SportRack Roof Rack Feet Wont Sit Flat on 1995 BMW 525i

Updated 07/15/2015 | Published 07/14/2015

Question:

Hi etrailer Experts, I have a 1995 BMW 525i and purchased a rack for its naked roof. The rack feet dont lie flat on the roof despite installing it correctly I believe. I also tried a few other settings to see if I could make the rack fit, but had no luck. It seems like the roof is too curved for the feet to sit flat and Im worried that weight wont be evenly distributed and could dent the roof. Take a look at the attached photos and thanks for your help.

asked by: Morgan M

Helpful Expert Reply:

In order for the roof rack to fit correctly, the feet need to be located in a very specific spot on the vehicle's roof. The feet on each bar need to be spaced according the instructions, and the bar spread needs to be correct also. I've made you a diagram showing what those settings should be. I've also added two of your photos as an example. In photo 1, you can see that the edge of the pad furthest from the side of the vehicle is lifted a bit from the roof, which means that the foot needs to be adjusted inward slightly. In photo 2, you can see the side of the pad closest to the door is lifted by quite a bit, which means the foot needs to be slid out toward the edge of the car.

When everything's correctly dialed in, the pads should sit fat against the roof surface.

expert reply by: Mike L