Can the T-Slot in Thule AeroBlade Crossbars be Used to Attach Any Accessory

Question:

First let me say I already bought the crossbar set and installed it on my 2013 Mazda3 hatchback. It looks very good. Just the pair of crossbars will not meet all of my cargo needs. I know what the purpose of the t-slot is, but I cant find that go into the slot for a general purpose attachment. The must be a bolt and knob accessory that fits into the t-slot, right? I used an around the bar fitting, bolt and knob to attach any thing I could drill a hole through to the rack. What is the T-slot equivalent?

asked by: Pete D

Helpful Expert Reply:

Thule, unlike Yakima, does not have a special device that attaches to the bars and accepts numerous accessories. Basically, it depends on what you want to fit to the AeroBlade bars. Thule makes several adapters, called Xadapt? where the question mark would be a number depending on which adapter it was.

If you can tell me what you are wanting to attach to the AeroBlade bars I can determine what Xadapt you will need. If it is a non-Thule item then it may not fit.

Or if you modified the item you could get the Thule T-bolts that fit the AeroBlade bars, such as those that come with the # Xadapt8, linked below. A lot of the Xadapt kits use t-bolt # 853-208909. The head measures 13/16 by 13/16 inches. It is 1-3/16 inches long overall.

expert reply by: Michael H