Customer Reviews

2002 - 2007 Saturn Vue Crossbars Roof Rack

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I also found the instructions and pictures very misleading. I hope the following will help make the job easier. It took about 45 minutes to complete the installation. I do like the product

Saturn VUE 2002 & Up Without Roof Rails
*** USE THE TOOL PROVIDED WITH THE KIT

Check all parts.

Remove the four (4) screws from both roof rails at positions 3, and either 4 or 5 or 6 using a star bit screw driver. Save the screws in case you wish to remove the cross bars at a later date. I removed the four screws to ensure that I would not have a problem in the middle of the installation.

Lift about 3" of the vinyl piece at each end of the crossbar to provide access to the holes.

Attach the larger end pieces to the cross bar using the black screw, flat washer and self locking nut***. The self locking (small) part of the nut should be away from the screw. Tighten but not too much. About ¼" of the screw should extend beyond the nut.

Carefully screw the 2 longer standoffs into the holes in position 3. You will have to use a socket. Do not over tighten.

Place the crossbars over the two standoffs and using the two shorter screws with a lock washer secure the end pieces to the standoffs***. If you raise the end piece about a ¼" from the roof rail, it will be easier to insert the screw. Again do not over tighten.

Insert the smaller end cap into the end piece. Secure the end cap using a chrome set screw***.

Secure the vinyl into both ends.

Carefully screw 2 shorter standoffs into the holes in position 4, 5 or 6. You will have to use a socket. Do not over tighten.

Place the crossbars over the two standoffs and using two longer screws with a lock washer and 2 or 3 flat washers secure the end pieces to the standoffs***. If you raise the end piece about a ¼" from the roof rail, it will be easier to insert the screw. The screws should be tight. If not, add additional flat washers. Again do not over tighten.

Insert the smaller end cap into the end piece. Secure the end cap using a chrome set screw***.

Secure the vinyl into both ends

Check that the crossbars are tight.

You may hear a slight air sound that was not apparent before.

If you need more help send me an e-mail at b2healys@embarqmail.com

I don't like to give a lousy review, especitally when the product isn't to bad.
It just took me 2.5 hours, to do a 25 minute job. The instructions are so poor, i can only laugh and wonder what the heck these people are thinking. They have several pictures, so as every one knows when the instructions don't make any sense, you just study the pictures. The pictures on the bottom of my instruction sheet were so black, the upper pictures were so small and fuzzy, I couldn't figure anything out. Finally I just sat and looked at what I had, Here is what you do if you order them (I think the product is actually good) Throw the instructions away, they will do you more harm then good.

Now Put your rails together by putting the ends on them. Next remove the screws that hold your little plastic railing on the roof from the 3rd hole back, and the 6th hole back. put your rail holders in those positions. Attach the rails to the holders, and your finished. If your not handy around the house, have you mechanic install them. But get a set price before you deliver them, if you pay by the hour you could be in trouble.

When all else fails during installation, go ahead and email me for help.

I purchased these bars for a 2005 Saturn Vue and was impressed with the overall quality and value of the materials, but not the instructions. I was able to figure out how to install them, not by the clarity of the instructions, but by a part-by-part elimination process. This is typical of so many products produced in China. The final result was satisfactory in both appearance and the solid feel of the installed bars. They are a reasonable and economical alternative to expensive and extremely hard to find Saturn factory roof rack parts.

As you've no doubt gathered from the consistent comments about the instructions, they are really bad. I also have to report that one of the two crossbar extrusions was twisted a few degrees, making the mounts at each end out of parallel. Since no one else reported this I'll assume it isn't usually an issue and I just got *lucky*. Anyway, it wasn't enough to prevent me from getting it installed. Here's a rundown of the steps I took:

1. Decide which position to use for the rear bar based on what you'll be mounting up there. These crossbars can't slide forwards and back, so give this some thought and measurements. In my case it was a Sears hardshell cartop carrier (which I've had for years and recommend), which mounted using rear position 5.

2. Remove the 2 sets of screws from the two positions on the roof rails that you will be mounting to. You'll need the correct size allen wrench for this. Don't try to use the included tool, you'll strip the heads. You'll need a standard, not metric set.

3. Take the 2 long standoffs and put on a flat washer, apply some locktight, then screw them into the front mounting position.....which is the 3rd set of holes back on the rails. Use a socket to tighten, but be very careful not to over-tighten.

4. Take 2 short standoffs and put on a flat washer, apply some locktight, then screw them into the rear mounting position. Use a socket to tighten, but be very careful not to over-tighten. You'll notice that these standoffs end up recessed in the rails. Don't try to add more flat washers to the screw part of the standoff as this will not give you enough threads in the holes.

5. Assemble the mounts onto the crossbars using the self-locking nuts. The bolts don't reach all the way from the top, but instead are put in through the middle. The self-locking nuts go on the bottom with the pointed end down. hold them with your finger tip and the molded plastic seat will keep them from turning. Insert the supplied tool through the top hole to reach the bolt heads. Snug them up but don't fully tighten.

6. Mount the front crossbar using the short set of silver mounting screws (apply locktight), with lock and flat washers. Use the supplied tool and don't over-tighten.

7. On the rear mounts, do the same except that you'll use the longer mounting screws, and you'll need to put three flat washers between the standoffs and the mounts to compensate for the standoffs being recessed in the rails. Don't over-tighten.

8. Tighten up the bolts holding the mounts to the crossbars just enough to make them snug with no movement or rattle.

9. Attach the end caps with the setscrews. screw them in till the setscrews are flush....no further.

That's it. I was able to slide the rubber strip inward out of the way as I went along and then slide it back outward when done at each end. The end result looks good and appears to be solid. I'd say the value is very good on this product, and if you were smart enough to read this and the other helpful reviews you'll have no problems getting them installed. Give yourself about 90 minutes to do the job....2 hours worst case unless you manage to break something in the process.

I ordered these crossbars and am very frustrated and disapointed with the product I recieved! After taking some time to figure out the unclear directions, I attempted to install the standoffs (the part that screws down into the roof and has a top part that another screw goes down into) the top part snapped off. I was applying easy effort with the ratchet, just trying to tighten them into the roof and they just snapped. I stopped the installation after the first 2 broke. Now I have to figure out how to get the screw part out of the roof and I am stuck without the cross bars, which I was counting on using. So frustrating and such poor quality parts! :(

we should start at the begining: the instruction it came with were just a piece of paper that it look like it was a a really bad photo copy of a copy of a copy and so on. really hard to understand and see the images, it also had to use screws from my oun tool shed cince if you fallow the bad instructions the screw it came with would fit in the cross bars. i email the dealler and ask if i could have a better instruction or a web so i could download it but they didnt even answer to say anything, bad custumer service. second the material the screws were made out of is a really bad material. some of them broke and i wasn't even turning them hard. the brackets are made out of hard plastic and of course one of them broke as i was tighten the screw. the only reason i don't return it because i had to modify some things to put it on my car, and i put like 4 hours to finish the job. if nothing brakes it probably wuold gone faster but since is bad material couple of pieces broke. now the problem is if is safe to strap my snowboards uon then knowing that the screws are made out of poor material? wouls the fly away going 65-70 miles per hour?

original roof rack at awsome price
Dealer price was off the charts but this one is just as good and less expensive
Thank!!

Received the racks and went right to work...a little fuzzy instructions but sorted out....only problem came when one of the existing screws to be removed for new rack placement had a stripped out head....arrrrrgh!!

I have a 2006 saturn vue and bought this roof rack for my many trips between oklahoma and california!

Me and my friend thought we could put this rook rack on ourselves (our husbands are deployed) and it took 5 times longer than we thought. We did get them together and they seem sturdy for being put together with out us knowing what we were doing! We had alot of peices left over (screws and washers) and the instructions might as well not even come with this product! They made no sence what-so-ever! So if you plan on putting them on your self then plan for a 3-4 hour job! and make sure you have your own tools (i needed a hexagon look screw driver to get the screw out of my side rails from my suv and i needed needle nose plyers to hold the bolt) Good luck!

These cross bars are a great value, work great and I also would have given them 5 stars except for the very poor instructions to install that came with them. I feel as though I am giving to much credit calling it instructions. But thank you, thank you, thank you to the reviewer that post their instrutions with your review I copied theirs and followed it and they were wonderful. The company should buy the reviewers instrutions and send those,because there's are beyond terrible. The product it self is great.