I was doing some AI research about wind noise from the stock Expedition Roof Rack. The first recommendation was to install a fairing, which I'd already done with very minor effect. The second recommendation was to lower the rack by 25mm using a replacement bracket kit. This supposedly decreases wind noise considerably.

Attached is the parts diagram for the original rack and installation kit. However, I can't find a lowering kit anywhere except on aliexpress and shipping from China is $270. Ridiculous. Has anyone ever seen such a kit for sale in the the U.S.?

My other thought was to take the current brackets to a shop to see if they could chop out 1" from the middle and then weld the two halves back together. That would maintain the custom design necessary on the upper and lower part of the brackets. Thoughts?

 

I think you have learned a valuable lesson about AI.

There's no lowering kit - the AI hallucinated it from questions like yours.

 

Thanks!

There's actually a product listed on the aliexpress website (in China). I've ordered stuff from aliexpress in the past, with good results. Just not from the specific vendor listing this kit. So it seemed like it might be a legit product.

I like the idea of lowering the rack, especially since I don't have a sunroof that would interfere. So tired of the wind noise!

 

I don't believe you could lower the brackets by cutting and rewelding. There are a lot of angles that would need to be dealt with to get the bracket back in the same plane, but lower.
How much were the lower brackets from Ali? Did you ask about alternative shipping options to lower the cost? It's always worth asking. That seems like a ridiculous number unless they are air shipping, paying the tariff, and handling all import paperwork.
I bought my entire roof rack from Ali, it's a copy of the factory rack but in all black. The rack was something like $350 and the shipping was $800. Still beat every local solution for price. 3 years later and it looks like new.

 

Thanks, chpsk8! I sent a message to the vendor asking about the possibility of less expensive shipping options, but haven't received a response. I also looked at the installed bracket and it looked like a section could be cut out and the two ends would match up. I wasn't sure about welding aluminum though. If I could cheaply purchase a set of the OEM brackets, I'd be tempted to give it a try!

I didn't consider this option too carefully, hoping that someone on here might have some info about a kit. Not a huge deal, but trying to decrease the wind noise. That's about the only thing I don't like about my Defender!

 

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...origin_prod%3A

 

Apologies for interruption, but that link is toxic, the very idea of clicking on it makes the security engineer in me shudder.

Here, no-tracking version of it: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806880703236.html

 

I appreciate the correction...thanks!

 

Interesting product. One thing to consider. I wonder if the glass pano sunroof will no longer be able to be opened (if you have a pano roof) with this lowering kit on? This was an issue on older Discovery 2’s with the Safety Devices racks. One version allows full sunroof movement, the other hit the sunroofs and was slightly lower (but otherwise the same rack).

 

I don't have a sunroof, so lowering the rack seems like a great option...if the kit actually exists!