Yakima and Thule both have whisper bars, very sleek looking but pricey

 

I have Whispbar (by Yakima) and there is no noise at all. I had them on my A4 prior with same excellent results.

 

I've had the Whispbar but they are not wide enough or strong enough for all the crap I put up on the roof so I went back to using the standard Thule square bars and a wind fairing. Recently somehow the fairing cracked (maybe a rock strike, who knows) and thought I would try something different.

So all that is needed is to disrupt the airflow over the bars and the loud wind noise goes away. To do this, spiral wrap some cord (I used 1/8 inch I think) with about a 1 inch space between the spirals. I used some parachute cord I found at Lowe's, it was the only black cord they had. I'm pretty certain this is the best sounding solution I've had when comparing to the fairing or the Whispbars. It only cost a few bucks for the cord too.

 

I've had the Whispbar but they are not wide enough or strong enough for all the crap I put up on the roof so I went back to using the standard Thule square bars and a wind fairing. Recently somehow the fairing cracked (maybe a rock strike, who knows) and thought I would try something different.

So all that is needed is to disrupt the airflow over the bars and the loud wind noise goes away. To do this, spiral wrap some cord (I used 1/8 inch I think) with about a 1 inch space between the spirals. I used some parachute cord I found at Lowe's, it was the only black cord they had. I'm pretty certain this is the best sounding solution I've had when comparing to the fairing or the Whispbars. It only cost a few bucks for the cord too.

Not wide enough? The whispbars are the widest crossbars out there. Also not sure why you think that they are not strong enough, I've used them on my B8 A4 for over 3 years with no issues at all and an A4 uses a flush rail system so they were held by the edges only. I've tried to use my entire strenght to pull them off without any success. On Touareg they are held by clamping over the rails which makes them that much more secure. If you know how to install them properly you should have no issues at all. I've driven over 100 with the roof top box with no issues.

 

I use the factory cross bars and have had no wind noise that I could hear.

 

No whistling on my factory bars either. The little wind noise they do produce is hardly an issue.--Chris

 

I have a big Yakima megawarrior on mine so there's no chance I can eliminate the noise... Maybe I should parachute cord all of the bars too? Haha

 

Try sliding them back and forth on the VW rails. Moving them a few inches may make a difference. I have a set of Thule Cross Bars and a Thule box on my '09 and they dont make a peep.

 

Try sliding them back and forth on the VW rails. Moving them a few inches may make a difference. I have a set of Thule Cross Bars and a Thule box on my '09 and they dont make a peep.

I have the same setup on my '04 and I could not believe how quite it is. Only at HIGH speeds 80+ do I notice noise.

 

I can see a box being quiet... Not a basket though :/

 

Thanks guys I found factory bars on Craig's list for 100 bones.

 

I have to bump this thread... The best advice is wrapping the bars with rubber wraps rubber moving straps...

 

I have the square Thule load bars and also get the whistling....can't wait to try this! Thanks for passing along!

 

Found your post recently...I was experiencing the loud whistling on my square Thule load bars. Found the same 1/8" black parachute cord and followed your instructions regarding the wrap spacing. What a difference! They are virtually silent now! I have a Thule ski box and bike carriers - I use the longest Thule bars to accommodate multiple attachments. Thanks for passing along the tip!