Hey everyone...

I'm going to buy a bike rack for the top of my new Patriot and from the research I've done, it looks like it would be most economical to buy the Jeep factory bike rack.

From this website http://www.autotrucktoys.com/jeep_patriot/Mopar-OEM-Jeep-Patriot-Roof-Mount-Bicycle-Carrier-P17646C5364.aspx it says I need the "Mopar OEM Jeep Patriot Sport Utility Bars". I believe this is the factory roof rack, yes? I hope so... why would I have to spend an additional $200 for ANOTHER set of roof rails to fit on a factory item?

Can anyone clarify for this for me: Will the above OEM bike rack fit onto the factory roof rails?

Thanks!

When I got my 4x4 sport I had the dealer thrown in some bars (they gave me Mopar sport bars). They are pretty thick. I did have some trouble finding the right after market equipment to fit, becuase the patriot is so new. I like aftermarket gear of this type---I am partial to Thule, but Yakima has great gear to. A lot of Mopar gear fits with a T nut and you have to deal with removing the weather stripping, it wont fit on other rack makes without another "adapter", yadda, yadda, yadda...so for the life of your gear it might be cost effective to purchase a more univeral mounting system.

Thule makes a new "Aero" sport bars that are thick so they have stuff that will fit. I would look into your local pro-shop...Right Now Yakima is haveing their semi-annual 20% off all their gear sale, too!

By the way, I went with a Thule Big Mouth system. Let us know what you do...

Thanks for the info! Actually I did some more research and went with the Yakima "Raptor" upright bike mount. They grasp the downtube of the bike so I don't have to remove the front wheels. I DID have to get their universal mightymount adapters ($45/pair) that mount to the existing Pat crossbars. I got the 20% off AND free shipping so that saved me some serious coin. Even so, it still cost me $300 for two bike racks, adapters and locks.

AND even though I'm positive they will work and was assured by the rack seller (not yakima itself) that it would, he made sure to stress that it was not warrantied by Yakima because they don't "officially" say it will work on the Patriot. Once they research the Pat and officially say it will work, then i can probably call and make sure it is under warranty.

It comes this next Monday so after I install, I'll take some pics and post them.

So you went Yakima? Cool... Raptors...I checked those out too...I thought they were nearly universal? They are a good system though. Check it out, when you get 'em on Monday...maybe you wont need the mighty mounts. I have a Yakima Big Powder Hound Ski Rack and it came with long screws that fit no problem. So I know Yakima sells the long ones.

I guess you could say the Big Mouth is the Thule version. I just liked the Thule set up a little more...and the Big Mouth came with locks (so I saved some coin there) and I didn't need any adapters (I did spend like $4 bucks at Lowes for some longer 6M screws) . That is good gear though. Do you have any Yakima gear already? If so, you can get your SKS locks to match (fewer keys to keep track of). If not keep the numbers you have and if you ever need more gear you can match 'em.

Yea, I get the price thing too. I spent $250 for two Big Mouths. Check out Thule (they compare well with Yakima,though both companies wont admit it...though I do like Thule craftsmanship). Anywho it almost makes you want to buy a back rack...but you can't open your hatch with a bike on.

I think you'll be happy...You'll be ale to use your raptors on any future rack system on down the road.

When I got my 4x4 sport I had the dealer thrown in some bars (they gave me Mopar sport bars). They are pretty thick. I did have some trouble finding the right after market equipment to fit, becuase the patriot is so new. I like aftermarket gear of this type---I am partial to Thule, but Yakima has great gear to. A lot of Mopar gear fits with a T nut and you have to deal with removing the weather stripping, it wont fit on other rack makes without another "adapter", yadda, yadda, yadda...so for the life of your gear it might be cost effective to purchase a more univeral mounting system.

Thule makes a new "Aero" sport bars that are thick so they have stuff that will fit. I would look into your local pro-shop...Right Now Yakima is haveing their semi-annual 20% off all their gear sale, too!

By the way, I went with a Thule Big Mouth system. Let us know what you do...

can you get some closeup pictures to post of the mopar sports-bars?

can you get some closeup pictures to post of the mopar sports-bars?

I'll get those out ASAP...gotta teach america's youth first!!!

I'll get those out ASAP...gotta teach america's youth first!!!
teachin' the youth always comes first!
...thank you so much!...ive got 2 mopar bike racks that work with t-bar's left over from my '01 cherokee that i think will fit. just need to see the side inputs on the sports bars to confirm. again, thanks.

Hope this helps...if not I'll take more from different angles...

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t313/helo75/rearview.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t313/helo75/rack1.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t313/helo75/rack2.jpg

thats perfect...thank you very much...i owe you one! one more question if you dont mind...do the ends come completely off where the lock is?

Great pics! No offense but that is what I DIDN'T want... that extra set of bars attached. I just didn't understand why things couldn't be attached to the OEM bars (the more aero shaped ones) that come on the Pat. So the adapters I got actually attach to those. (See actual Yakima pic below). The only potential problem I forsee is the length of the bolt and the distance between the roof and the bar. I *might* have to saw a portion of the bolt off if there isn't enough clearance there.

But yeah, I never wanted a rear rack. While it may save a bit of gas at highway speeds, if you go on any dirt roads, your bike(s) get filthy and it is just a PITA to get to the rear of your Pat, even with those "fold down" racks.

Meh. Not for me. I don't have any other Yakima products but I will keep the codes so I only have to use the one key for all the locks. I did check out Thule and had no issues with their products. Only reason why I went with Yakima is the stuff was on sale. And because I had to research myself to see if the stuff would fit, Yakima's descriptions were a bit more clear than Thules. I wasn't that sure Thule would fit the way I wanted them to (without buying another set of crossbars.)

Anyway... thanks again! I'm excited... pics to come sometime early next week.

http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/3013/2579485460100726353S425x425Q85.jpg


Edited to add: I see you're a Macintosh fan. :D :smiley_thumbs_up:

Gotcha...now I see the kinda factory cross bars you have. I kept seeing raised traditional cross bars in my head.

Yea, because they don't have towers, and depending on how long those screws are, I guess you might be cuttting it close. If it comes to you cutting--try a bike pro-shop, their machinist might be able to cut them for you.

MAC is the only way I roll! I wonder how many people here are mac users? It'd be an intersting thread.

Still, sounds like you are going to have a sweet set up.

Yep... a thought I had just now about security and those mightymount adapters. From the illustration it seems they can just be unscrewed from the OEM bars. I wonder if they can be locked down. Although my bikes will be locked to the rack itself... if the rack can just be unscrewed from the truck, what is the use? LOL Hmmmm something to ponder.

Edited to add: Just checked the website and yes they are secured via another set of locks (sold seperately :D). I only got one set of locks (for the bike to lock to the rack) so I guess I'll have to buy another set of locks to lock the rack to the Pat. Ugh. Another $40!

So I ordered the lock mechanisms for the rack last night and I'll order two more for the bike/rack lock next month. I don't plan on keeping my bikes on the rack unless I'm there so they don't need to be locked right away. But I do want to keep the rack locked to the Pat.

Below is a weird angle pic of the OEM crossbars that came on my Pat.

As to Macs... yes! Been a die-hard Mac fan since my dad bought a SE back in 1984. I had an LCIII, then a 7500, and now have a iBook (G4) at home. Girlfriend was so impressed she went out and bought a nice iMac (G5) after only using PCs. And at work (graphic designer) I've got a monster: dual processor 2.66 Ghz G5. Love it! :D

http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/2603/2648783320100726353S600x600Q85.jpg

Everything was delivered Monday evening and I installed it all last night. As I suspected, the universal mighty-mounts work perfectly. Looks GREAT, though I ended up with two mightymounts left over. Each rack needs three (two up front to stabilize) and one in back. And of course, they only come in sets of four. So I had to order two sets, and used 6 of the 8.

Putting the bike up that high (especially my 30+ lb full-suspension bike) will give my shoulders a workout but I'm happy. I can't imagine the extra 4-5" that a 2nd set of crossbars would do. I'd have to get a freakin' step ladder!

I'll snap some photos this evening and post them later. :D

Everything was delivered Monday evening and I installed it all last night. As I suspected, the universal mighty-mounts work perfectly. Looks GREAT, though I ended up with two mightymounts left over. Each rack needs three (two up front to stabilize) and one in back. And of course, they only come in sets of four. So I had to order two sets, and used 6 of the 8.

Putting the bike up that high (especially my 30+ lb full-suspension bike) will give my shoulders a workout but I'm happy. I can't imagine the extra 4-5" that a 2nd set of crossbars would do. I'd have to get a freakin' step ladder!

I'll snap some photos this evening and post them later. :D

pictures would be great...im still trying to figure out what im going to do...im now leaning towards what youve done....Yakima Raptor with the Univ. mightmounts...did you happen to try/see the 04 Horizontal mightymounts?

Alrighty! Here are a bunch of pics of my new Yakima Raptor bike racks (2) using Yakima's Universay Mightymounts. There is a possibility that the horizontal mounts would work but because they haven't officially measured the Pat's factory crossbars, I wasn't sure they would fit. So I went with the Universal ($45/set). Everything went together smoothly and it seems very stable. Sorry that I don't have a picture of my bikes ON the rack... didn't have time.

Overall, this cost me about $300: 2 Raptor racks, 2 sets of universal mightymounts, 2 locks, and two lock housings. I purchased it through RackWarehouse.com and they were very good about it. Got free shipping, too!

Pat with Rack
http://inlinethumb15.webshots.com/5774/2431262610100726353S500x500Q85.jpg

Straight on:
http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/4871/2544279870100726353S500x500Q85.jpg

Passenger side front:
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/3224/2329520070100726353S500x500Q85.jpg

Passenger side rear:
http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/5677/2655435150100726353S500x500Q85.jpg

Detail of universal mighty-mounts:
http://inlinethumb23.webshots.com/3862/2675265280100726353S500x500Q85.jpg

AZCycle,

thanks for all your info/pictures...i went out and got the Raptor w/universal mightymounts this past saturday. $117 total (no locks) for 1 bike. cant beat that! i did try some Thule racks but no luck. i like the fact that the mightymounts will work with other Yakima products....and along with fitting my current patriot, it will fit my future patriots!!!:smiley_thumbs_up:

Good deal! :D

Good deal! :D

question about the locks....dealer said they would work on the Raptor only and not the mightymounts...is this true? if not, how may locks would i need for one rack to lock down everything!

a big thank you in advance for your reply....youve been allot of help!

Um... that is not my understanding. I bought some locks for the mightmounts. I haven't installed them yet, but I think they will work. That last close-up photo of the mightymount shows the two clamping bolts. If I understand it correctly, the lock thing screws onto that just below the tightening dial, which prevents it from being unscrewed.

This is what I ordered:
http://www.yakima.com/Product.aspx?id=96

Of course, those are JUST the shell... you still need to buy the lock core. And if you tell your dealer the lock code, they will send you however many locks you need all with one key, which is nice.

So I will need four locks... one for each Raptor (locking bike to rack) and one each for ONE of the mightmount screws (locking rack to Pat). Since each Raptor has three mightymounts, I suppose you could get a lock for each mount (totalling 3 per rack), but that feels excessive to me. I'm just locking down one of three mounts per raptor. Hope that is not too confusing LOL

AZCYCLE,

if you could, let me know how it works out...in checking the pictures, it may be just the horizontal mightymounts that they work with...im headin down to the dealer after work to find out...again, many thanks!

No problem... I'll try to put them on tonight and let you know if I'm successful. But if you download the directions, it looks like all you need to do is thread the bolt that comes with the lock and attach the lock housing. Unless the thread is different, it should work. But I'll let you know. :D

No problem... I'll try to put them on tonight and let you know if I'm successful. But if you download the directions, it looks like all you need to do is thread the bolt that comes with the lock and attach the lock housing. Unless the thread is different, it should work. But I'll let you know. :D

yeah, looks like you may be right...i just placed my order thru moosejaw for a set of 4 locks & housings...28% off which my dealer wont match and yakima's 20% off ended yesterday.

I haven't taken any photos, but the locks work just fine on the universal mightymounts. You just unscrew the large, circular tightening "bolt" and screw on the small bolt that comes with the lock housing. Add rubber grommet and screw it on until it's tight against the mightymount. Then turn the key to lock it and it moves up flush so it can't be turned.

Easy!

I haven't taken any photos, but the locks work just fine on the universal mightymounts. You just unscrew the large, circular tightening "bolt" and screw on the small bolt that comes with the lock housing. Add rubber grommet and screw it on until it's tight against the mightymount. Then turn the key to lock it and it moves up flush so it can't be turned.

Easy!

sweet! i just got my locks yesterday and will be putting the rack on today. thanks for all your help!:smiley_thumbs_up:

If you don't want to spend the money for the Thule or Yakima rails & feet, Inno makes a setup with rectangular rails similar in style to the Thule, with low profile feet that will wrap around the factory roof rails. A company called Rack Attack is currently selling the feet & rails for a lot less than the other two big manufacturers are charging, and they will fit the Thule accessories.
Worth checking into. I have a set on mine, they look good, work well, locks are included, and I was able to re-use the bike mounts I already had.

This might be a really dumb question, but I'm gonna ask anyway:
I bought a new 07 Pat a week ago and I haven't messed with the factory rack yet and I've been reading all of your posts (thanks by the way). If I were to go the Yakima MightyMount route and I have bikes locked to the rack and the rack locked to the factory crossbars......what's keeping someone from detaching the crossbars from the rails and running off with the whole setup? Thanks in advance!

So I bought a Patriot and do mountain biking too. Using the search function I found this thread.

Mine did not come with the crossbars. Are those sold through the dealer only (at a premium I guess...)? I am looking at the Mopar catalogue and does not seem to find the lower profile crossbars. The roof-mount bike carriers seem to be the standard high-profile that I already have on my old car. I would also prefer to have the lower profile crossbars. I also have a 35lbs+ ride along with a trailbike, singlespeed and cyclocross bike!

Thanks,
Sylvain

Sylvain, two words.

Go Thule.


Although I strongly prefer a hitch mount.

Sylvain, two words.

Go Thule.

I already have a Thule/Yakima combo on my Mystique. I can always use the crossbars and buy new clamps to attach to the Patriot rails. This would make the whole assembly higher though but will be less expensive than buying new crossbars.

Aloha Sylvain, i have found the same, i am just looking for low profile cross bars for my Kayaks, Mopar ones seem to be a bit high, have you found low pro's yet ? thanx

Aloha Sylvain, i have found the same, i am just looking for low profile cross bars for my Kayaks, Mopar ones seem to be a bit high, have you found low pro's yet ? thanx

I already has the Yakima crossbars that are tubular in shape. So to save some money by keeping the bars and using the same locks I went with the following:
http://www.yakima.com/racks/rack-systems/product/8000118/lowrider.aspx

It's called "Lowrider" and it is indeed fairly low profile. I can take a picture if it can help.

Sylvain

Thanx and they fit on stock rails with no problems ?

Thanx and they fit on stock rails with no problems ?

Yes. Installation was easy. You tighten the clamps by turning the lever where the locks go. It seems solid but I have yet to put the bike on them and drive to the trailhead.

Thanx again i am researching prices , think i'll end up on Ebay

BTW, Thule also have a clamping kit that is low profile IMO. However, it is a rubber band that attaches to the car factory bars. Although you can still lock it rubber can be cut. And since it's Thule it didn't fit with the crossbars I already had.
Just in case you want to consider other options if you do not already have the crossbars.
http://www.thuleracks.com
You have to go through the process of selecting the make and model of the car.

I went with the Mopar Sport Utility bars and can't complain at all. I think the bars themselves look great and give the Patriot a nice look (a little beefier than the stock crossbars). I'm planning on using my Thule ski rack on them and will also be picking up a bike rack .

Picked them up at justforjeeps.com for $185 and they were delivered two days later.

I'm partial to Yakima but when doing my original research (10 years ago!), Thule is solid as well. Be sure to have cross bars that can handle your plan load. Yakima does warn against using some of their fork mount bike carriers on factory crossbars, as compared to their round bars, which are supposedly much stronger and able to handle the stresses and strain of the mount better. I haven't seen the factory Patriot cross bars yet though, and don't know what they're rated for.

I like having 1 key for my rack and mounts (bike, ski, etc.). Not sure if/how Thule handles this, but Yakima's SKS lock core system is great, even if it does add to the overall cost. ($25 per 2 locks I think).

I spent about $650 10 years ago on my Yakima system (Q towers, Q20 clips, 58" bars, Big PowderHound, Steelhead, 8 SKS cores, and a fairing) for my 95 Pathfinder and couldn't have been happier. 10 great years of use.