Model 3 Roof Rack - Farad Pro Square Roof Bars

[house9]

Here is a post I put up awhile back: Unscientific roof rack efficiency test (Model 3)

Since then I have done some drives with a bad headwind and bikes on top - I was using over 400kW average luckily had a good selection of superchargers on that route.

 

[15Peter20]

T

Thanks. I might pony up for the Farad racks and see how they go. I can always remove them for long journeys. My biggest fear is cracking the roof…

It is an unnerving process fitting the hooks under the glass, to say the least……..

The bars don’t come with written instructions either, only horrible pictograms which I detest. Be patient: the hooks will slide in with minimal resistance even though it seems impossible at first. I added some thick tape to the metal part of the roof just outside of the hooks: the hooks are plastic coated but I added protective tape to belt and braces it.

I fitted mine during the England semi final. The cheers and groans coming from the nearest pub garden seemed to exactly match my progress and mood as I fitted them for the first time……

It‘s a 5-10 minute process to remove or refit them after the first time.

I ended up ordering the Farad bike carriers too. They should be here next week so hopefully I can report positive vibes about them.

 

[debrooker]

Morning all,

bit of a thread revival on this one - how are people finding these bars?

I'm starting to give up on waiting for the Tesla ones to come back into stock and these seem to be the only viable alternative.

Any negatives? Such as marking the car paint or glass?

Thanks

D.

 

[drewpost]

Very pleased with them. They have the same load rating as the Model Y roof bars and slightly higher than the model 3 OEM bars. We got these for our 3 instead of the OEM ones as we knew we were getting Y this year and the Farad bars would work on both whereas the Tesla ones are specific to the 3 or the Y.

 

[kuruma]

I'd highly recommend them. Not expensive, solid and once you fit them the first time, very simple to get off to store and back on when you need them.

 

[kuruma]

It is an unnerving process fitting the hooks under the glass, to say the least……..

well only because the first time you do it, you think you can actually break the glass. Once you've done it, you realise how easy it is and how impossible that would be. Finding the very faint triangle markers on the glass roof was the hardest bit for me. There's a bit of a knack to sliding the credit card sized bit of plastic under the rubber seal but once you get that, it's straightforward and the brackets rotate in just fine.

 

[intactradio]

they were a bit of a faff to assemble first time but one they’re put together it only takes a couple of minutes to mount or remove them.
Wind noise is my only complaint. I have the aero version and hoped to leave them on full time but I can’t live with the noise when the racks aren’t in use. Still, not a massive issue to remove the racks when I’m not using them.

 

[Adopado]

they were a bit of a faff to assemble first time but one they’re put together it only takes a couple of minutes to mount or remove them.
Wind noise is my only complaint. I have the aero version and hoped to leave them on full time but I can’t live with the noise when the racks aren’t in use. Still, not a massive issue to remove the racks when I’m not using them.

I think I've only seen one M3 with the Tesla aero roof bars, on a black car in Dunbar ... very cool looking indeed.

 

[drewpost]

they were a bit of a faff to assemble first time but one they’re put together it only takes a couple of minutes to mount or remove them.
Wind noise is my only complaint. I have the aero version and hoped to leave them on full time but I can’t live with the noise when the racks aren’t in use. Still, not a massive issue to remove the racks when I’m not using them.

They were a faff. The instruction set I had wasn't super clear, either. There was a degree of "figure out which set of instructions apply to what I'm doing now".

Agreed on the noise however, as you've pointed out, they're quite easy to get on/off once they're assembled so I just pop them on when I need them. I've got it down to about 5 minutes if the rubber seals in the roof lining are playing nicely.

 

[intactradio]

I think I've only seen one M3 with the Tesla aero roof bars, on a black car in Dunbar ... very cool looking indeed.

Hah - mine is a black M3 and spends a lot of its time in Dunbar at Belhaven (live in North Berwick). I think I know the car you’re referring to.