Pimp my Rack: Ditch the 'Yakima Howl'
About a year ago I caved in and sold the '94 Ford Ranger I'd bought from my dad in high school. After a short-lived and ill-fated stint with a battered Jeep Cherokee, I picked up a Subaru WRX hatchback with a backseat and twice the horsepower of my old Ford. I love the power and handling of my new 'rex, but it couldn't quite compare to the utility of the Ranger until I added a set of Yakima cross bars. Trips to the lumber yard (or the lake with my homemade kayak) are now possible again, but I'm not a fan of the constant howling the new bars added to my new ride. It was so bad I considered dropping the 75 bucks REI asks for a fairing to redirect the wind silently up and over. But then I remembered a tip from an old friend and former co-worker (thanks, Jason). To get rid of wind noise from a Yakima (or Thule) roof rack for cheap: Wrap surveyor's twine around both bars in a spiral pattern. That's it. Surprisingly enough, that is enough to b...