Installing a Frontrunner roof rack

I have been looking at installing a Roof Rack on the Jimny for a while, after month or research I set my eyes on installing the Frontrunner Full length roof rack. The only two choice were this or the Eezi-Awn K9, the choice was made solely based on the amount of accessories there is available.

The aim of the roof rack is to be able to carry extra fuel, my bicycle (to get it out the way when doing some hard wheeling!) and an awning.

The Installation

The installation of the roof rack is very simple and the instructions are easy to follow, (The instructions can be found here.) I got mine installed at Tyre Wheel & Tyre in Bellville, as they are a frontrunner reseller and the service has swift. The installation was quick, as the team at TWT set up the rack the day before and all that had to be done was the actual install on the Jimny.

Initial Thoughts

I have been driving around with the rack installed, mainly on the road and you can barely tell that the rack is installed until you have to stop at the petrol station. (Which will be a lot quicker than usual.)

One of my main concerns before the installation, was the road noise as I have heard a few people complain about this. It might be the noise from the tyres masking this out but I have no complaints so far. Another question, I keep getting is about the on road handling and the body roll. I can’t say much about the stock Jimny and a roof rack but there does seem to be any issue with the Jimny with a lift kit installed.