How To Use Ratchet Tie Downs On Roof Racks

How to tighten a ratchet strap attach the strap hooks to the vehicle s attachment points.

How to use ratchet tie downs on roof racks. Cinch the straps down tight. It also reduces the risk of damaging your vehicle. Feed the loose end under the bar through the cam from bottom to top and cinch it down. When you try to move your kayak side to side or up down your car should move on its shocks.

Use a tie down that wraps around the item and the rails. Use ratchet or cam straps to tie the roof rack through the doors not the windows. Repeat steps 3 6 at your second bar. Remove your rack when not in use to avoid the added weight drag and noise.

This can cause damage to the padding. A roof rack is ideal as it provides the most secure tie down. Once both straps are on tighten each one. Roof racks have been known to fail at high speeds with lots of updraft so take the extra precaution of tying the roof rack down to the roof of the vehicle as well.

Many people will use either cam straps or ratchet straps to secure the canoe to the roof by opening all car doors and actually doing a full wrap inside the vehicle and overtop of the canoe. Ratchet straps are the most secure way to tie down any heavy load whether it s riding on a roof rack trailer or in the bed of your truck. Run the strap through the hook and pull it tight so it s secure. Ratchet straps provide the most strength and security.

Check to make sure the strap is flat and securely placed around the cargo so it doesn t shift during transport. Use the front and rear corners of the roof rack for your anchor points. Create an anchor point for your ratchet straps by looping the hook end around the corner of a crossbar on your roof rack. With the third option crossbars with side rails you can secure an item to the side rails and run tie downs from front to back securing them to the crossbars.

From the bottom of the ratchet strap slowly thread the webbing through the slot in the center of the spool of the closed ratchet. Move the ratchet lever up and down in a pumping motion until it reaches the right tension.