To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
These Rapid Podium feet let you install Thule crossbars on your vehicle that has integrated fixed points, flush railings, T-tracks, or custom install rack attachment points.
Features:
Specs:
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Speaker 1: Today on 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee we're going to be test fitting the Thule Aeroblade Roof Rack System, consisting of part numbers THARB53, these are the Thule Aeroblade Load Bars. These also come in black as THARB53B. We'll also be using part number TH460R. This is the Thule Podium Foot Pack for the aero bars. Finally, we'll be using part number THKIT3142, and this is the fit kit for the Grand Cherokee.The Thule Aeroblade roof rack system is great for carrying a wide variety of accessories on your roof while freeing up space inside your vehicle. This can carry anything from bike racks to cargo baskets, to ski and snowboard carriers.
The bars themselves do have an aerodynamic shape to them, and that coupled with the rubber strip up top, that's going to cut down a lot of wind noise and drag while you drive, so you won't get anything such as a fairing as you would with square bars. Also if you open up our endcap here we can use T-track accessories with this as well. You'd simply remove the strip, place in your T-track accessory, and then cut the strip to length around it.Now something that's neat about this as opposed to other roof rack systems out there is it does have this open bolt endcap here, where most you'd actually have to remove the entire endcap to get to the T-track accessories. The endcaps are lockable by removing this plastic portion here and purchasing a separate lock core which is sold on etrailer.com. So not only will your roof rack be secure to your flush-mounted side rails, you can also make it keyed-alike with your accessories.Another benefit about the bars themselves as well is how much overhang you have as compared with the flush mounts, so you actually have room for more accessories if you wanted to.
So you could put, say a cargo basket up here as well as a bike rack. Next I'd like to give you a couple quick measurements. Measuring from the center of the roof to the top of the bar that's going to be about 4-1/4". From the center of the roof to the bottom of the bar that's going to be about 3-1/4". So that gives you plenty of space in between the roof and the bars to install your accessories, so you don't have to worry about it making contact.Also the two bars combined have a carrying capacity of 165 pounds, but you always want to make sure and check with your vehicle's manual to make sure your roof can withstand those weights.
Next I'd like to give you a couple quick measurements. Measuring from the center of the roof to the top of the bar, that's going be about 4-1/4". From the center of the roof to the bottom of the bar that's going to be about 3-1/4". So that gives you plenty of space in between the roof and the bars to install your accessories, so you don't have to worry about it making contact.Also the two bars combined have a carrying capacity of 165 pounds, but you always want to make sure and check with your vehicle's manual to make sure your roof can withstand those weights. Now that we've gone over some of the features of the roof rack system let's go ahead and show you how it installs.
We already have our front bar installed on our vehicle, and here we have our rear bar and our kit that will help you install it onto the flush mounted side rails. We have our endcaps and podium feet here. We have our rubber pads that'll sit on the flush mounted side rails, and finally we have our fit kit, and install kit there.We'll start by installing our podium feet onto our bars. Flip it upside down here to show you how the endcap comes off. You push this tab in, slides right off, then we'll take this portion here and slide it into this track like so. Re-install our endcap. We'll repeat this on the other side, and then move onto our fit kit. We'll take our metal bracket here, take the longer of the bolts that we have and our lock nut, put that onto the bolt, put it through our connection point there, and then take this rubber washer and put it on the other end of our bolt. We've already done this for the other and now we can start installing these on the roof of the vehicle.On our flush-mounted side rails you see this bolt here, it does come with an included tool to remove that bolt like so. We're going to remove that completely and set it aside to where we know where it is, and then we'll grab our fit kit. Next we'll make sure that we have the correct rubber pad for whatever side we're working on. We'll take our metal bracket here, we'll slide it behind the two holes here, lining those up. Then we'll place the bolt into the channel there, then take our included Allen tool and tighten it down.Set our bar into place, lining up our podium feet with the two holes here. Then we'll take the included hardware from our podium and hook it up to that. You don't want to tighten these down too much, because as these are tightened down it wil tighten down to the bar as well and we want to have the ability to move this back and forth to get our overhang even on both sides as well. With our overhang even on both sides we can finish tightening down. After that we'll install our endcaps, snap those into place, and then we're ready to load up our gear and hit the road. There you have it for the Thule Aeroblade Roof Rack System on our 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (131 Customer Reviews)
These Rapid Podium feet let you install Thule crossbars on your vehicle that has integrated fixed points, flush railings, T-tracks, or custom install rack attachment points.I purchased a full direct mount Thule kit for my 2018 Infiniti Q30s. etrailer.com made it very easy, pairing what I needed at a great price. My kit arrived earlier than estimated and looks great on my car. If there was one negative, it would be the Thule instructions. Written in multiple languages to cover thier market made installation a bit challenging but it all worked out. 800163
Great products. Easy installation. The videos etrailer.com on how to install were very helpful. Great company. Ordered 1 day and had it delivered in a few days. Great communication. Prompt and accurate replies to email. 512114
Great roof rack. Everything shipped and arrived as expected. The kit had everything I needed to install on my 2017 Highlander with factory side rails. Followed the directions provided and watched the video. Install took about an hour by myself. I have purchased a number of products from etrailer and have never had any complaints or issues. 417727
Easy to install and it looks great. Wish it had holes in the ends for hooking bungee cords on. But other than that its perfect. 657249
Thule is the only premier cargo accessory manufacture in the industry. The design, manufacturing and quality of their products is world class. We currently own two German SUVs that are used regularly for a wide array of outdoor sports and refuse to outfit our vehicles with any other brand of equipment. This particular system was very easy to install when following manufacturers installation instructions and recommendations. 323666
Where the aerobars are great, Thule falls on it's face with the design of the mounting feet. The feet are hard to position in the bars and the faceplates do not securely fit into the feet. So far I've only got two to lock in. The other two pop off with the slightest pull. Also given the price tag on these relatively simple items, I would think that Thule could include a lock-set. 52796
Bought the Thule AeroBlade and all the fittings recommended by etrailer earlier this summer. Everything fits perfect, was easy to install, and looks really great on the car. 565304
I've had the Thule Podium Roof Rack for about a year and have used it twice. So far it's exactly what I needed. Easy to setup. 699564
etrailer directed me to all of the roof rack components for my needs via their website. In addition, they provided videos for installation that were quite helpful. They are a quality business and deliver on their goods. I will definitely use them for other auto accessories in the future. 671290
We just purchased a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe as our retirement vehicle for traveling. We wanted to install cargo accessories but the dealer prices were WAY to high. After researching for several days we found etrailer.com. The prices were the best we found and the service was outstanding! We installed a Thule roof rack system that fits flawlessly and allows the panorama sun roof to plenty of roof to operate. The videos made in really easy to install. We also installed a trailer hitch system. The Tekonsha Trailer Wiring kit was also a piece of cake to install. If you're hesitant to work on electrical systems, there's no need to be afraid. It's actually easier than it looks in the video. The Curt Trailer Hitch gave me major headaches. The delivery company banged the box up pretty badly. Apparently it tweaked the hitch just enough so that the holes were misaligned. No problem, after talking me through the installation one more time to be sure it was damaged, they shipped a new unit. The second hitch went in fine. It took a while, and it's not as easy as it looks in the video, but I'm 67 years old I did the installation myself... Overall, I gave five stars because the price match guaranty makes it a wise choice price wise. he videos are a big help during installation. But the real difference is the service. A lot of folks provide good service to make a sale, but etrailer goes the extra distance to provide great service afterwards. That's unique! Thanks etrailer! 707576
The product shipped so fast, worked perfectly, and the video on how install was invaluable. I found this a lot easier than using the Thule website. 905254
Great product. Relatively easy instructions for install. Although not giving 5 stars because I was pretty disappointed with the shipping time (even despite COVID challenges). I purchased from etrailer because the availability date of the parts was sooner than other vendors, only for the shipping date to be delayed in total by more than a month without any update on the delay unless I went in to check my order status. I would think that a delay in shipping date, especially when it happens multiple times, would trigger and email notification to the buyer. 903671
899629
Just installed on 2020 Telluride. They look great. The 3 minute video from etrailer was perfect....though it took me about an hour. 897410
Fits on my CX5 like a charm. Great customer service as well! 891736
Good products, but the cap to the podium feet doesn't feel secure. I had to put zip tie it together. 887274
Easy install and fit snug and tightly s ecure. 881035
I really appreciate the prompt shipment. I was able to get the roof rack on the car in about an hour. Are used it about two hours later to carry a ladder. It was very sturdy. Instructions were not great. But it was not a complex install either. 870734
These just work great. It's a little pain to start the threading the bolts in. When I finished installing them, they felt very secure. 865990
2019 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Limited Edition.. Easiest rack I've ever installed. Instructions were clear and easy to understand. The rack looks amazing. Definitely an upgrade from my previous ones. 865147
package arrived in good shape, and etrailer kept me informed of order status. 863899
Overall rack is very solid. Good design and quality is as you would expect from Thule. Only complaint would be that locks are not included at this price point. Service was excellent as Greg was able to provide us with our products within 4 days! 854649
Love the racks, and I got them for a fraction of the price of other places. Great fit. Highly recommend. 849949
I needed a way to haul SUP board's on my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Product was exactly what I needed. Make sure you read all the instruction from the multiple boxes before you begin. Easy to install and a great fit! 829808
Fast delivery, no issues with materials received. 821999
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