Are there racks that fit the painted hardtop?

[3 Pedal Ronnie]

I'm shopping around for a roof rack for my '25 Big Bend with a gloss black top. I'm mostly interested in carrying the cargo box I already own for family road trips, but I certainly wouldn't mind having more functionality. However, there seem to be fitment issues with the OEM painted top. There have been reports that some racks, including the ever popular Trailrax, will not mount flush (pics of a couple of examples I found below). RCI goes as far as to say their rack is not compatible with the painted top. Does anyone out there know of a rack that fits as intended? I hope the OEM rack is a safe bet, but I've yet to find an example to verify.

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[BigBendBW]

OEM has been available on the HE and HEL trims with the white painted tops. I bought one but haven’t put it on yet. Definitely safe going with an OEM.

 

[3 Pedal Ronnie]

OEM has been available on the HE and HEL trims with the white painted tops. I bought one but haven’t put it on yet. Definitely safe going with an OEM.

I figure as much.
With the white top having been around for a bit, I would think there would be more information out there on fitment.

 

[stom_m3]

Would the RTR fit since it doesn't use the roof slots?

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

The OEM rack fits fine at the clamp points on my HE but some (including me) get a buzzing noise due to a minor fitment issue with the pad under the rear towers. The rubber pad isn’t snug to the roof so it catches wind and vibrates. I’m keeping mine off until I really need it.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/hard-top-roof-buzzing-noise.98590/

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

This is what I’m talking about:

It probably wouldn’t be too hard to improvise a fix by adding a thin extra layer of rubber to the pad there. I just haven’t needed it enough to bother with it yet.

 

[TLO]

I figure as much.
With the white top having been around for a bit, I would think there would be more information out there on fitment.

I mounted my Valkyrie rack to my 2 door HE...
'Course, I put down some PPF at dense foam at the contact points...

 

[3 Pedal Ronnie]

Would the RTR fit since it doesn't use the roof slots?

I've considered something like the RTR, Gobi, or even the ARB rack, all of which don't use the rear roof mounts. All of those are certainly on the expensive side though.

 

[3 Pedal Ronnie]

I just realized that the Trailrax unit doesn't support the painted top either.

 

[TLO]

I just realized that the Trailrax unit doesn't support the painted top either.

I'm sure they probably mean 'not soft top'
You can add PPF to the clamp points of the rack...I did this with my Heritage, NP

 

[3 Pedal Ronnie]

I'm sure they probably mean 'not soft top'
You can add PPF to the clamp points of the rack...I did this with my Heritage, NP

You could be right, but it does seem pretty specific. @TrailRax, could you weigh in here on the topic?

 

[4Runner2Bronco]

https://omotorauto.com/products/roo...r-2-7l-badlands-and-bronco-sport1736500611075

This is a decent rack. Looks like OEM, except longer. Strong and sturdy material. Fits snug. No whistles or rattling. The only thing that keeps it from being a great rack is the hardware. The hardware is garbage to the point of taking the rack off and reinstalling is not going to happen. Buy quality hardware when you do the install and you’ll be in good shape. Price point is good too.

 

[3 Pedal Ronnie]

https://omotorauto.com/products/roo...r-2-7l-badlands-and-bronco-sport1736500611075

This is a decent rack. Looks like OEM, except longer. Strong and sturdy material. Fits snug. No whistles or rattling. The only thing that keeps it from being a great rack is the hardware. The hardware is garbage to the point of taking the rack off and reinstalling is not going to happen. Buy quality hardware when you do the install and you’ll be in good shape. Price point is good too.

Interesting. This is certainly all I really need from a roof rack. I'll keep it in mind. Thank you.

 

[stom_m3]

I just realized that the Trailrax unit doesn't support the painted top either.

It seems like the roof brackets which are separate pieces, could simply be made with shorter legs to fit the painted top. From what I researched, the painted roof pockets are shallower than the standard MIC top.

 

[Surge]

You could be right, but it does seem pretty specific. @TrailRax, could you weigh in here on the topic?

Interested to hear from @TrailRax if they're working on different roof brackets that fit the painted tops flush.

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