Using the OEM snowboard rack on OEM crossbars for the first time on my way to Mammoth. What a horrible "whistle" while driving. I stopped and flipped the boards so the bindings are facing the roof. Helped a little, but still whistles.

I had a Thule rack on my X5 and it never made such noise.

Is this the norm? Any advice?

 

When roaming my state in a van with a ladder rack and extension ladders, we kept noise down by covering some parts with rubber pipe insulation, and filled some parts (ladder rungs) with Great Stuff foam insulation. You basically are blowing air across a soda bottle. Or an open pipe of any kind. So you can stuff bits of foam to try this place or that, then make a perm fix once you locate the spot.

 

There is a rubber strip that fits into the crossbars. If you removed
the strips when you installed the roof racks you'll have terrible wind noises.
The catch here is you have to cut them to fit the ski rack system.
If you takethe ski racks off you'll have a bunch of cut up strips to reinstall.
I don't believe they're available seperately.

 

The rubber strips are my issue. I took them out.

Problem compounds itself as I can't keep the snowboard rack on as I won't fit in work's parking garage. I am going to have to cut the strips, leave the rack mounted to the cross bar and remove the crossbar assembly M-F. What a pain in the ***.

If I didn't have 2 dogs to transport as well, I would just keep the boards inside. Might have to look into a trailer hitch rack which I hate the looks of.