Roof rack crossbars

I'm looking to add some cross bars to my roof rack so I can mount a bike carrier.

I see that EM are ~$170, but other aftermarket addons go all the way up to $600+

Can anyone educate me on what all that extra money buys in cross bars?

BTW, I'm not interested in the ones where you removed the OEM rails and attach them to the roof gutter. I just want cross bars to mount a bike carrier, and maybe something later like a luggage carrier.

 

Try typing this into a Google search

Roof rack crossbars site:4runners.com/

You'll get plenty of search results. It's just that this subject has been covered a dozen times over at least.

 

Keep in mind, what ever cross bar you go with the limited weight is dictated by the factory rack if used.

 

I replaced the factory X-bars with LFD's. The wind fairing bar is too big to accept a clamp/foot from my Yakama Skybox, so I opted to not use it.

https://lfdoffroad.com/collections/ruggedized-crossbars-5th-gen-4runner

 

LFD & Victory 4x4 have great crossbars. I found some used Victory ones at 1/2 price and they do the job.

 

Do you already have the bike rack or whatever else you want to mount? You can probably nab a used/takeoff set of the OEM cross bars pretty cheap, I got mine for around $50, but they are curved and pretty low where they mount to the rails. Depending on the mounting style you might be better off with Yakima-style towers and crossbars

 

The difference in the cost among crossbars and bike carriers is typically weight, build quality and brand reputation.

@HuskerRunner makes a good point. If you only plan to carry a bike on your roof, perhaps it’s smarter to get more generic crossbars and and a bike rack and mount them to the factory rails rather than going with 4-Runner-specific LFD, Victory 4x4 et al. The chief benefit there is that the crossbars can be used on other vehicles too.

If you haven’t already, spend some time on eTrailer.com. Their videos are especially helpful.

As an aside, unless you have other plans for your trailer hitch, like a hitch trunk or a trailer, I’d consider a hitch mounted bike rack before a roof mounted one.

 

Had the LFD crossbars for a while before switching to a Sherpa. The LFD crossbars are solid and once installed the mounting system can work with regular carriage bolts.

 

Yes, I have a Yakima Frontloader

Thanks! This site is helpful!

I appreciate the replies and feedback.