To help answer your questions I will refresh this in one place.
I will rate my Rola with extension at 80 mph or offroad unloaded or loaded with two 315 tires on Hutchinsons or one OEM wheel with a 33 MTZ and camping gear for a week to 10 days.
I also use a cargo carrier part of the time crammed full of stuff to go to the coast for 10 days. That is the great thing about a rack you can remove by yourself when you need to change configuration or to reduce drag for general driving around.
I have only recently added a third cross bar because I got a deal on a couple for spares and figured I might as well use one. I use the ones supplied by the maker of the OEM. If properly adjusted and loaded they work and do not sag in the middle, or at least mine do not. Maybe if you had some heavy object that only sat in the very center where there is no support? If the tires did not cause that it might be because they were touching out to the edges.
You do have to make sure the rail ends are on a high spot in the rail not a depression. I also modded mine with a washer under the locking tab to get them a bit tighter.
I will see if that made it here or copy and paste.
I have noticed several others have gone with the Rola Rack. Some have seen that I really use mine!! I have been waiting on a sale and then availability of these cross rails. I just grabbed a spare set. I added a "third rail" just to add strength and less stress on the existing ones when loaded heavy for expeditions, which I hope to do soon when some other parts get here. Etrailer sells the extra mounting kits for the Rola rack. I like suppliers that sell replacement parts.
This is my current set up with third rail. After seeing Nugget ripped his roof where the rails attach and what he went thru I decided to spread the load, just in case as I use this set up alot.
I did this back a few years ago but wanted to add it to the data base after seeing several questions about the rails and bars.
I have the OEM style crossbars which I got from G-style and after looking at the dealer appear to be almost identical. The only difference I see is also what I was told by someone that worked at the source that for them to sell them they had to leave off the Hummer name in chrome but it is recessed in the end caps. Then you can stick them on if you want. I have a Rola rack mounted with extension and really like the removable setup. I have been carrying an extra spare on long trips. It might be tough to find a replacement tire in some areas. Apparently after some rough offroading there needs to be some adjustment. The levers that snap the cross rails on never did seem tight to me. I have noticed the metal rail on the roof has alternating hi and low places. It is possible to find a spot they get a little tighter.
I found there is a pin in the arm that locks you can push out with a punch and remove it. The washer with pin and spring will come out. I added a washer to that. I looked thru several washers and found some thinner than others. I used a fender washer which is larger than regular washers but with the same size hole. I found it was tighter and had to move them back and forth to find the best place so the lever would close and lock. It felt a little too tight so I resorted to slightly sanding down the teeth on the bottom of the lever. NOT much just enough it did not feel like I was going to break the lever. I actually bent the pin on one and the lever did not break, just flexed. That is when I sanded it. Seems real tight now.
I put the four plastic tie down loops I had back on. Two at the back and two at the front for stoppers. I must not have gotten them tight enough for the amount of weight the first time.
I went to see about getting four more to really lock it in between them. $20 bucks each at your friendly dealer. EACH part number 17801708. Surely they read that wrong. It must be for a set of 4. "Nope I rechecked GM want that plus shipping and sales tax."
I ordered extra tie down loops from one of the GM parts direct sites.
It will not save a page so you gots to put in the part number $17 plus $14 ship and handling for FOUR!
I worked on an alternative, just maybe a flat piece with a locking nut for my purpose. The washers I now have are SS and 1 1/4 so I ground off two edges just enough to let it slide in the track. I used a rectangle nut plate I found in my parts drawer. I had to grind it down to fit in the track and slide over the roof fasteners in the bottom of the track. I think you could find a thin nut it would work as well.
And, as some of you have seen I am not afraid to load them up with a rack and equipment and go places but with the option to easily remove the basket by myself. Here are a few oldies but goodies for this thread.
Hope all that is in order after pasting.
