[Muzza80]

I’ve seen a load of people asking about roof racks that fit the FSTI properly with its unique low profile flush rails.

IMHO you won’t get a better fit than the Prorack Whispbar. They’re brilliant rails, used them on every car I’ve owned in the last 10 years. They’re all but silent due to the wing profile and the K325 fitting kit is a perfect fit on the FSTI.

My bars (S16) are actually a little (10cm) wide as I’ve used the ones from my previous VRS but I’ll be cutting them down a tad, the bars you want are the S15.

They're available from www.roofbox.co.uk, around £190 posted HOWEVER if you use the following link (UK Caravan and Camping Club) you will get 5% off bringing them down to about £170

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/ukcb

On the site from vehicle selection, select Forester 2002-2004 or 2005-2008 (doesn't matter, same results) and you should see the option for Whispbar through bars and the ones that should be automatically selected are S15 through bars and K325 fitting kit. I have no idea of the Whispbar flush bars will fit, only the through bars I can guarantee have the adjustability to fit correctly.

They're available in silver or black.

Hope this is useful.

 

[Lockheed]

Well Done !

 

[asdrewq]

Thanks Muzza. £176.45 delivered & they do look good - will be ordering now.

Do you leave them on all the time?

 

[twade76]

nice one, on my second set of thule mounts trying to find one that fits so i think i'll just get a refund and go for these!

 

[Muzza80]

Happy to help!

They are a little fiddly to setup initially, the standard foot kit needs parts removed and parts added from the K325 but once that's done and set they can be removed/fitted in a few mins.

I take them off when cleaning the car but they're on they're on most of the time otherwise with a couple of bike racks but I also use a large roof box and snowboard carriers too.

 

[Lockheed]

Ive just ordered the flush version of this and if no one minds ill post my findings on this thread.

 

[Lockheed]

Happy to help!

They are a little fiddly to setup initially, the standard foot kit needs parts removed and parts added from the K325 but once that's done and set they can be removed/fitted in a few mins.

I take them off when cleaning the car but they're on they're on most of the time otherwise with a couple of bike racks but I also use a large roof box and snowboard carriers too.

Yes fiddly is the definitely the word but once you've done one foot you've done them all.
these are certainly good quality , I cant believe the width of the bar.

 

[Muzza80]

Happy to help!

They are a little fiddly to setup initially, the standard foot kit needs parts removed and parts added from the K325 but once that's done and set they can be removed/fitted in a few mins.

I take them off when cleaning the car but they're on they're on most of the time otherwise with a couple of bike racks but I also use a large roof box and snowboard carriers too.

Yes fiddly is the definitely the word but once you've done one foot you've done them all.
these are certainly good quality , I cant believe the width of the bar.

Ah Insee you went with the flush bar rather than the through bar, would you mind posting a pic fitted? I’m sure these will look better albeit at the cost of a little less mounting space on them . Cheers!

 

[Lockheed]

Just fitted these bars
just a note the rails on the foz are 40mm wider at the front than at the back , I thought they were parallel.
also my bars say YAKIMA which to me sounds Japanese but its not its American, its a town in Washington U.S.A
Any way that's enough of my guff . ill clean the car and get some pics up tomorrow .

 

[Muzza80]

Just fitted these bars
just a note the rails on the foz are 40mm wider at the front than at the back , I thought they were parallel.
also my bars say YAKIMA which to me sounds Japanese but its not its American, its a town in Washington U.S.A
Any way that's enough of my guff . ill clean the car and get some pics up tomorrow .

Might want to pick a Yakima wind fairing to complete the look and reduce the wind noise even more 🙂

 

[asdrewq]

I did buy these in the end - Fit great, look good, and I couldn't hear any wind noise on the motorway which was nice.

There are these tiny plastic crows feet alignment bits that sit on the inside edge of the roof rails which the instructions say to use, although I don't think they are completely necessary, & can imagine them breaking off after a while. The actual attachment is robust though.

I haven't left them on the car as I don't think the aluminium is coated in anything so they might go scabby in the winter salt.

 

[Muzza80]

I did buy these in the end - Fit great, look good, and I couldn't hear any wind noise on the motorway which was nice.

There are these tiny plastic crows feet alignment bits that sit on the inside edge of the roof rails which the instructions say to use, although I don't think they are completely necessary, & can imagine them breaking off after a while. The actual attachment is robust though.

I haven't left them on the car as I don't think the aluminium is coated in anything so they might go scabby in the winter salt.

Yeah those little plastic bits, they don't even contact the inside of my rails, I left them on but they're kinda pointless.

No worries with them corroding, I've ran a set on a previous car for 2 years straight and bar the odd wipe down when washing they stood up perfectly well.

 

[Lockheed]

well I can say that they fit well for the fsti rail profile and look cool too …… if you like that sort of thing

 

[Lockheed]

@highland forry can you remember the part numbers for the shorter bar that goes with the foot kit @Arieser wants to know

 

[highland forry]

@highland forry can you remember the part numbers for the shorter bar that goes with the foot kit @Arieser wants to know

Yes bud here's what was ordered for me by my lovely mother for an early Christmas present..

YKS4 - Yakima flush bars: Yakima 90cm flush bars (2) no. S4
- Car chosen: Subaru Forester (2002 to 2005) with flush roof rails
1 x GBP 180.00 = GBP 180.00
YKK325 - Yakima fitting kit: Yakima SmartFoot FR fitting kit no. K325
- Car chosen: Subaru Forester (2002 to 2005) with flush roof rails
1 x GBP 29.95 = GBP 29.95

Cheers.
Andy.

 

[Lockheed]

@Arieser ,Oi over here! @highland forry has sorted you out!

 

[Arieser]

@highland forry thanks for the clarification and thank you @Lockheed for directing me here!

 

[Lockheed]

So ive had these bars for a while now in my opinion they dont affect day to day driving and have added to the sleeper effect that ive always wanted.
Today i used them for the first time to haul 8 lengths of 4×2s at 3.6 metres and ive discovered i have no idea how to lash down stuff to my rack, i had a few bungees and strapped them down the best i could.
Perhaps ratchet straps are in order.

 

[CCRIEN]

Perhaps ratchet straps are in order.

Although these look a bit lightweight, they're up to the job, and the little self locking clamp avoids the risk of having a heavy ratchet clanking on the car roof when loosening.

FASTY Strap assortment (5 types x 1 strap) no. FS126.

www.roofbox.co.uk

P.S. And got one holding the big battery box to the boat floor, been there a couple of years - no corrosion on the clamp at all yet.

P.S.2 @Lockheed, I keep a roll of ducttape in the boot, tape up wooden beams etc into a tight flat bundle first then theres only one "item" to strap to the bars. Much more secure.

 

[Lockheed]