Arcs on the roof of the car (railing): types, installation

Long distance trips by car are often accompanied by a large amount of bulky baggage. Baggage is not a problem when there is a trailer. However, it is far from everyone, besides, not everyone will want to mess around with his registration. Also, not every person owns a huge SUV, in which the "elephant and her elephant" will fit in the trunk, because most people today buy small city cars. Owners of such small cars will help the arc on the roof of the car, or railing, as they are called. We will talk about how to choose them, what they are, and also discuss the features of their installation.

What are the rails?

These are special designs that are designed to fix different loads on the roof of the car. With their help, you can load and carry a lot of useful - it's dimensional building materials, various bulky items, boats and bicycles. Railings are arcs on the roof of a car, which are most often installed on station wagons, off-road and city cars (well, on minivans, of course). In some models of cars, both imported and domestic, they can be bundled, but most often they have to be purchased and installed separately.

Outwardly, these details resemble a construction based on a metal pipe. The ends of it are protected by a plastic tip with various types of fastening. There is an opinion that initially the manufacturers used these pipes to increase the stiffness characteristics of the body, but later they were used to fix the trunks.

The tasks they perform

Railings on the roof are selected for various reasons. For someone it is very important to install an additional trunk on the roof, which will be securely fixed. Someone with their help solves the problem of fastening various baskets or platforms in which it is possible to carry luggage. Fans of extreme recreation use these parts to transport bicycles and other sports equipment - it is very convenient, especially when the bicycle route is far away. Arcs on the roof of the car use skiers, as well as snowboarders. For these purposes, the roof rack can be equipped with mechanical or magnetic fasteners.

Classification

The advantage of these products is in the capabilities that they provide. So, one of the significant advantages is that they are suitable for all types of bodies, their fastening is very reliable and simple. The installed roof rails are classified according to some criteria.

According to the materials of these devices they are divided into metal (more often steel or aluminum) and metal-plastic ones. Also distinguish details on the design features: they can be model or universal. The first differ in that they are suitable only for a certain model range of cars of a specific manufacturer. Universal arches on the roof of the car are suitable for any models and brands.

According to the peculiarities of the installation, the products are classified into longitudinal and transverse. Most motorists call these pipes differently - rails or sleepers. Both of them have the same functions, they can be easily purchased on the market.

They also differ in diameter, length and design. Very popular today models of black color, made of steel. There are also chrome-plated steel products, black or gray plastic. In addition, all these details differ in form.

Types of trunks

As already noted, the railings serve to fix the load on the roof of the car. Also this is the basis for fastening the trunk. The main device for mounting any load is the installed transverse arcs on the roof of the car. These parts are two or more bars that can be fixed to the rails. This is the car trunk.

Aerodynamic and rectangular arcs

There are two versions of these systems - a traditional rectangular profile or beam with an aerodynamic cross section. The first option in most cases is a metal profile in a plastic shell.

Aerodynamic arcs on the roof of the car are made of anodized aluminum. Among the advantages of such solutions is a special profile, which practically does not create noise at high speeds. In addition, such a trunk is more beautiful, but also more expensive. And this is a drawback.

Arcs, whose profile is normal rectangular, differ in the most ordinary design. A minus is noise when driving at speed. At high speeds, it can increase, and fuel consumption will also increase. If the installation of this product is not performed correctly, you can hear a whistle. Among the advantages of this solution is the price, which is much lower than the cost of the aerodynamic profile, and the excellent performance of the functions assigned to this product. With the help of a rectangular transverse arc, it is possible to reliably fix loads or airboxes on the roof of the car.

Depending on the model of the car and the type of its roof, the crossmembers can have different types of fastening. By this feature, you can divide all car trunks into several types.

Roof rack for vehicles with longitudinal rails

The basis is the longitudinal arc, mounted on the roof of the car. They are attached to the cross bars. For this purpose, special stops are provided with locks. These systems can be adjusted for different profiles.

Roof rack for cars with standard places for installation

More often on new cars manufacturers have already prepared regular places under the trunk. Often they are factory holes for fixing model arches. These holes can be found on the Ford Focus 2, Citroen C4 and on many other cars. The arches for such machines have special stops, which must be screwed into the holes. Supports for rails can be fixed through special adapters, which fully fit the standard fastening for a specific car.

Trunk for a car with a smooth roof - a universal solution

These products represent the most universal solutions, which have already been mentioned above. Since the station wagon, which is not installed in the factory, these devices are mounted on the roof of the car on the doorway. For this, the part has a special mounting bracket.

The support of such transverse arches has a large base area - this is done in order not to cause damage to the roof paint. The support is fixed by means of a special clamp, which clings to the upper edge of the door opening. Manufacturers of inexpensive models of trunks and arches produce universal fastening solutions that are suitable for several models of cars. This is not the best choice. The fact is that on one car, this trunk will keep well and reliably, but on the other - it's bad. Manufacturers of more expensive options often complete the adaptation with special staples for each car model. This achieves the necessary reliability of fastening.

Arcs on the roof of the car with gutters

Do not think that these luggage exist only for foreign cars. For domestic cars there are also such arcs. They are installed on drains. Supports have clamps of various designs. The simplest solutions are bolts or nuts, and solutions are more complicated - quick-release attachments. There are models with locks.

These devices fully meet all the necessary requirements. At the factory, they undergo a lot of tests for aerodynamic characteristics, crash tests are carried out with them, and also they are examined in laboratories.

Arcs on the roof of the car Thule

The modern market is full of various offers to buy a trunk on the roof, but not everywhere there is really a quality product. Thule offers reliable and time-tested solutions. For each brand and model of the car there is a separate model, which takes into account all the nuances of the installation. It offers this brand and universal solutions.

Arcs and supports are strong and reliable. The product is equipped with a special kit that will facilitate installation. The company's products were designed in such a way as to be as durable and comfortable as possible. For its arches, this manufacturer also offers additional options - it can be locks, fastening tapes, locking devices. With the roof racks Thule for the roof, the car is fully prepared for any adventure, whether it is a trip to a dacha or a great vacation with friends or family.