Thule Fairing XT871 installation write

Installation of Thule fairing XT871 38” on a 2012
countryman OEM roof rack base
The following DIY write-up is inspired by an earlier write-up
(http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4895472-DIY-Thule-872XT-Fairingon-Votex-Roof-Racks, where 4 holes are drilled in the OEM roof rack to mount
the Thule XT871 roof fairing), however, I didn't feel inclined to the idea of
permanently modifying the OEM roof rack because this will decrease its resale
price and also will increase the chances of water entrapment and hence rust
formation.
Things you need:
Item
Thule fairing XT871 38”
Galvanized 1" clamps (see the Figure.1, left)
M6 screws
M6 cap nuts
Spring washers
Rubber sheet (see the Figure.1, right)
A pair of scissors and two pliers
Quantity
1
8
4
4
4
1
Figure.1
1. Take off the front roof bar. When you check the cross section of the bar, you
will see that the upper side is wider than the lower side. This will be important
when shaping the clamps to fit better around the fairing brackets.
2. Cut the rubber sheet (shown in Figure.1, right) to obtain 4 strips of rubber, see
the Figure.2, so you can place them between the clamps and the bar (to prevent
the clamps from movement after installation and avoid any scratches could result
from the contact of the clamps with the bars, again to preserve the value of the
roof rake)
3. Take your 1" Galvanized clamps and adjust them to fit the bar cross-section as
much as you can. Figure.3 top left shows the starting shape of the clamp and top
right shows halfway through the adjustment process. The bottom shows the final
8 halves. Notice the two different halves of the clamps have different shapes to fit
the bar cross section. Also, bottom picture in Figure.4.
Figure.3
4. This step is optional, it is only for cosmetic purposes, paint the clamps and the
nuts in black to match the fairing color, however, not critical to successfully install
the fairing. See Figure.4.
Figure.4
5. Cut the fairing-mounting bracket as shown in Figure.5 below. These brackets
are about $1.5 each. I recommend you order 4 and keep them in the event you
want to sell the fairing.
Figure.5
6. Assemble the fairing and the brackets as instructed in the fairing installation
manual. Then place the fairing in front of the bar and adjust it to make sure it is
properly centered then mark the locations of the brackets, so you can place the
rubber strips before installing the clamps. As shown in the Figure.6
Figure.6
7. Use double-sided tape to put the rubber strips in place until you put the clamps
and brackets together.
8. Install the M6 screws (don’t forget the washers, see Figure.11 left, for the full
arrangement of the screw and washers) side first then the fairing bracket side
afterwards, to minimize the movement while putting everything together. Don't
tighten everything yet, as shown in Figure.7.
Figure.8
Note I initially assembled the bracket with the clamps as shown in Figure.9 left
picture, however, the configuration in the right picture is better as it lets the
square head screw (from the Thule hardware) flushes and sets properly in the
bracket and give you a more stable and neater finish.
Figure.9
9. Take the bar to your car and put it back in place. Note: if you have a sunroof,
you may have to move the front bars about 15 cm to the front so the small screen
the pops up is behind the fairing (see Figure.10).
Figure.10
10. Make sure the fairing is centered, if not move it as necessary to get it
centered. Then tighten everything and you are done. This is how it looks after
installation from the inside and the side (Figure.11) and from the outside
Figure.12.
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Figure.11!
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Figure.12!
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