem audi one because the bars don't stick out, but it is high and lock cores aren't available. thule seems to be the closest to that oem look with the aero bars. is it possible to cut them to size so i don't bump my head getting in and out?
the aero bars and feet are listed on the US site, but aren't listed as compatible with our cars. only the square bars are.
i'm gonna do some research on this tomorrow....i'll post info on what i find out.



_Modified by kennyA3 at 8:46 PM 4-4-2006_


----------



## mtbscoTT (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: (kennyA3)*

I'm kind of baffled too why Thule makes two completely separate kits that are essentially the same. I bought one from the UK in February, the towers have the bars going through them rather than on top of them like the US fitment. The actual feet "fit kits" appear identical. I have had several Thule racks and the Euro one with slotted bars seemed easier to adjust the first time around. Once you get it adjusted on the car, they're all pretty much the same.


----------



## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: (mtbscoTT)*

So, I was heading home last night from a show, and I was thinking it was pretty late, so the roads would be pretty clear. 
I took the faring off of the rack (so just the bars were on the car), and drove home. God Damn, it was loud. The wind noise started at about 40, and at 65 it was whistling loud enough to be annoying. I opened up the OS for a few minutes, but it was too annoying to listen to at 40. (Most of the driving was back roads.)
So, while the faring didn't make much of a difference on my old golf, it makes a HUGE difference on the A3. As I was saying before, even with the OS open, the wind noise from the rack with the faring in place was negligable at 80, but with out the faring it's down right annoying at 40.


----------



## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (SimoP)*

What length load bars are those? I'm wondering because all of the UK sites specify 127 cm aero bars (= 50 inches), while the thule usa aero fit guide (http://www.rackoutfitters.com/Store/PDF_Files/2006_RapidAero_FitGuide.pdf) specifies an RB43 bar (43 inches = 109 cm). 20 cm is quite a difference in length -- I'm trying to fit some UK feet/fit kit to some US bars.


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## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

orsracksdirect.com has the rapid aero bars listed as RB43 too. they're having a 20% off all thule rack sale right now. i'm thinking about going for it.
a shop in newport beach, ca quoted me $570 for the fit kit, rapid aero feet, RB43 bars, snowboard attachment, and lock cores. ouch!


----------



## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

Got my rack back on my blue car-see prior pics-and the wind noise at 70 and 80 mph is very negligible. Without the radio on that is all I hear is a very light whistle. And this is with windows closed. Windows open on the way home today I forgot the rack was even there!
Get the European Thule and the aero bars, the combo does not need a fairing.


----------



## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (kennyA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kennyA3* »_orsracksdirect.com has the rapid aero bars listed as RB43 too. they're having a 20% off all thule rack sale right now. i'm thinking about going for it.

Does anyone else have the 43 inch bars? I've measured it, and it seems unlikely that 43 inches is the right size. I'm currently trying to decide if 47" will work out, or if I need to go with the 53" bars and perhaps cut off a bit (I'm looking at http://www.rackoutfitters.com/...=1170). I think I may have to do some measurements again, it also seems like there are no roof rack companies (that I can find on google) in the bay area (norcal) that carry the aero bars -- most only carry the normal LB50.
In case anyone is interested, here are some close up shots of the roof rack equipment from the UK:
















I had them delivered to a friend who brought them on a plane with them back to the US. To make it more convenient, I only ordered the fit kit and feet, and am planning on ordering the aero bars here in the US. I'll post photos after it all arrives, but in case there's any doubt, the UK feet + fit kit fit fine on the audi a3 here in the US. It has little protrusions that fit into the indentations in the bar similar to the photos posted previously from the dealer supplied rack for the a3 + roof rails.


----------



## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (logicallychallenged)*


_Quote, originally posted by *logicallychallenged* »_Get the European Thule and the aero bars, the combo does not need a fairing.

Can you tell me if there's enough extra room on the 50" bars that you (presumably) have from europe that the 47" bars would fit? So that would mean an extra 1.5" on each side after everything is on. Thanks!


----------



## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: (robbob)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robbob* »_
Does anyone else have the 43 inch bars? I've measured it, and it seems unlikely that 43 inches is the right size. I'm currently trying to decide if 47" will work out, or if I need to go with the 53" bars and perhaps cut off a bit (I'm looking at http://www.rackoutfitters.com/...=1170). I think I may have to do some measurements again, it also seems like there are no roof rack companies (that I can find on google) in the bay area (norcal) that carry the aero bars -- most only carry the normal LB50.
In case anyone is interested, here are some close up shots of the roof rack equipment from the UK:
















I had them delivered to a friend who brought them on a plane with them back to the US. To make it more convenient, I only ordered the fit kit and feet, and am planning on ordering the aero bars here in the US. I'll post photos after it all arrives, but in case there's any doubt, the UK feet + fit kit fit fine on the audi a3 here in the US. It has little protrusions that fit into the indentations in the bar similar to the photos posted previously from the dealer supplied rack for the a3 + roof rails.

that's for the optional roof rails right?


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

*Re: Audi OEM cross bars for roof rail system (logicallychallenged)*

logicallychallenged...
what size are your aero bars? part number and actual dimensions.


_Modified by kennyA3 at 1:19 PM 4-12-2006_


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

well, i went and did it. ordered the fit kit, rapid aero feet, the recommended length aero bars (43") and lock cores. $275 to my door so not a bad deal at all.
i'll let you know how/if it fits.


_Modified by kennyA3 at 10:35 PM 4/12/2006_


----------



## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (sniper27)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sniper27* »_that's for the optional roof rails right?

Yes, this is for the BTO aluminum roof rails:


----------



## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (kennyA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kennyA3* »_i'll let you know how/if it fits.

Post some photos too!


----------



## KnockKnock (Jun 30, 2005)

*Re: (robbob)*

Just curious - do the BTO roof rails whistle or make any noise you can hear from inside? Just the rails themselves.


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

it should be here in about a week. i'll post pics as soon as i get her washed and the rack installed.


----------



## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

*Re: Audi OEM cross bars for roof rail system (kennyA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kennyA3* »_logicallychallenged...
what size are your aero bars? part number and actual dimensions.

_Modified by kennyA3 at 1:19 PM 4-12-2006_

Thule 869 aero bars 
They are 51 inches long
It appears that at the front, the stands could *JUST*accept a 47 inch long bar, but it would be real close. If they work, that would be nice because the ends wouldn't bonk you in the head and be flush.


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

hmmm....starting to get a tad worried about the 43" bars i just ordered...
it's listed as 43" on two sites, so how bad can it be right?










_Modified by kennyA3 at 1:09 PM 4-13-2006_


----------



## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: (kennyA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kennyA3* »_hmmm....starting to get a tad worried about the 43" bars i just ordered...


For what it's worth, my OEM bars are flush to the edges. Front carrier bar is 43.25" while the rear carrier bar is 41.5"


----------



## logicallychallenged (Dec 9, 2005)

43 may be right if the curvature of the mounts is greater than my Thule's.
Let us know if it works, and post pictures, I sure DON"T like the bars sticking out. As a matter of fact, earlier in the week I Bonked my head on the rear bar when I went to put something in the back seat...~~~~% (


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

*Re: (logicallychallenged)*

well, i've sent several emails to customer service and bugged them about the size. they seem to be positive that it's the right size for my black US Spec 2006 Audi A3 2.0T 6MT without factory rails but with open sky, sport package, xenons, and GTI aluminum pedals.
would it be difficult or worth it to cut some of the extra length off?


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

well, i got the thule rapid aero rack today. and after 4 hours, i can definitely say the 43" bars do not fit properly. they're about an inch too short. i tried everything from filing and cutting away material to try to get everything to fit, but no luck.
to clarify what i mean by properly...
1. the bars will barely span the width of the roof and attach to the feet and attach to the roof.
2. however, this means that the caps will not fit. the caps add about 1/16th of an inch to the overall thickness of the bars. normally, the bars extend far past the feet so that this isn't a problem. with the 43" bars, there is no overhang so the caps sit on top of the feet, thus making it impossible to lock the bars down to the feet.
so the moral of the story, get the 47" bars and deal with the overhang or take them to a machine or muffler shop and try to get them cut down about an 1". i dunno if that's worth it for the hassle.
here are some pics...
























i have an oem audi rack sitting around. here's one for comparison. the height difference between the two racks is negligable. but you can see the difference in the thickness of the crossbars.









this is what i meant about the end caps sitting on top of the feet. this is the fittment of the rear. the endcap was sitting inboard more on the front bars

















another view of the fittment of the rear cap on the feet. you can also see how close the open sky gets to the feet w/o the aero bars locking down properly. that notched piece in the red circle is the lock down mechanism to hold the aero bars (kinda works like a zip tie). that notch should be inside the feet when properly locked. it's not completely locked down in the picture...that's why it's so close to the open sky.

the fit kit on the other hand is quite great. the rubber parts molded perfectly to the curvature of the roof. also the pieces that clamp onto the door frame are covered in rubber so they don't scratch your paint. the oem audi ones are bare metal.
i've contacted customer support for the place i ordered them from and will try to get the bars exchanged for the 47" ones asap. i've also got a fairing on the way. once i get all the CORRECT parts installed, i'll post more pics.


_Modified by kennyA3 at 7:27 PM 4/19/2006_


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

i also noticed that my feet kit is pretty different from the UK ordered feet kit that logically challenged has...


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## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (KnockKnock)*

No, there is no wind noise from the rails even at 95 mph -- from a noise perspective, the BTO roof rails are ideal for avoiding wind noise. It's too bad they're not more standard.
I'm a little bit concerned though due to clearance over the sat radio antenna. I'm planning on putting an Atlantis 1600 box on top, and it looks like I may have to mount it forward more than I would like in order to have it clear the little triangle part that sticks up on the antenna, especially given that the box itself comes down slightly below the bar level front and rear of the bar (at least that's what it looks like from the photos). The box should be here in a week or two, I'll post an additional photo then.
I mentioned above that the 47" bars might have worked with the BTO roof rail equipment -- I no longer believe that it will work, as the front rails have very little extra room on the sides (~1 inch or so).
Here are some photos of the mounted rack on my BTO roof rails:
















As you can see the clearance above the rack to where the top of the antenna is quite close. The top of the antenna may even be slightly above the top of the bar.


























_Modified by robbob at 12:52 AM 4-23-2006_


----------



## clockwork2 (Feb 14, 2006)

*Yakima now has q towers for the A3*

I just got done configuring one for the a3 on their website. About time.


----------



## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Yakima now has q towers for the A3 (clockwork2)*


_Quote, originally posted by *clockwork2* »_I just got done configuring one for the a3 on their website. About time. 

Yup. Q-Towers from Yakima show up for the A3. Not convinced wih the fitment since the Q's can be used on virtually every non-gutter car out there.


----------



## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

they're spec'in 58" bars! you'll probably be able to hang your clothes out to dry with that much overhang...


----------



## clockwork2 (Feb 14, 2006)

*Re: (kennyA3)*

Yeah, i figure i will have to cut em down to the perfect size


----------



## ewongkaizen (Apr 19, 2002)

*Re: Yakima now has q towers for the A3 (Tarik D)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Tarik D* »_
Yup. Q-Towers from Yakima show up for the A3. Not convinced wih the fitment since the Q's can be used on virtually every non-gutter car out there. 

How is the Q tower differnt than the base adapter rubbers and clips used by Thule?
(Can you tell Im a Yakima fan?)


----------



## DaBrosch (Sep 14, 2000)

*Re: (kennyA3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kennyA3* »_







i also noticed that my feet kit is pretty different from the UK ordered feet kit that logically challenged has...

For the non-OEM bar you called it a BTO bar, what's that? Do they make a faring that fits it? I ask because I am in search of a faring that fits the OEM Audi rack, which is similar to that "BTO" bar you have.


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## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

*Re: (DaBrosch)*

The "BTO bars" you're referring to are the aluminum roof rails that can only be ordered from the factory. i don't have the roof rails. Robbob has them.
The front bar in my pic is the OEM Audi one. The bar in the rear is a thule setup.
As far as fairings go, thule makes one that may fit. it's part number 871. it's mounted onto the channel, similar to the thule aero bars.
http://www.thuleracks.com/thul...u=871
i opted to go with the older syle fairing 555 (i don't like the look of the 871 fairing) and may have to customize the mounting brackets. I'm still waiting on the 47" bars to get here, but I'll post more pics when I'm all done with the rack install.


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## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

*Re: (kennyA3)*

ok....so i just finished installing the thule aero bars with a fairing and snowboard attachments and took a little drive. my impressions...
1. there is very little increase in noise at highway speeds. it is louder with the opensky open. i'll try without the fairing and snowboard attachments so that i can get a better comparison of noise on the thule versus audi bars.
2. with the opensky open, there is definitely a lot more wind inside the car...i think the fairing is pushing the wind up and over, but it's hitting the snowboard attachment and coming into the cabin. this starts at about 35mph.
it's late so i'll try tomorrow with some different configurations and post my results and pictures.


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## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*BTO roof rails + bars + box*

Just a little update, and some more info for people either now or in the future searching for info about the BTO roof rails + rack. I've also driven around with the thule aero bars with the BTO roof rails, and indeed there is fairly little increase in noise at highway speeds (75 mph). Even with the Atlantis 1600 box, there is fairly little noise (in fact, I think there is less wind noise with the box on than without). This is without a fairing. The Atlantis 1600 box fits very well, there is about 1 cm clearance from the top of the thing that sticks up out of the rear antenna to the bottom of the box (I was scared there for a moment while putting it on!). I'll take photos at some point in the future, but by the time I picked up the box after work it was dark out already.


----------



## PaulP (Sep 10, 2005)

*Yakima Q towers*

Anyone try the yakima rack yet? Interested to see how it fits and how long those bars look.


----------



## sniper27 (Jan 22, 2001)

*Re: Yakima Q towers (PaulP)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PaulP* »_Anyone try the yakima rack yet? Interested to see how it fits and how long those bars look.

there was another thread on yakima. someone tried it and said the fitment was off. the Qclips did not fit properly. Apparently the installeer at the shop called yakima and they will be looking into it and possibly revising their clips.


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## ewongkaizen (Apr 19, 2002)

*Yakima for Roof Rails*

Anyone know if the Yakima "factory roof rack" (EZ Rider) part fits the A3 with the factory roof rails?
http://www.yakima.com/gfxCMS/p...g.jpg


----------



## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Yakima now has q towers for the A3 (Tarik D)*

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2596196


----------



## neonix (Nov 19, 2001)

*Re: (robbob)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robbob* »_
Here are some photos of the mounted rack on my BTO roof rails:










Rob, where did you get your base(attachment) system from? I was not sure which of all URL in the tred is right.


----------



## kayaker10 (Jan 10, 2006)

*Re: Yakima Q towers (sniper27)*

Here is the other thread with pics of the yakima I just installed this weekend.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2596196


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## Spazpop1999 (Apr 29, 2006)

*Re: (kennyA3)*

Some pics of my Thule Aero rack system (includes one 598 Criterium and one 590v2 fork mount bike trays).
Like Kenny mentioned, you'll want the 47" bars, not the 43" bars that are spec'd by Thule. Fit was great, and aside from a little wind noise, the system is pretty quiet AFTER you install the rubber strip to cover up the track in the cross bars; before I did that, the crossbars were howling like a banshee! No problem with clearance for open sky system...









































_Modified by Spazpop1999 at 8:04 PM 5/14/2006_

_Modified by Spazpop1999 at 8:05 PM 5/14/2006_


_Modified by Spazpop1999 at 8:06 PM 5/14/2006_


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## tpliquid (May 1, 2006)

yea!!! nice cannondale


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## GLEA (Mar 24, 2006)

*Re: (tpliquid)*

Has anyone looked into the possibility of a receiver hitch bike rack. I really do not want to muck up the look of my 3.2 with a roof rack and often need to carry two bikes.


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## ewongkaizen (Apr 19, 2002)

*Re: (GLEA)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GLEA* »_Has anyone looked into the possibility of a receiver hitch bike rack. I really do not want to muck up the look of my 3.2 with a roof rack and often need to carry two bikes.

Use the search.
Apprently there is NO reciever hitch avail for the A3 so this option is out for now..


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: (ewongkaizen)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ewongkaizen* »_
Apprently there is NO reciever hitch avail for the A3 so this option is out for now..


It's in the works. I've provided info to a major hitch manufacturer, and another forum member is going to provide their car for prototyping sometime in the next couple of weeks. I'd provide my car for prototyping the hitch, but Wisconsin is a little far away from me right now.....

European style (vertical receiver) hitches exist, but are expensive and have to be ordered from Europe, and require a corresponding Euro-style vertical receiver bike rack. The US receiver hitch will solve this. 
I've gotten the wiring issue taken care of perfectly, and will be posting a HowTo shortly.
Once I have the hitch, I'll probably sell my Audi roof bars and develop a hitch-mounted rack to carry my SporTube hard ski cases. 
*EDIT: http://oooo-a3.blogspot.com/2006/11/custom-trailer-hitch.html*


_Modified by OOOO-A3 at 5:57 PM 7-17-2007_


----------



## ScottAW (Oct 20, 2003)

*Re: (OOOO-A3)*

What's the timeline on this hitch????? Very interested, and need ASAP.


----------



## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (neonix)*


_Quote, originally posted by *neonix* »_
Rob, where did you get your base(attachment) system from? I was not sure which of all URL in the tred is right.









Sorry for not responding earlier. I got mine from http://www.roofrackshop.com (see http://www.roofrackshop.com/ve...D=551), they are located in the UK but will ship to the US (somewhat costly international airmail shipping, but worth it since you can't get it anywhere in the states).


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## OOOO-A3 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Re: (ScottAW)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ScottAW* »_What's the timeline on this hitch????? Very interested, and need ASAP.

I wish I had a definite time, too, but here's the sequence of events:
1. Forum member generously provides their car to the hitch manufacturer for about 3-4 days for the hitch to be prototyped and tested.
2. Manufacturer puts the design into production

3. Profit!!!

Step 1 should theoretically happen 'real soon now', like in the next few weeks. The rest.... no idea.

*EDIT: http://oooo-a3.blogspot.com/2006/11/custom-trailer-hitch.html*



_Modified by OOOO-A3 at 5:57 PM 7-17-2007_


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## ScottAW (Oct 20, 2003)

*Re: (OOOO-A3)*

Do you know if the A3 has any bolt-holes or anything for the hitch to mount? I'm just wondering if I could design and fabricate my own. If there is a Euro version one, then there must be a bolt-on method as I can't imagine they break out a welder to attach it.


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## Spazpop1999 (Apr 29, 2006)

*Re: (tpliquid)*

Thanks...just finished assembling it a couple of days before this photo...


----------



## neonix (Nov 19, 2001)

*Re: (robbob)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robbob* »_Sorry for not responding earlier. I got mine from http://www.roofrackshop.com (see http://www.roofrackshop.com/ve...D=551), they are located in the UK but will ship to the US (somewhat costly international airmail shipping, but worth it since you can't get it anywhere in the states).

Thanks








I wonder if there is difference between Thule 440 for Subaru, and the Thule 4901, that you have for A3. Comparing the both photos they look exactly the same.
Here are the two for comparison...
4901








and 440










_Modified by neonix at 5:55 PM 7-26-2006_


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## htchbk (May 30, 2006)

*Re: (neonix)*

There is a rack place in town, if they have those subaru parts in stock I'll head over there and check it out. Otherwise I guess i"m ordering from europe.


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## hawk444 (Feb 15, 2004)

anyone have pics of a thule with a fairing?


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## kennyA3 (Jan 14, 2006)

*Re: (hawk444)*

there's a couple pics of mine at a past gtg...
http://forums.fourtitude.com/z...age=6


----------



## cyclingman (May 23, 2006)

*Re: Thule USA Subaru feet fit A3 factory rails?*

I wondered about that too. I actually asked Thule USA, in the hopes that I could buy the feet locally and just have to buy/ship the rubber inserts from the UK, but they explicitly refused to answer the question (or pretty much any question about Thule Europe/UK parts - &^%$#@). 
So here's what I tried: I used the "car finder" function of the Roofracks UK web site to see if they recommended the same feet for the A3 as for any Subaru. So far as I could tell, the answer was no: the feet look similar, but they actually have different UK part numbers. I suppose it's possible that Subaru UK and US might have different rails, but I didn't want to deal with that.
I ended up buying everything - feet, rubber inserts, 50" standard rails, even locks - from the UK. Shipping was a fortune, but everything works perfectly.


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## Tarik D (Oct 13, 2005)

*Re: Thule USA Subaru feet fit A3 factory rails? (cyclingman)*

You should post a pic once it's installed. Curious to see how the full UK-purchased system looks.
T.


----------



## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: (neonix)*

They are not the same. The contour on the bars for the subaru is different -- I would be wary of getting anything that didn't fit the exact contour of the A3's bars, since the clamping of the mechanism seems to be very dependent on getting a good fit. The other difference is that they both accept different bar types, the 4901 takes the aero bars, which I opted for in the hopes of reducing wind noise (and there is really very little noticeable noise with the aero bars attached).


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## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: Thule USA Subaru feet fit A3 factory rails? (Tarik D)*

You should take a look at my pics that I posted (on page 4), all of the components there are the ones from the UK.


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## htchbk (May 30, 2006)

*Re: Thule USA Subaru feet fit A3 factory rails? (robbob)*


_Quote, originally posted by *robbob* »_You should take a look at my pics that I posted (on page 4), all of the components there are the ones from the UK.

Rack looks great !!
what size bars did you end up ordering ? Wasnt sure from reading your posts,,,guess I missed something.
Thnks


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)




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## abarthol (Sep 26, 2001)

*Re: (yam)*

Looks good, Yam.
It looks like the cross bars sit farther back about 6" in the front and 9" in the back than the non-factory mounts. There's no way that setup would allow you to open the sun roof, but I guess that's not a problem for you. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
What's that sticker in your driver's side window?


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)

Its a prop 65 sticker disclaimer. Says something like the car contains chemicals known to the state of California that cause cancer. Pretty gay if you ask me.


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## angryrican66 (Apr 16, 2006)

*Re: Roof racks for the A3 (Tarik D)*

Checkout the Thule setup on my A3


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## robbob (Sep 30, 2005)

*Re: Thule USA Subaru feet fit A3 factory rails? (robbob)*

These are the photos of the rails with Atlantis 1600 box.
It fits very well, color matches and it sits very close to the top of the car. It's easy to take off and put on. It makes a little bit of wind noise, but not enough that you would be annoyed. With about 50 lbs or so of stuff handling is a little worse, but not by much. You get about 2 mpg or so less gas mileage.








This time I drove up to Yosemite, up and down on Old Priest grade.








No, it doesn't touch the antenna.








Even with the box moved as far forward as possible, the hatch hits the back of the box when opening. It's about 1" away from opening all the way, it's beneficial to put felt on the box, since otherwise it might scratch up the housing on the top rear light (that's where it is impacting). The hatch is open enough to stay open and load stuff in without being too annoying.








As you can see, right on the top of the light.








Fits well onto the rails.


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## A3owner2B (Jul 14, 2004)

*finally got some pics*

I've had my roof bars since October but just now posting pics. I was in the UK and picked up the bars and feet while I was there to save a bunch on shipping. I got the Thule Criterium here in the US, though it is sold in Europe under a different name. The only problem is the back of the bike carrier does hit the hatch when it is fully opened, so I use a towel to keep it from scratching when they touch. After owning the car for a year I am happy to be finally making use of the roof rails.


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: finally got some pics (A3owner2B)*


_Quote, originally posted by *A3owner2B* »_The only problem is the back of the bike carrier does hit the hatch when it is fully opened, so I use a towel to keep it from scratching when they touch. 

I also have the Thule Criterium and noticed the same issue as you. I simply loosened the bolts and slid it forward, and retightened. Now I have about 2 inches of clearance. You will need to remove the Criterium from the rack to access the bolts on the bottom.


_Modified by SFBay-A3 at 3:57 PM 12/23/2006_


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

*Re: Roof Racks for the A3*

oh man, I wish we had these racks available to you guys when this forum was active, we've just finished 4 years of development to produce the world's quietest roof rack. Check it out for the A3 here http://www.prorack-internation...30692 (takes a minute but you'll be impressed). And make sure you watch this incredible video in the wind tunnel demonstrating the Whispbar vs other bar types !! http://www.prorack-internation....aspx - 5 minutes but worth every one.
I'm business development manager for this company just so you know. 
Check out the full website on http://www.prorack-international.com/us/


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## 07SlineA3 (Nov 22, 2006)

*Re: Roof Racks for the A3 ([email protected])*

Nice, but no listing of price or where to buy... As the business manager I suggest a better page ;-)
Are there any US dealers?
Can you give a quote for the setup for an A3 in the USD?


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: Roof Racks for the A3 ([email protected])*

What about an option for those of us with roof rails?
Edit: I see them listed for other countries, just no the US


_Modified by xt0rted at 8:07 PM 7/1/2009_


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## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

*Re: finally got some pics (SFBay-A3)*


_Quote, originally posted by *SFBay-A3* »_
I also have the Thule Criterium and noticed the same issue as you. I simply loosened the bolts and slid it forward, and retightened. Now I have about 2 inches of clearance. You will need to remove the Criterium from the rack to access the bolts on the bottom.


Wait a minute, i have this same rack/bars/etc and I can't open my open sky because when it tilts up it hits the underneath of the front crossbar. I'm confused. How do you open yours?








Here's a pic of mine though. I love the setup overall. Couldn't imagine not having roof rails!


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## SFBay-A3 (Aug 18, 2005)

*Re: finally got some pics (YlwNewBug)*


_Quote, originally posted by *YlwNewBug* »_
Wait a minute, i have this same rack/bars/etc and I can't open my open sky because when it tilts up it hits the underneath of the front crossbar. I'm confused. How do you open yours?










The clearance that I was referring to is the clearance in the back between the end of the bike rack and the top of the hatch when it is fully open. Sliding the Criterium bike rack forward a little allows the hatch to open up fully without hitting anything. It does nothing for open sky clearance.
Having said that, I also have no problems with open sky at all because I'm using the OEM Audi bars (see page 3 of this thread). Most people don't like the look of the bars being raised so high but it does have it's benefits: open sky can be fully utilized and in winter it allows me to carry 4 snowboards by having two boards upside down. If they were any lower the snowboard bindings would hit the roof.


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## 07SlineA3 (Nov 22, 2006)

*Re: finally got some pics (YlwNewBug)*


_Quote, originally posted by *YlwNewBug* »_








My favorite spot... have not been back since I broke my wrist in late April.... and your the same dude with the APR chip... maybe my A3 will be out there in the fall (maybe with APR chip too)...
Nice bikes, nice roofrack setup.


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## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

*Re: finally got some pics (07SlineA3)*

Ha! Ya, my office isn't far from there so I was going over during lunch sometimes to get a few miles in.
Haven't been in quite a while either since I usually ride my bike to work 3-4 days a week. 25 miles a day is enough without doing more during lunch.








But i'm building up a new Tommasini now so I may be back there in the fall too. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
btw, two years ago this April i was riding and the front wheel got caught in an expansion gap. Broke my ankle and dislocated my shoulder. Spent 8 weeks in a foot boot, arm sling and walker. I guess April is a dangerous month in Houston.


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## Ultimatetaba (Feb 18, 2005)

*FV-QR*

So all of you guys with the OEM roof rails...are you getting them as a factory option? Or as an aftermarket upgrade?


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (Ultimatetaba)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Ultimatetaba* »_So all of you guys with the OEM roof rails...are you getting them as a factory option? Or as an aftermarket upgrade?

Mine are being retro fitted. I wish I got them from the factory though.


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## YlwNewBug (Jan 5, 2000)

*Re: FV-QR (xt0rted)*

Mine are oem factory goodness. Added two weeks to my order.


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## Ultimatetaba (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (xt0rted)*

Wish they were an option when I was buying...

_Quote, originally posted by *xt0rted* »_
Mine are being retro fitted. I wish I got them from the factory though.

How much did you pick the rails up for? Where from? So you're having the headliner ripped out?


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## xt0rted (Jan 8, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (Ultimatetaba)*

I ordered them from oempl.us in black and I'm letting a local shop put them on for me. I don't want to deal with dropping the headliner so they can do all of that


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

*Re: FV-QR (xt0rted)*

I'm back after going missing in action for some time. It's been a while since I posted my last comment on here and thanks for the feedback about the site and frustration at not finding where to go in the USA for this system! We take feedback like this seriously (yeah they all say that you're thinking) and have done something about it, no true we really have. 
Here's the update:, 
a) we're now selling in the USA, through RackAttack - branches on the East and West (right now only two listed on our site but more coming soon)
b) as business development manager I've taken on board the feedback about our site and totally redesigned it http://www.whispbar.com - hence going missing for some time, and 
c) here's an online review by an A4 Avant owner with Whispbar http://forums.audiworld.com/sh...72463, and
d) for those who can't be bothered navigating the site to find the A3 (even though it's super easy) here's the link to the A3 with pics http://www.whispbar.com/cars/a...-6012
Oh, and I forgot to mention all Thule accessories that use their t-slot system (most of them, certainly their latest accessories)fit the Whispbar as do any Yakima accessories with Mighty Mouth (once again most of them). This is the latest and greatest in racks, so slick that you don't need the fairings on to reduce noise, and of course drag is way less. Other benefits too, check out the site and video.
Let me know your thoughts


















_Modified by [email protected] at 7:58 PM 2-16-2010_


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## Gothic Serpent (Sep 7, 2008)

*Re: (yam)*


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## BDI (Nov 7, 2002)

*Re: FV-QR ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_I'm back after going missing in action for some time. It's been a while since I posted my last comment on here and thanks for the feedback about the site and frustration at not finding where to go in the USA for this system! We take feedback like this seriously (yeah they all say that you're thinking) and have done something about it, no true we really have. 
Here's the update:, 
a) we're now selling in the USA, through RackAttack - branches on the East and West (right now only two listed on our site but more coming soon)
b) as business development manager I've taken on board the feedback about our site and totally redesigned it http://www.whispbar.com - hence going missing for some time, and 
c) here's an online review by an A4 Avant owner with Whispbar http://forums.audiworld.com/sh...72463, and
d) for those who can't be bothered navigating the site to find the A3 (even though it's super easy) here's the link to the A3 with pics http://www.whispbar.com/cars/a...-6012
Oh, and I forgot to mention all Thule accessories that use their t-slot system (most of them, certainly their latest accessories)fit the Whispbar as do any Yakima accessories with Mighty Mouth (once again most of them). This is the latest and greatest in racks, so slick that you don't need the fairings on to reduce noise, and of course drag is way less. Other benefits too, check out the site and video.
Let me know your thoughts

















_Modified by [email protected] at 7:58 PM 2-16-2010_

Will the open sky sun roof open with this system??


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

At a quick look I would say yes, but without checking I couldn't say for sure. As you can see the front bar is quite far forward so the sunroof should pop up nicely behind that.


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## BDI (Nov 7, 2002)

*Re: ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_At a quick look I would say yes, but without checking I couldn't say for sure. As you can see the front bar is quite far forward so the sunroof should pop up nicely behind that.

The position of the bar looks like the same position of the Euro Thule setup. I'm more concerned about the height of the bar.


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

*Re: (BDI)*

The height off the roof is around 2"/50mm (varies a bit with the curve of the roof). It will be a little higher than the red audi Thule setup above, but lower than the black audi Thule setup if that makes sense.


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## mista808 (Apr 30, 2000)

*yakima*

heres mines...


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

*Re: (Old Hockey Guy)*

Fairings/deflectors are band aids for the real problem of noisy roof racks! 
I know I'm a bit late with the post - like 3+ years







- but in case you're looking for something a bit different now you could check out this review http://www.audizine.com/forum/...feet)


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## flieger45 (Jan 8, 2010)

I have oem racks with a Thule fairing and it took considerable modifications for it to work. I like the oem rack but it is hard to find aftermarket stuff that fits it without mods.


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## BDI (Nov 7, 2002)

*Re: ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_The height off the roof is around 2"/50mm (varies a bit with the curve of the roof). It will be a little higher than the red audi Thule setup above, but lower than the black audi Thule setup if that makes sense.

I have the same setup as the red A3. I was willing to sacrifice opening the sunroof with that kit because of it's low profile. The oem crossbars was the alternative but sits WAY too high.
Is there any way to confirm whether the open sky will work with these bars or not??


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

BDI, can you give me the measurement of how high the open sky gets to when opened? If we confirm this then we can make the call whether it works or not with Whispbar. Easiest way to take this measurment is to put a straight edge (like a long ruler, or broom handle etc) across the rails then lean out and measure down - or up - to the open sky.


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## Gothic Serpent (Sep 7, 2008)

*Re: (flieger45)*


_Quote, originally posted by *flieger45* »_ 

The DOD decal - who are you with?


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## tiptronic (Apr 18, 1999)

*Re: FV-QR ([email protected])*

I really like the set below- too bad i dont have oem baseroof rails =(

_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_I'm back after going missing in action for some time. It's been a while since I posted my last comment on here and thanks for the feedback about the site and frustration at not finding where to go in the USA for this system! We take feedback like this seriously (yeah they all say that you're thinking) and have done something about it, no true we really have. 
Here's the update:, 
a) we're now selling in the USA, through RackAttack - branches on the East and West (right now only two listed on our site but more coming soon)
b) as business development manager I've taken on board the feedback about our site and totally redesigned it http://www.whispbar.com - hence going missing for some time, and 
c) here's an online review by an A4 Avant owner with Whispbar http://forums.audiworld.com/sh...72463, and
d) for those who can't be bothered navigating the site to find the A3 (even though it's super easy) here's the link to the A3 with pics http://www.whispbar.com/cars/a...-6012
Oh, and I forgot to mention all Thule accessories that use their t-slot system (most of them, certainly their latest accessories)fit the Whispbar as do any Yakima accessories with Mighty Mouth (once again most of them). This is the latest and greatest in racks, so slick that you don't need the fairings on to reduce noise, and of course drag is way less. Other benefits too, check out the site and video.
Let me know your thoughts

















_Modified by [email protected] at 7:58 PM 2-16-2010_


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

*Re: FV-QR (tiptronic)*

No problem if you don't have the base roof rails and you like the racks, here is Whispbar on the same vehicle as yours.








More information on http://www.whispbar.com/cars/a...-5058


_Modified by [email protected] at 1:48 AM 2/19/2010_


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## crmarks (Jan 28, 2010)

*Re: FV-QR ([email protected])*

I'd like to order a full Whispbar setup for my A3 without base rails, but RackAttack doesn't seem to stock the parts needed for the A3 on their website.


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## [email protected] (Jun 30, 2009)

Contact Scott at RA Portland Store, he's up to speed with what parts they have in stock. If not in stock they can order in. Phone number for Portland is 503.226.7300


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## krazyboi (May 19, 2004)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *tiptronic* »_I really like the set below- too bad..


I don't have the spare change sitting around for it.


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## BoulderJeff (Sep 3, 2010)

*Can you tell me the supplier you got the Mont Blanc rack from?*

I know you posted this a long time ago, but the manufacturers still haven't caught up to the A3 with the roof rails and the Mont Blanc looks like the best one for me. I'd appreciate it if you could tell me where you got it. Thanks


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