How to cut down wind noise with light bar?????

Johncmng

Member
Does anyone know how to cut down on the wind noise to a newly installed light bar on a roof rack? I installed a 42in light bar on a Front Runner roof rack and it started to make a low humming noise going about >50mph. Do you guys have any tips to reduce the noise? I tucked the light bar between the rack and the roof.
TIA
 

bkg

Explorer
Does anyone know how to cut down on the wind noise to a newly installed light bar on a roof rack? I installed a 42in light bar on a Front Runner roof rack and it started to make a low humming noise going about >50mph. Do you guys have any tips to reduce the noise? I tucked the light bar between the rack and the roof.
TIA

only real option is to remove the lightbar.
 

1000arms

Well-known member
:unsure: ... Drive at a maximum of 45MPH? ... :cool:

More useful information might be any/all/a-combination of the following:

Make sure everything is tight.

Move the lightbar a bit forward or backward (if you can).

Use spacers to raise the light bar.

Securely fill the space under the lightbar.

You have created a wind instrument, but, by experimenting, you might be able to reduce or eliminate the noise.

Please post a photo.
 
I don't like lights overhead, I prefer driving behind instead of under the lights. My truck has a 2" bar roof rack that hummed at 40 MPH, I wrapped a rope around the bar and it went away. The rap is about a 4" apart, kinda corkscrewed, I put on 3 of the crossmembers. What I think you need to do is disrupt the wind as it flows over the bar.
 

WanderingBison

Active member
I ran into the same issue when I installed a curved light at on the front of my roof rack.

I nearly eliminated any noise by creating a sort of a clamshell to close the void behind the light bar.

It wasn’t cheap or easy but I tried a bunch of other solutions I found online and this is the only one that worked. Of course, a curved light bar makes the situation worst.

c07255c6d13fc1dded825549d3cbb0ef.jpeg

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
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irish44j

Well-known member
I had to make a number of adjustments on my rack/fairing setup using trial and error to get rid of the hum. It all depends on the location of the bar relative to the roof, to the windshield top edge, to the rack design, and so forth. There's really no one-fit solution, unfortunately. In addition, certain fairing materials that are flexible and not supported well can vibrate and create their own humming sound.

Here's my setup on the Sequoia, and it's (as far as I can tell) pretty silent. The fairing is actually metal and a structural part of the rack, so it doesn't flex or vibrate. There's some noise from the awning and water tank but its further back and definitely not from the light bar.



Viq3fwJh.jpg
 
Last edited:

calicamper

Expedition Leader
Does anyone know how to cut down on the wind noise to a newly installed light bar on a roof rack? I installed a 42in light bar on a Front Runner roof rack and it started to make a low humming noise going about >50mph. Do you guys have any tips to reduce the noise? I tucked the light bar between the rack and the roof.
TIA
Detachable light bar. Only up there on trips when you’ll need it.

watched a guy go over to a light bar on kids truck and snip off the power leads. Kid drove around town with it on?‍♂️. Lol
 

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