Couldn't find any threads specific to roof racks on XF. 2012 XF, got Jaguar roof rack and bike rack accessory. This has been one of the most difficult roof racks I've ever dealt with. The instructions are nonexistent, only pictures, and they aren't very precise pictures. Not sure if one bar is on forward and the other backward. Part of it broke during assembly. No actual slots on the car, placement relies on (metric) measurement. Definitely not a one man job. And I don't anticipate it being any easier when I want to take them off, or put them back on.

Had a Saab for years, with racks that had exact spots for the racks. Simply place, tighten, and you're done. I still don't think I have this racks on the Jag correctly, because I cannot get the bike attachment to slide on.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

2012 XF Portfolio

 

Jaguar racks look suspiciously like Thule Aero bars.

Did Jaguar not provide installation instructions?

Comparing any roof rack to that supplied by SAAB for SAAB is unfair. Although made for SAAB by Thule the feet were SAAB patented and every SAAB had the eight brass lugs fitted into the door openings to specifically fit their patented rack.

Nobody has made a comparable rack: installation time? 5-10 minutes for SAAB rack. For any other rack you are looking at 20 - 30 minutes minimum.

Metric to inches divide mm by 25.4 (actually dividing by 25 will be close enough).

The big challenge for the XF is the curvature and taper of the roof. There isn't much available roof to fit the bars. Is there any lateral adjustment on the Jag bars or are they designed to fit in only one spot? Probably there is a front and a rear bar. Even for my SAAB 9000 I marked each bar F and R to speed installation.

 

Yea, the Saab racks must have spoiled me. The only ones I really dealt with before and very easy and well designed for the car.

The curvature of the roof is a big issue, which affects the plane of the rack itself once positioned. I was able to convert the mm to inches, but definitely not an exact spot for either bar, biyv of which were placed arbitrarily with appropriate front and rear rubber pads to accommodate the forward and backward curves if the roof. Stickers were provided to mark which was which after the first install.

To put it all together, then get the bike rack on took over an hour with me and my dad both doing our best. Instructions were provided but on showed very nondescript pictures. Some guess work and judgement calls were needed. There was a web link for further instructions, but it was a dead end and appeared to be for a dealer/service business. Not a layman. I am not looking forward to taking them off or putting them back on any time soon.

 

Are these the instructions you had used?
TOPIx - TOPIx

 

I got this photo today.
I hope it helps.

 

Thank you. That does help. I looked up a similar one to check that the thick and thin sides were facing the correct way. This is a better picture than that.

 

It does look very much like the Thule aerobar setup I had on my ford focus, I have been contemplating installing it on my 2010 xf

 

Hi, I bought a set of Aero bars from the Jaguar dealer 6 years ago when I bought my new XF MY2012, but I never put them on the car.

I now need to, but have lost the fitting instructions.

Would anyone be kind enough to copy theirs and post them here for me please?

Here's hoping ...