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First thread here, I live in NY, I want to install the roof rails on my 15 MDX, but the OEM costs over $400, is there an alternative or where can I get some used parts?
Alternative? Not likely unless your willing to have butt ugly.
find them? Check with your local qrecking yard. They can post on their nationwide search site.
or, search for them on ebay, or one of the discount Acura parts dealers.
I do not like the look of the black OEM cross bars. I have my eye on steel ones as it gives it a nice look to match the chrome roof rails. They average in price from $180 to $200 on Ebay.
Here is a good video on a DIY. I plan on ordering this set and installing within the next two weeks. I got a Thule Pulse cargo box and needed the cross bars to support it. I'll post pictures when I'm done.
You can get Thule or Yakima roof rack that mounts roof between the roof and doors. They looks kinda ugly though. OEM is your best bet.
You are right, I have been doing a lot of research, some complained these crossbar will damaged the seal, and I am planning to leave the crossbar there without taking off. But luckily one of the salvage place just came in a 14 mdx with oem roof rail and crossbar, just order it, waiting to pick up.
The Vanguard VGRCB-1968AL roof rails are available on Amazon for $250 per set but only 1 (poor) review at this point. It is supposed to be an OEM style copy.
Does anyone know how the OEM roof rails are constructed?
I know they are mostly plastic for the base/body with a chrome plastic cover but the actual attachment points for the crossbars would obviously be metal and bolt to the studs on the car within the gutters.
Is there any metal structure running between the front and rear attachment points inside that main plastic base/body? If not, I'm wondering if the rails are even needed at all - and with a custom adapter couldn't the crossbars attach directly to the studs on the car?
I got a set of oem roof rail and crossbar from the junk yard for a decent price. So, for the roof rail, it's 2 pieces, one is the base, the other one is the cover(the shining silver part), I am pretty sure the base is made with metal, think about a L shape steel, one side bolts to the car roof, and the other side has holes for the crossbar, anyway, I only use it to carry my snowboard, feels pretty solid.
I remember I looked into a Yakima crossbar before, it doesn't require the roof rail, it has 4 studs that bolts to where the roof rail goes, but for that, it will requires you to remove the whole rail cover, I am not sure if you can manage to keep part of it, but it looks really ugly if the whole piece of cover is removed.
Nice, what did they charge for a salvage set of rails and crossbars?
The thing I don't like about the OEM setup is that they are not adjustable and are set rather far towards the back of the car. The spread between the bars is also a bit short.
They were listed for $120 from car-part.com, but when I got home, I found out a screw hole inside one of the silver cover was broken, doesn't really effect the functionality, I just use tapping screw instead, so I called them up, they adjusted the price to $100.
Yes, they are more toward to the back, what are you planning to use it for?
Thats a killer deal. Did you have to pull them off the salvage car yourself or did they have them ready?
I bought a Thule XL cargo box that I'll use for trips and I also have a couple 14.5' kayaks that I'd like to get a little better spread for. I'm thinking of getting creative to make the OEM stuff work with some adapters for the crossbars or maybe I'll make something entirely custom.
IKR, I also got my spare tire from them too, I even begging them to keep all the oem bolts as much as they could while removing the rails and crossbar, they are very nice.
03-12-2019, 09:37 AM
