Has anyone actually tried the Yakima LowRider towers on the '07 FEH factory rails? I called Yakima, they said it will work, but they haven't updated their database yet. I'd like to hear from someone who has actually tried the LowRiders before I order.

BTW, according to Yakima, the Ford factory crossrails should not be used with a fork mount bicycle rack as they are not strong enough.

 

I am looking into doing the exact same thing. i have yakima parts that would work with the '05-06 rack track. I want to swap ou my '07 rails with '05-06 rack tracks. my only concern was the mounting holes. They 07 & 05-06 have the same hole count. I just need to confirm if they will line up. I am sure they will.

 

I have Lowriders on my '08 and my neighbor across the street has an '07 FEH with them on his rack. I think it's the exact same rack as the '08. It's worked fine for both of us. I could snap a pic if you want, just let me know.

 

Are you saying that we could possibly remove our '07 rails and replace them with the '06 rack tracks? Then the Yakima Control Towers would just fit into the tracks? That means when the Yakima rack is removed, we are left with a lower profile roofline than with the factory rack. I like that idea if it would work. Where could we get the '05-'06 rack tracks?

 

Yeah tracks are flush with the roof. But I wonder if there would be any advantage to that? The side rails have no affect on mileage and make no wind noise, even with cross bars on them. It would look sleeker, so there is that, I guess.

Regardless, I'd be interested to hear if this surgery idea works. Didn't someone else already try this? I'd swear I read a post about it.

BTW a set of Lowriders costs about $130 and takes about 5 minutes to install. I'd hate to see someone spend $200 to save $80 !!

 

One advantage is that the weight limitation increases from 100# with the LowRiders to 165# with the Control Towers, but I'm only going to carry one bike on the roof (two inside), so that doesn't matter.

I can't find the roof tracks online anywhere, probably have to check with the dealer. I believe the roof tracks were also used on the '07 non-hybrid Escape.

I agree with you though, the LowRiders are certainly the low risk approach. Are you happy with their clamping ability and ease of installation and removal?

 

Ease of install and removal is OK. Set 'em on, correct the alignment and cinch them down and you're done. Typical Yakima.

As with any aftermarket rack, clamping is not an exact match. But it's very secure and I have no problems hauling 4 bikes over long distances. My neighbor has a 2007 FEH with the same setup and they haul a big gear box and a set of ski racks in the winter, and he said he's been happy with his. We both have 58" bars but you could go with narrower ones if you're carrying less.

Also: Look at the Lowrider Max if you're particular about clamping. It has different clamps so you can customize. I would be interested to hear if anyone's used them on the FEH, and which particular clamp they selected.

REI is a good choice, or any rack retailer. They are usually happy to let you try one out for fit before you buy. Rack stuff is one thing I always get locally and won't buy online.

 

Okay, I went to my local Ford dealer today and got the complete story. They had an '07 FEH and '07 FE sitting side by side, so I could easily compare the racks. Here is what I found:

1. Hole to hole spacing is identical between FEH rack and FE track, so I'm 99% sure the track could replace the rack.
2. Dealer has the FE tracks available, but non-returnable for $66 ea,and we need two.
3. There are six mounting bolts per rack/track and these will have to be replaced as the ones for the track are shorter, so that's $2.43 ea x 12.
4. The roof rail nut, which is the part inset into the roof is identical for rack or track, so we are okay there.
5. Total cost is $161 from the dealer and it's all non-returnable if something doesn't work out. FordParts.com has the same items for $113 but I don't know what their return policy is.

The tracks do look sleeker and have a higher weight limit, but this is the type of project that could go badly wrong, so I'm still considering. What I might do is pay a visit to my local wrecking yard and see if I could pull the tracks off a junker.

 

I actually have the tracks on mine but I saw this anyway and wanted to chime in. Thats a REALLY REALLY good idea. You can probably get them very cheap from there and you might even be able to look at the mounting on one before you bought it.

 

How did you get the tracks on your '06? Was that an option or did both the FE and FEH come that way standard?