Starting to aero the Subie.

[Thalass]

They're probably structural roof racks :P

You could probably fill in the holes to create a smooth fin the length of the roof - then you'd still be able to use the roof racks. It wouldn't be as clean as removing them, but it would be better I imagine.

[brucey]

I've thought about it, I use them fairly often. I know I could get more bang for the buck, but I'm not going to do it unless its the only thing stopping me from getting 40 mpg. They come in handy about once a month, and since I'm using a tank of gas a month, the cost benefit just isn't there for me yet.

Besides, when I can't fit something in the wagon, it goes on top!

[garys_1k]

If you could at least remove the cross bars it would help a lot. You're likely giving up a mile or so per gallon with them.

[Thalass]

That much, huh? I might remove mine then, next time I fill up, and see how it goes. Though they are fairly aerodynamic - a lenticular kind of shape, rounded at the front and back. They would be better with an elongated rear half, but they're better than regular square bars.

[brucey]

I don't even know where my crossbars are. But thanks.

I also keep my basket inside the car, it fits in the trunk, its nice because I can also use it to carry in a large load of groceries.

[garys_1k]

Originally Posted by Thalass

That much, huh? I might remove mine then, next time I fill up, and see how it goes. Though they are fairly aerodynamic - a lenticular kind of shape, rounded at the front and back. They would be better with an elongated rear half, but they're better than regular square bars.

That "aerodynamic" shape isn't much of a help, really. Unless they have the magic teardrop taper on the back, you're making turbulence.

Do give it a try, though. My Chrysler van also drives quieter with the rack off. It used to be impossible to drive with the windows open, the low frequency "thrumming" sound (vortex shedding) was so bad. That's entirely gone now. Oh, that had elliptical cross bars, too.

[brucey]

Starting looking into removing the roof rack further, and when reading the technical manual, I realized that the roof is touring style. It has an extra hump. I'm not so sure that its worth it once I realized just how small the racks really are. If I never used them they'd be gone. But I know I use them a lot as of now.

Heres a picture of a nearly identical car without the racks, you can see the extra hump I'm talking about.

[pasadena_commut]

Originally Posted by brucey

Starting looking into removing the roof rack further, and when reading the technical manual, I realized that the roof is touring style. It has an extra hump. I'm not so sure that its worth it once I realized just how small the racks really are.

The wife's Legacy has similar roof racks. I removed the cross bars earlier this summer (this requires a Torx tool of the appropriate size). The remaining part of the roof rack is not going to be easy to take off. It looks to me like the inside pillar covers need to be removed, then the ceiling liner, and then the bolts from the inside. It will leave at least 3 holes per side in the roof which are going to need to be filled with something. There is no filler strip, as for the rack mounts on many other cars, because as you showed in your picture, the rack is actually on a raised portion of the roof.

At first glance it looks like the side rails are straight, so the rear part will follow in the wake of the front part, and the wind should pass over them fairly easily. However, if you stand in front of the car and look straight down the inside edge of the rack you will see that it bends inward towards the center of the car at the center support. That exposes the flat half of the trailing half of the rails to the oncoming wind (admittedly at a fairly shallow angle), and it exposes the front face of the last support directly to the wind. If you own another, taller, vehicle that could be used as a camera platform it would be interesting to "tuft" the top of the car and see what the air is actually doing up there. My other car is a Protege5, so no way to see the roof of the Subie from that.

[pasadena_commut]

Originally Posted by brucey

Where did you obtain the inside mirror?

How does the view compare to the external one you removed?

How did you mount it?

Is the inside edge of the mirror clear of the passenger side airbag at maximum expansion?

Please post a picture from a few feet out looking into the car from the passenger side towards the deleted mirror.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by pasadena_commut

At first glance it looks like the side rails are straight, so the rear part will follow in the wake of the front part, and the wind should pass over them fairly easily.

Even notwithstanding that you discovered the rack "rails" aren't perfectly parallel, it's not completely true.

Remember we live in a world of cross winds, so much of the time the racks present a larger surface area to the apparent wind and generate more drag than one might think at first.

That's the main reason I would encourage people to remove their entire rack if it's not regularly used (and not ridiculously difficult).