Wheel Woolies :D

M

miguelgf

New member
Calling all roof-rack experts...



I'm looking for a cargo rack for the top of my ML320 SUV. It comes with 58" railings along the sides, but that's about it. So far, I've narrowed down my choices to:



Yakima Doublecross or Lowriders

Thule Rapid Railing 754



The pricing seems fair (about $170 delivered with all applicable parts and locks), and they seem to be regarded as the two best options.



Anyone with first hand experience?
 
They are actually both pretty good. I currently have Yakima towers and bars. I also have a Thule Mountaineer cargo box. I'm looking to test fit some Thule racks because of the unusual shape of my Montero's roof, my Yakima towers are touching the roof.
 
You may also want to consider Saris racks. I like them for their slick aero looks and the ease of installation. You can attach them by just standing on one side of the car. I can install them in half the time it takes to mount my Yakima racks. (I have both)



Yak offers more optional goodies and attachments in the catalog but I found that many Yak accessories can adapt to the Saris. I just bought a Yak BasketCase last week and installed it on the Saris with a little customization. Worked VERY cool.



I have a Thule rack that I used for my VW van (bike attachments, canoe, etc. Bus gone now) I have a Yakima set up that I can take back and forth between between my BMW 2002 tii and my Audi S4 (different feet, bike racks, fairing, canoe mount, lumber tie downs, basket, etc.) More recently I got the Saris which I liked mainly for the looks but now love for the ease of use. I have several bike mounts, tie downs, fairing, Yak Basket, etc., which can all quickly be interchanged in a few seconds because of the way the Saris is designed. The Yak is now gathering dust.



That said, I would say that the Yak seems more durable and heavy duty than the Saris but either are fine for most anything I will ever do with them.



Just as a note: I am associated with a Bicycle Shop here in town so I have the chance to work with every brand extensively. I feel my review is pretty accurate. None of these three brands is bad. Good luck.
 
Hey everyone, I am most likely going to order some wheel woolies (along with ONR and some of that new Opti-Clean stuff, but thats beside the point). These woolie of wheels run at $45 bucks for the three pack. Which is a lot of money for me to just drop since Im saving up for a new drum set, again beside the point. Anyways, do these woolies last a pretty good time, and do they do a good job. How can I take care of them to ensure they stay in tip top shape and give me the most bang for my buck? Thanks in advance.
 
Gimlet said:
Hey everyone, I am most likely going to order some wheel woolies (along with ONR and some of that new Opti-Clean stuff, but thats beside the point). These woolie of wheels run at $45 bucks for the three pack. Which is a lot of money for me to just drop since Im saving up for a new drum set, again beside the point. Anyways, do these woolies last a pretty good time, and do they do a good job. How can I take care of them to ensure they stay in tip top shape and give me the most bang for my buck? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Mine are a week old. Used 1x. Worked great but shrunk a little but I did save time and get to sections of the wheel I could not reach before. So far it works, not sure of durability but I will keep you posted!
 
Thanks for the info! I hear you can use them in other tight places like door jams, so that really appeals to me. Does the woolie-ness actually work? It seems like a stiffer brush would be better to remove brake dust...
 
Gimlet said:
Thanks for the info! I hear you can use them in other tight places like door jams, so that really appeals to me. Does the woolie-ness actually work? It seems like a stiffer brush would be better to remove brake dust...
Click to expand...

As far as durability, mine have to be closing in on 100 cars by now and are frankly like new. I haven't noticed any fiber pulling out and the wool cleans so it easy...

As compared to detail wheel brushes, such as an Easy Detail Brush, the Wheel Woolie has a far more durable handle that allows you to place far more pressure (and cleaning action) on to the wheel with out fear of the handle snapping. I suppose a very stiff, heavy bristle count brush will always be best for extremely caked wheels (the kind of wheels that require multiple go's with an acid) but for everything I have encountered the Woolies work great.

Not to mention almost no splatter :D
 
I have only used mine half a dozen times. I love them though. I have found the medium sized one to be used everytime, and occasionally the other two.
 
Gimlet said:
Thanks for the info! I hear you can use them in other tight places like door jams, so that really appeals to me. Does the woolie-ness actually work? It seems like a stiffer brush would be better to remove brake dust...
Click to expand...

I use the large for wheel barrels, medium for behind caliper and the small for the honey comb grill in from below of my License plate. The Daytona brush loosens it but leave alot the follow up with the weel woolies get them nice and clean.
 
I'm going to get some of these sometime in the next couple months. I don't think I need the whole kit though. Mostly just the smaller ones probably. I'm not looking at them for wheels.

You're certainly right about the price. The quality has to be to notch and first rate to warrant it for such a tool.
 
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