Prinsu Pro roof rack installed - video

[lockwoodjd]

The RTT caused a whistling noise, so I mounted it more forward which got rid of most of the noise...

To get rid of the rest of the noise, I figured out the gap between the front of the rack and RTT needs to be blocked. I temporarily blocked the gap with some packing foam, but I need to find a more permanent solution:

I'll be on the lookout for some foam and/or rubber solution (black to match color of rack/RTT) that I can semi-permanently attach -- likely using a combination of pressure and adhesive. I got it up to 65+ MPH like this and it was relatively quiet.

With the RTT mounted farther back as I originally had it, the noise was pretty bad -- definitely something that would be persistently aggravating on a long road trip. Mounted farther forward, the noise was reduced significantly, but there was still a noticeable high-pitched whistle -- just much quieter. After placing the foam as show in my last pic, the high pitch sound was eliminated. So, at least I know what I need to do -- block that particular gap.

Perhaps a pool noodle?

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[dirtwheeler]

Perhaps a pool noodle?

I'm going to try backer rod first -- same concept. There's also a little rattling between the RTT and rack, so I'll try some different sized backer rod to help with that too. I might use some silicone help keep the backer rod in place in the front too. If there's still a rattling, I'll reset the RTT over some cut 1/8" rubber strips.

 

[dirtwheeler]

Backer rod did the trick. 1.5" backer rod up front to eliminate whistling (between the rack's wind deflector and the RTT). And 0.75" backer rod between the RTT mounting rails and the rack crossbars to eliminate the rattling between the RTT and rack (only in two places for me)...

The backer rod up front might have also helped contribute to eliminating the rattling since it adds pressure between the rack and RTT, but hard to tell for sure. I think it was mostly adding the 0.75" backer rod that helped with this. I only put the 0.75" strips between the cross bars and RTT rails in the two places that were easy to reach through the moonroof. I thought I would have to add more, but I didn't notice any rattling on my last test drive. I also couldn't hear any whistling -- tested to 80+ MPH.

I'm just relying on pressure to hold the backer rod in place for now. If it works, great. If it starts coming out after a while, I'll add a silicone seal and/or try something different. But all good for now.

If I had to do this all over, I would preemptively placed 0.75" backer rod in the RTT rails before setting on the crossbars. If I had more time (to do this "right"), I would fabricate wind guard extension that sits against the bottom of the RTT with a rubber edge seal. I might still do this in the future, but for now the backer rod is a quick/easy/cheap hack that works fine for my needs.

FWIW, I did not try to shove anything thicker than 1.5" backer rod between the wind guard and RTT, which might be possible, but I'd be careful adding unneeded pressure/stress between the wind guard and RTT.

 

[JackedAcctnt]

How high is the prinsu pro roof rack in inches?

 

[dirtwheeler]

How high is the prinsu pro roof rack in inches?

I assume the question is how high the rack sits above the vehicle, not just the rack’s standalone dimensions. On my 4Runner, the top of the rear crossbar measures approximately 3 5/16 inches above the rear roof surface. The side rails sit about 1/4 inch higher than the crossbars, so the overall rack height is approximately 3 9/16 inches above the rear of the roof.

I have not confirmed the absolute highest point of the roof itself. Determining that precisely would require placing the vehicle on level ground with the rack removed and measuring with a long level. Based on typical roof geometry, the highest point is likely closer to the center for water runoff, but that is an assumption. I could have also just measured at each crossbar if the RTT was not in the way.

My 4Runner has a leveling lift installed, which causes the vehicle to sit slightly higher in the front than a stock configuration. It is also worth noting that the shark fin antenna is approximately 2 1/2 inches higher than the roof surface, so relative to that reference point, the rack sits only about 1 1/16 inches higher. I removed the factory Toyota crossbars when installing the Prinsu rack and did not measure their height.

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