ECOTRIC Kayak Roof Rack J-Bar Rack HD Universal Kayak Carrier Holder Canoe Boat Surf Ski Board Roof Top Mounted on Crossbar for Car SUV Truck Set of 4

Assembl I ngbthese had been indicated as being very difficult in many of the reviews. I found if I put soapy water in the holes before the bolts, they definitely slipped in MUCH easier than dry. The first couple of bolts I did dry and they took at least 30 minutes to force into the holes and aligning them was difficult at best. There may have been a few tears shed. So, I sat there looking at them and had an epiphany……… when we were kids changing flat tires, I remember always using some soapy water to get the tires back on the rims. Tried adding soapy water on the super tight tirelike holes and each on slipped in much much more easily. 2 in 30 min dry, 14 with soapy water 10 minutes. Lesson learned. The quality of the kayaks carriers appears to be very good and they were very sturdy on the roof of the traverse. We took kayaks out and my daughter will use them on her jeep for both kayaks and SUPs. Great deal for a great product. Very happy. Oh and the straps do work well if you are used to this type of mechanism but I can see where small ratcheting straps could be desireable……

I bought these not expecting a whole lot because they are less expensive than most other kayak racks. When I received them I was impressed by how nice they are. Then I became disappointed when I began assembling the rack and found out I was missing a few of the parts. Customer service from the company turned out to be outstanding in helping to resolve the problem and they sent me the parts I needed. Amazon was also helpful in resolving the problem. In the end, I’m happy with the quality of the rack (especially given the economical price), as well as the help received from the company, the vendor, and Amazon. These racks will work well for hauling my lightweight kayaks on my old SUV’s roof crossbars, and I would not hesitate to buy from this company. again. Assembly does take a while and requires several different tools. The only “con” I have to say about the fitment of the product is that the bottom plate that holds the rack to the crossbar is not shaped as it should be for the best fit on common flattened oval crossbars. A handy person might want to modify (flatten) them to fit better. Otherwise, they can be used as-is, but the center of the fastening bracket will not make contact with the crossbar. In my case, I found that putting a strip of foam weather stripping in the center of the U-shaped fastening bracket really helped the bracket to tighten to my crossbars and also helps prevent scratching or damaging the crossbars.