[rmorin1249]

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

here is a quick vid

Looking good. Just ordered a set from BMW of Atlantic City off eBay for $225.

[mnewnam]

I had the OEMs at first bc when I bought my 2019 X5 40i that was the only option. I switched to Thule later on and will use those on my '21 X5MC. I still have the OEM ones so if anyone wants to buy them let me know.

[rmorin1249]

Originally Posted by mnewnam

I had the OEMs at first bc when I bought my 2019 X5 40i that was the only option. I switched to Thule later on and will use those on my '21 X5MC. I still have the OEM ones so if anyone wants to buy them let me know.

Darn. I would have been a buyer. Did you have an issue with the OEM bars? I will only mount mine when carrying my kayak. Are they noisy?

[mnewnam]

Originally Posted by rmorin1249

Darn. I would have been a buyer. Did you have an issue with the OEM bars? I will only mount mine when carrying my kayak. Are they noisy?

There is wind noise, but isn't too terrible and I kinda got used to it. The biggest thing for me was the Thule's are a lot lower profile and all black so I can leave them on all the time. They blend in.

[ladra]

In case anyone is wondering, Thule AeroBlade Edge 7603 with Motion XT XL on Sport height (-1) = 2.17 meters.

[GOLFFRR]

5k mile update on the OEM racks. No wind noise that I could notice so far. Loving them, work great

[codex57]

I went with the Thule Wingbar Evo because it has an all black option and blends in and just looks a lot cooler since I have the black roof rails. There's a slight whistle at around 40mph, but I'm not sure if it's cuz I don't have it perfectly straight or need to move it forward or backwards? Never had aftermarket crossbars before.

Still, you can only really hear it with the moonroof shade open and because I have the 45e so there's no engine noise in all electric mode. If the engine ever kicks in, no way you can hear it. I don't notice anything at freeway speeds.

[rmorin1249]

Mounted the OEM bars and took a quick drive. Didn't hit 60 mph but I did not notice any extra noises with the windows up or down. I'm sure I will notice some extra noise when I strap my kayak on the roof.

[SmartSaves]

Hi all, trying to setup Thule AeroBlade Edge racks (7603 & 4023 kit) to go with Motion XT XL cargo box on M Sport flush rails.

I checked all the posts on this thread and tried mounting on B and C pillars, but getting little bit of whistling (first picture). However, with music it is not noticeable. Have anyone revisited their preferred rack location on the rails?

Second picture is from GOLFFRR's video. He has no whistle issue, and I am noticing that his OEM rack (first rack) is mounted slightly after the B pillar. Could this be the ideal solution/location?

As many suggested I am going to try this: "open the trunk and then position the box as far back as possible that doesn't affect the trunk operating correctly and then set the bars to accommodate that position."

If nothing works then I'll try the tapping method on the bottom part of the rail (as a last resort), I'll report back, but also wondering if anyone found a good solution.

[GOLFFRR]

I had the guys measure it based off the instructions. I would assume in the instructions it states where to place the racks for ideal support etc..??

for what its worth though, yes currently no issues. Just drove it down to SD this past week for a golf tourney and 4 hour drive no issues at all with wind noise

[amus3d]

The picture is not my car but I drew arrows to where the suggested mounting points are according to the OEM roof rack instructions. It maybe different on non-Msports but if you run your hand across the inner part of the roof rail, can feel slight indents on the rubber seal. They feel like imperfection in the rubber.

[fndrplayer13]

Originally Posted by amus3d

The picture is not my car but I drew arrows to where the suggested mounting points are according to the OEM roof rack instructions. It maybe different on non-Msports but if you run your hand across the inner part of the roof rail, can feel slight indents on the rubber seal. They feel like imperfection in the rubber.

also this is pretty important imo -- all the specifications around maximum weight distribution on your roof rails are specifically calculated off these two points. So while the manual says your roof can hold 165 lbs -- thats true specifically at those two points in the frame.

[SmartSaves]

Originally Posted by amus3d

I drew arrows to where the suggested mounting points are according to the OEM roof rack instructions.

Thank you for this info. Comparing to GOLFFRR's rack on B pillar the first arrow you indicated is further towards the front of the roof. His installation was done at the dealership (presumably done per spec?!?) Do we have access to the OEM rack's installation manual?

[jad03060]

The instruction manual says that there are five versions of the rails, and only four part numbers of the five have the cross-bar locations marked...but the factory OEM cross-bars are supposed to be centered on these two points (note,the bars will fit multiple BMW models):
for part numbers the front bar goes here:
- 2414373, 2444243, 2444056 460mm from the front of the rail (this is for the X5)
- 2444244 250mm
- 2457814 280mm

for the rear bar:
-2414373, 2444243, 2444056, 2444244 700mm from the front bar (this is for the X5)
- 2457814 650mm from the front bar

On all but railing 2444243, there should be marks to indicate where to put the bars.


On the OEM bars, they tell you to retorque the attachments at 500-miles

FWIW, I picked up the OEM bars from an on-line BMW dealer out of NJ for $225, shipped.

[rmorin1249]

Originally Posted by jad03060

The instruction manual says that there are five versions of the rails, and only four part numbers of the five have the cross-bar locations marked...but the factory OEM cross-bars are supposed to be centered on these two points:
for part numbers the front bar goes here:
- 2414373, 2444243, 2444256 460mm from the front of the rail
- 2444244 250mm
- 2457814 280mm

for the rear bar:
-2414373, 2444243, 2444059, 2444244 700mm from the front bar
- 2457814 650mm from the front bar

Now, exactly how to determine which set of numbers to use...don't know!

On all but railing 2444243, there should be marks to indicate where to put the bars.


On the OEM bars, they tell you to retorque the attachments at 500-miles

FWIW, I picked up the OEM bars from an on-line BMW dealer out of NJ for $225, shipped.

I did the same, BMW of Atlantic City, great price. I mounted mine using the recommended locations per the OEM instructions. No whistling that I can detect.
I have an MSport and could not find any marks on my rails to indicate install location so I used 250 and 650 mm.

[SmartSaves]

Thanks jad03060, very helpful info. The OEM roof rack part number for G05 is 82712444056 (2444056) and I don't see that on your list! I tried to match the part numbers and found the followings:

• 2414373: G01 X3, F97 X3M racks
• 2444243: F39 X2 racks
• 2444256: Typo? 2444056?
• 2444059: Typo? 2444056
• 2444244: G02 X4, F98 X4M racks
• 2457814: G06 racks

Could you please check if the 2444256 and 2444059 are typos by any chance?

[jad03060]

Originally Posted by SmartSaves

Thanks jad03060, very helpful info. The OEM roof rack part number for G05 is 82712444056 (2444056) and I don't see that on your list! I tried to math the part numbers and found the followings:

• 2414373: G01 X3, F97 X3M racks
• 2444243: F39 X2 racks
• 2444256: Typo? 2444056?
• 2444059: Typo? 2444056
• 2444244: G02 X4, F98 X4M racks
• 2457814: G06 racks

Could you please check if the 2444256 and 2444059 are typos by any chance?

Yep, typos...fixed in the original post now. So, with identifying which rail is for the X05, that would put the bars at 460 and 700mm plus, there should be marks there if you look close enough for you to center the bars on. Thanks for doing the part number cross-reference. I did a quick look, and didn't see any marks, but haven't mounted mine...will use a tape measure and find them for the time they get needed. That's 460mm from the front of the rail where it tapers to the body, and 700mm from the first bar to the second, or 1160mm from the front (460+700).

Proper positioning can make a big difference in how quiet they are. Bars that are higher, lower, or shaped differently than the OEM ones may need a different sweet spot.

[SmartSaves]

Took the first rack off and kept the rear rack, went for drive, rear rack still made the whistle sound (same as before, tolerable). Took off the second rack too.

Next, installed both racks (Thule AeroBlade Edge) to the BMW specs: 460mm/18.11 inches from the front edge of the rail. 700mm/27.56 inches between the first and the second rack. Mind you, Thule foots are wider than the OEM.

Observations:

Faint whistle is still there around 50 to 80 km/h. Perhaps slightly improved. Wind noise isn't an issue at various speed.

Passengers don't notice the whistle even after I pointed it out.

With music at low volume I don't hear it.

The point that was made earlier on the thread to install the racks on top of B and C pillar - for structural strength/support - seems to be not supported by BMW specification. What gives?!?

GOLFFRR's first rack was not installed as per BMW spec, but it works for him.

Waiting for my Thule Motion XT XL cargo box to arrive on Monday. Will install and report back on the whistle noise.

[jad03060]

My guess is that the rails distribute the load, and the position was selected to minimize drag and noise.

[GOLFFRR]

just checked with our service director and said they installed them based off what the specs stated in the install guide which came with the racks in the box. So that's all I can say. no issues so far, use them all the time. maybe there is a couple ways to install them based off the application you use? who knows but yea when you get the racks in the box there is a install guide so I would just follow whatever it says when you get them and it is what it is
any who I'm going to bow out of this thread I think I posted enough in here lol. hope everyone has a great weekend!

[Bmwfl13]

Roof rack is a addition to our 2021 and looks fantastic. I was told it wouldn’t work on prior years x5.

[-cj-]

Silly question, but were all "gaps" filled on the aero blades with the included rubber trim? I don't know how much the Aeroblades have changed over the past few years, but when I had it on my Golf TDI if you didn't use the included rubber piece to fill the gap, you would get whistling noises.