If there is a complaint that you will hear from the roof box owner, it's about the annoying noise it sometimes makes.
The noises may result from many things, but majorly they result from loose and poorly fitted roof racks.
Grab a 1/4-inch cord or a rope to reduce noise on a roof rack. Then wrap it up around the front crossbar member, and tie it around the member in a spiral pattern to go down the ball, which will break up the air as it travels over the crossbar. Therefore, reducing the sound the noise level on your roof as you're driving on the highway.
It is important to note that over 60 miles per hour on a highway, you may still hear a little loud and long-rushing noise until you get back down to under 60.
Tips to Quiet Down Your Roof Box
Bellow, I will walk through some tips you can use to curb the noisy roof box dilemma. These suggestions will help solve the logical problems that lead to noise.
What to do to reduce Roof Box Noise
After ensuring that your roof rack system is appropriately secured and your roof box is still making noise, they are a few things you can check and change to eliminate the annoying noises.
First, you need to ensure that the roof box is secured correctly. Then, if it is properly fixed, you can try the following suggestions:
Ensure your luggage is properly secured
If your luggage is secured incorrectly, it could cause noise as they keep wobbling as you drive. In cases where you are carrying bikes, you could adjust the straps and mounting points so that the items are held tightly. The luggage could also be secured using zip ties or cords to ensure they are tight and more firm.
Check the base rack.
The base rack should also be checked between the car and gear. You could check it by pulling the side of the crossbar to the side; it gives an idea of how secured the rack is. If it is not well secure, tie down your mounts or straps to get the rack where it needs to be.
Check the contact points.
You should check your contact points to determine whether they might be rubbing against the surface of your car. Then, you can strip these points to combat the problem. Stripping helps protect the surface of the vehicle.
What makes the roof boxes noisy?
The roof boxes are mostly noisy when one is traveling at high speed. The noise is due to the gaps that might have been left between the bars and the base; when the wind goes through these gaps, it results in whistling noises that, at times, maybe pretty loud.
Most of the noise is produced by the roof rack. They are a few tricks to reduce roof rack noises listed below:
Disrupt the airflow
You could do this by using a rope and wrapping it around the crossbar in the front. Then, wrap it around the length of the bar to the end. This will disrupt the airflow, thus reducing the whistling sound. it will be more hlepful watching this video
Reposition your rack
This won't offer a permanent solution but will make the problem more bearable. In addition, you can move the crossbars forward or backward.
Use an airfoil
Airfoils on the crossbars create a smoother airflow, thus reducing the whistling noises. Getting the best airfoils will go a long way in ensuring your problems are solved. They are pretty cheap!
Use a fairing
The fairing is a part you add to your car to reduce the drag effect and make the car go faster. This is expensive, but it is the most effective solution. It streamlines the vehicle, but it also makes it more fuel-efficient.
Use edge bars
This is a solution that is typically overlooked by people when they are trying to fix the noisy boxes. If you are not dealing with large and heavy loads, it is better to go for the edge bars rather than the load bars.
The load bars have some additional surface area, which produces noise as you drive, significantly when it extends past the rack's tower.
DIY roof rack wind deflector
Suppose you do not want to go out of your budget and incur extra costs trying to solve this problem. There is a quick fix that may stop the noise. You will use a bungee cord to diffuse the wind that hits the rack.
Wrap the bungee cord in a tight spiral around the crossbars, attaching the cord at the end of both crossbars. The length of the cord should be directly proportional to the length of your crossbars.
Understand the parts of the roof box
Getting to know the parts of the roof box and how they are attached helps understand how roof box noise occurs. Understanding where the noise comes from makes it easy to find the solution to the problem. They are various parts of a roof box as follows:
The fit kit
If you have a flush roof that does not have a built-in roof rack, you will have to purchase one. However, it is not necessary if your car already has these items. You should also know that they are specific to a car model and not universal.
The towers
They are attached to the fit kit, and they are universal. They ensure your equipment does not fly all over when you are driving.
The crossbars
The crossbars combine everything; they can be circular, aero, or square. They vary in price depending on the shapes. The square bars are less expensive, but they make a lot of noise because they are not aerodynamic.
The aero bars are the best, although they are the most expensive, less noisy, have better fuel efficiency, and are more attractive.
The connectors
They are of two types depending on your preference:
T-track adapters
These adapters spread your load and help cut back on noise. They are mostly used with aero crossbars, and they look sleek.
U-bolts
They are universal and can be used with all types of roof boxes. However, they are not usable with aero bars, and they can sometimes scratch bars made of softer aluminum.
I recently wrote an article about making roof racks more aerodynamic I highly recommend checking it out here.
Wrapping up
All the above are great ways to reduce the noise you hear as you drive and have a roof box on the top of your car. However, most of the suggestions discussed above involve making sure everything is appropriately secured so that there are no chances of air moving through it.
The suggestions should ensure you get your roof box back! Less noisy and more comfortable.
If you cannot solve the problem, you can always take your vehicle to a dealer so that they can professionally handle the issue and ensure that your gear and your roof box are as quiet as possible.