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car roof racks and box question

LoneStar80

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2025
Messages
11
City & State/Province
Texas
I bought a car roof racks and box, it will arrive this week and Imma install it asap

But before I use it, should I protect it first with something?

I mean, the box is made of black plastic, and the roof bar is aluminium

What do you guys usually do?
 
I bought a car roof racks and box, it will arrive this week and Imma install it asap

But before I use it, should I protect it first with something?

I mean, the box is made of black plastic, and the roof bar is aluminium

What do you guys usually do?
Do wash and wax the roof first so you can protect the paint from scratches under the bars or feet. Regarding the black plastic box, you can use a plastic protectant if you wanna avoid fading or chalking in the sun. Did these for mine.
 
I bought a car roof racks and box, it will arrive this week and Imma install it asap

But before I use it, should I protect it first with something?

I mean, the box is made of black plastic, and the roof bar is aluminium

What do you guys usually do?
Yeah, you need some UV protectant on the black plastic to keep it from fading and cracking. A quick wipe down with a metal polish on the aluminum bars won't hurt either. It's gonna help keep it fresh and rust-free. Don't skip that prep because it saves headaches later!
 
I bought a car roof racks and box, it will arrive this week and Imma install it asap

But before I use it, should I protect it first with something?

I mean, the box is made of black plastic, and the roof bar is aluminium

What do you guys usually do?
Yeah, of course you need protection. It's gotta be that or you're gonna get really sad it's all gonna go to waste. :)
 
I bought a car roof racks and box, it will arrive this week and Imma install it asap

But before I use it, should I protect it first with something?

I mean, the box is made of black plastic, and the roof bar is aluminium

What do you guys usually do?
I'm not sure which exactly you have but I hope you got a black plastic box that's UV-resistant.
The aluminum bars are also typically anodized and powder-coated so they should have some built-in protective layer.
But if you really want to go the extra mile, you can occasionally apply a plastic protectant or ceramic spray coating to the box to give it an extra layer of defense against the elements and keep it looking new.
For the aluminum bars, a regular wash with soap and water is usually sufficient to maintain their finish.
 
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