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I am considering a roof rack.... I have the troughs etc for my bike from another system but not the main rails that attach to the roof. I figured they will be cheaper buying in the winter hence my question at this time of year.
So...
1 - I see a ton of racks on Craigslist etc.... is the Porsche rack unique to Porsche or are there some universal units? How can I know the units for sale will or will not fit my car?
2 - Anyone have a rack? Opinions? Tips?
I live is a hilly, dangerous area for biking... I just need to haul my bike a few miles and I can be on the rails-to-trails but getting there could kill me.
Bruce, I am not with my car right now, but if I recall correctly, the towers and connection to the car are the only “Porsche” parts. The horizontal and v racks are Thule. I think that I scavenged the bike carriers off another Thule rack that I had in storage. I was able to use the front wheel storage carriers from storage too.
Do you have an REI or other similar store by you? I know it is christmas bummer shopping time but a lot of those places have a dedicated employee for just talking about racks.
Also, where I live, there are a few bike shops that have big rack sections and know all the custom hookups.
996 and 997 are the same for OEM racks. Thule is also ok but if You put a roofbox on Thule will give a little upnose tilt on the box. Thules bike holder is grear. ( It might be that my bikeholder is an older model than the one that can be bought now.)
When I was doing this a few years back, I noticed Thule didn't have anything for us on their website. So, yeh, Thule doesn't list them, but They are the manufacture that makes them for Porsche,(the crossbars and mounts). They fit great and operate great. No wind noise, (well, minimal).
The rack is the same for 996 and 997 and was made for Porsche by thule. I think this is why thule doesn't list a rack for either model (some contractual non-compete thing). It uses the standard thule euro bars from that period of time cut to specific length for the car. The towers and "feet" are custom to the 996/997. The best thing about the rack is that is doesn not really touch the paint on the roof. Second best is the towers are different heights to keep the bars level.
Other brands of racks can be fitted with clamps, but the Porsche rack is so good, I wouldn't want any of the others.
I would recommend getting the Yakima 40" wind faring to further reduce wind noise.
I have the Yakima rack and it works well. The only "issue" compared to the Porsche specific one is that the towers are equal height (I believe the Porsche model has the rear tower higher up to make them equal height). . . not an issue unless you're going to throw a roof-box up there which would make the front end a bit higher than the rear. Otherwise, not too noticeable for bikes, skis, roof-basket. I've driven 1000's of miles with a rack on top, only hear the wind excessively when I've got the roof-basket up for longer trips (I do have the fairing, so that makes a difference).
You can make up a kit for a 997 using Thule parts that works, I have it on mine. As mentioned Thule in UK and Europe do sell a kit themselves, but the feet are the same height so boxes tend to look a little upturned..
To solve this get on ebay and buy these bits used (you'll probably have to buy 2 sets of 4 feet, so as you only use 2 at the front and 2 at the back you end up with 2 sets of perfect 996/997 feet... Can sell them pretty easy). A quick search shows these are available via ebay.com 2 x Thule 753 feet 2 x Thule 751 XT feet
1 x Thule 3100 fitting fit (specifically for the 996/997)
Its also worth noting that the Porsche supplied roof boxes are also made by Thule and you can buy them unbranded for considerably less. The one they advise for the 996/997 is a porsche branded Thule Dynamic 330
You can then go for whichever bars you prefer. I used the Thule 'Wingbar Evo' which are an aero dynamic shape. Thule recommends 118cm bars, but I used 108 as I dont like overhang on the ends (and I cut 10cm off mine on the rear as that's narrower than the front).
They arent as nice as the specific Porsche bars, but they are a hella lot cheaper!
I went with the OEM rack because it seemed to look the best and sits level on the sloped roof. When you piece one together it looks like it and sits funny... 996 and 997 fitment is the same. I use Rocky Mounts fork mount trays since they are ultra slim, and the wheels (Zipp carbon fiber) can sit wrapped in blankets in the back seat.
Last edited by BlackBoosted2; 01-02-2020 at 04:55 PM.
You can make up a kit for a 997 using Thule parts that works, I have it on mine. As mentioned Thule in UK and Europe do sell a kit themselves, but the feet are the same height so boxes tend to look a little upturned..
To solve this get on ebay and buy these bits used (you'll probably have to buy 2 sets of 4 feet, so as you only use 2 at the front and 2 at the back you end up with 2 sets of perfect 996/997 feet... Can sell them pretty easy). A quick search shows these are available via ebay.com 2 x Thule 753 feet 2 x Thule 751 XT feet
1 x Thule 3100 fitting fit (specifically for the 996/997)
Its also worth noting that the Porsche supplied roof boxes are also made by Thule and you can buy them unbranded for considerably less. The one they advise for the 996/997 is a porsche branded Thule Dynamic 330
You can then go for whichever bars you prefer. I used the Thule 'Wingbar Evo' which are an aero dynamic shape. Thule recommends 118cm bars, but I used 108 as I dont like overhang on the ends (and I cut 10cm off mine on the rear as that's narrower than the front).
They arent as nice as the specific Porsche bars, but they are a hella lot cheaper!
This was an imperesive piece of research. Im sure Thules development team would like to hest You found "a kit" that works. I talked to them regarding fitting and angle because i really wanted to have a box on the car. I went with oem egen i did not do this research. With oem my box sits perfect. Would be interesting to know of the gaps from roof to racks are the same. I find the 997 so fantastic when You can enjoy it to so much!
I went with the OEM roof racks for my 997.2. The part number is: 99680110500, and the installation, the fitment, and secureness are second to none. Occasionally, gently used sets show up in the Marketplace for $300-$400.
As someone who uses the rack on their 996 and 997 all year round on multiple continents, I highly recommend the OEM Porsche mounts and cross-bars. I use all Thule: Roof box (the one from Porsche in Europe is just a re-badged Thule) for skis, bike racks, outrigger canoe mounts, literally anything. Forgive the repost of some pics (and from issue 719 of Panorama), but I think everyone should have a roof rack and use it! I haven't carried anything on my GT2 yet, but I will....
12-15-2019, 11:24 AM
Roof Rack Questions
