cross bar and roof rack mods
 

I wanted to mention some slight modifications I made to our crossbars and roof rack, just in case someone else wants to do something similar. These comments apply to the 2007/2008/2009 FEH and the MMH. (The 2005/2006 FEH has different roof racks and crossbars.)

First, I replaced the thumbscrews on the crossbars with #10-32 x 1" hex head machine screws. I never liked the thumbscrews. I think they are poorly designed and are to hard to tighten manually. I think it's much faster and easier to use a socket wrench to tighten the screws. The crossbars also seem more secure.

Second, I remove both the roof rack and the crossbars when we're not using them. People have discussed removing the roof rack before, but I haven't seen actual instructions.

Removing the roof rack is easy if you have a #3 Pozidriv screwdriver or bit. They look like Phillips screw heads, but they are not. You would probably strip the heads if you tried to use a Phillips screwdriver. (By the way, I ended up with an extra #3 Pozidriv bit. I'll sell it to someone for just $1. Send me a private message if you want it.)

After you remove the roof rack, there will be 12 screw holes in the roof. I've experimented with different ways of plugging the holes. You could put the screws back in, with or without rubber washers. This works, but they stick up and we didn't like the way it looked. I prefer to plug the holes with 0.25" nylon hole plugs purchased at our local Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH). You just pop them in with your finger and pop them out with a thin screwdriver. The roof looks smooth and clean this way. We haven't seen any leaks in the rain. We haven't tested it in the snow.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_kcUcL2i9ABw/SX...ole%20plug.jpg

It takes me about a half hour to install the roof rack and crossbars or to completely remove all of it. You could do it faster if you wanted to.

Since there is a very small weight reduction (crossbars weigh 3.3 pounds, roof rack weighs 7.7 pounds) and a very small drag reduction, there should be a very small MPG increase. Unfortunately, I think you would need to do some test runs using a ScanGauge to measure the difference. I'm guessing that the difference is only about 0.25 to 0.5 MPG. Personally, I like to remove all of it because we don't use it 99% of the time.

Re: cross bar and roof rack mods
 

I did something similar, but I replaced the roof rack assembly with the "tracks" from a non-hybrid Escape. The tracks are extremely low profile, maybe 1/4" high, and take regular Escape crossbars or Yakima Landing Pads. It takes just seconds to mount the crossbars in the tracks or remove them. The tracks are available directly from Ford parts department and have the exact same hole pattern as the old roof rack.

Re: cross bar and roof rack mods
 

I use the Yakima Landing pads on my '06 FEH. I'm not so hardcore as to take the tracks out. I doubt the tracks and landing pads produce enough drag to meaningfully impact fuel economy (at least at subsonic speeds!)

Re: cross bar and roof rack mods
 

The OP is referring to removing the entire roof rack, he doesn't have tracks. I replaced my roof rack with tracks, and no, I don't remove them.

Re: cross bar and roof rack mods
 

That's a great idea. I've never looked at a regular Escape so I didn't know they had tracks like that. That would be a good upgrade if you carry stuff on the roof a lot. My wife and I almost never carry anything up there, so it wouldn't be worth the extra cost for us.

Re: cross bar and roof rack mods
 

Do you know the part# or the Ford name for the track? In looking at one of the online Ford collision catalogs, it looks like the part name is "roof rack - production installed". There are also slats in the catalog as well as the beefy looking No Boundaries rack kit for $1300 which add some confusion.
I'm assuming this mod would work for all 05-07 model FEHs. Thanks for the head's up!

Re: cross bar and roof rack mods
 

Here's the original thread on this: https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...-07-feh-13393/

Read that and then let me know if you need more info. I can probably scan and email you a page from the dealer's parts catalog that shows the tracks and part numbers. Very important to also get fresh bolts for installing the tracks, and seal with a dab of rtv on the threads.

Re: cross bar and roof rack mods
 

Interesting thread. I guess you now know why the screw heads got stripped. If you use the correct Pozidriv driver/bit, then the screws will be perfectly fine and you won't have to get new ones.