If you own a ladder rack, then you know that wind noise is a prominent issue for you when driving on the road. The annoying sound that comes with a ladder rack as you drive can be distracting, unnerving, and create unwanted headaches. Some of us enjoy rolling our windows down on beautiful days, but owning a ladder rack can ruin our ability to appreciate those experiences. Even if installed properly, ladder racks can be especially noisy once your truck picks up speed.
How can you make a ladder rack quieter? You have three options when it comes to making your ladder rack quieter. Those three options are:
- Install a front bar wind deflector on your truck.
- Deflect the wind using a rope.
- Purchase some wind fairings.
Since there isn’t much information available on the Internet today discussing how to make a ladder rack quieter, I wrote this article to help you. Below I will cover how you can make a ladder rack quieter using a front bar wind deflector, how you can deflect wind using a rope, and how you can buy some wind fairings to cut back the noise. Using any one of these three tricks will allow you to drive down the road without having to hear that ladder rack whistling above you.
How to Make a Ladder Rack Quieter?
Dealing with wind noise for those that utilize ladder racks on their vehicles can become pretty annoying. While ladder racks are helpful tools used to transport your gear while you work, they cut back your ability to enjoy the your ride in peace.
If you often drive on the freeway, ladder rack noises can be deafening even when you have the windows rolled up. Depending on your ladder rack’s manufacturer, you may even hear the loud noise while inside your truck’s cabin. The faster you drive, the louder the booming sounds will become. Not only that, but noisy ladder racks also increase your truck’s fuel consumption, costing you a little more in gas.
Luckily, there are ways that you can make your ladder rack quieter. One of them is by utilizing a front bar wind deflector. Below, I discuss the steps you’ll need to follow to use a front bar wind deflector on your truck.
Step #1
Glance over your ladder rack to ensure that it is attached well to your truck. By making sure that your ladder rack is properly secured, you’ll be able to avoid rattling sounds and shrill sounds that come from a loose-fitting ladder rack.
Step #2
Modify your ladder rack and move it a couple of inches towards the rear of your vehicle. You can do this if your ladder rack is adjustable. Some ladder racks stick out over your windshield’s front area. When that happens, much of your airflow deflects off your windshield and then hits your front crossbar, creating blaring noises.
Step #3
Now, you need to install your front bar wind deflector onto your ladder rack’s front crossbar area. Using the wind deflector will help to move the air upwards and over the ladder rack. That will create far less noise when driving at faster speeds. Typically, you need to attach the deflector to your crossbar using three clamps. Depending on the type of wind deflector you purchase, you may need to bolt your deflector onto your crossbar.
Step #4
Once you finish, make sure that you close any exposed cavity areas on your ladder rack. By doing that, you’ll keep the wind from hitting these parts of your ladder rack. You can fill these holes with foam or heavy-duty tape.
Can You Deflect the Wind?
Yes, you can deflect the wind from hitting your ladder rack. You can use the front bar wind deflector idea we discussed above, or you can also use wind fairings or a rope, which I’ll discuss later. Right now, I’ll cover how you can use a rope to deflect the wind.
If purchasing a front bar wind deflector or wind fairings just isn’t in your budget right now, you can save some money by using a rope you already have lying around your garage. For this trick, all you need to do is wrap your rope around your front crossbar area to prevent the excessive airflow from making booming noises. Larger, thicker ropes work better. You want one that’s about twelve feet long. Wrap it around tightly and try not to use too much spacing.
When you are done wrapping the rope, tuck the tie-end into the spiral. You can also use foam or tape to cover any of the remaining gaps.
More Quiet Alternative to the Ladder Rack
Unfortunately, when it comes to transporting ladders and gear, ladder racks are pretty much your only option. However, I have yet another solution for you. Another alternative that you have is to use wind fairings. While they aren’t necessarily an alternative to a ladder rack, they are another alternative that you can utilize.
Fairings work well to reduce a large amount of noise that comes from your truck as you drive it against the wind. Wind fairings won’t eliminate all of that deafening noise, but it will help minimize it, so you don’t feel as distracted when you drive. Wind fairings also help save you money by giving you more fuel efficiency.
For example, many transport companies have started researching how aerodynamics impacts fuel consumption. One study stated that about twenty percent of fuel consumption is used when a vehicle drives against the wind. That can be increased to an additional ten to twenty percent if you also have a ladder rack on your truck.
Driving against the wind makes your vehicle work twice as hard. If you add a ladder rack into that equation, you have even more resistance, and that means your vehicle will consume more fuel. Therefore, you can save a lot of money and make your car more aerodynamic if you add wind fairings to your ladder rack.
Benefits of a Wind Fairing
Your friends might tell you that your wind fairings are only for aesthetics, or that wind fairings won’t help you that much with your airflow problem. However, you have to realize that the money you’d be saving on gas is well worth the price of wind fairings. That, and of course experiencing less noise from your ladder rack.
Below are some benefits you’ll experience by using a wind fairing on your roof rack.
- Reduces Noise
- Gas Mileage
- Appearance
Reduces Noise
Remember that anything you use outside your vehicle will increase the noise factor when you drive fast. While you may not notice it immediately, even an empty ladder rack on your roof means the crossbars are going against the wind as you drive. Using a wind fairing on your ladder rack will bring down the noise factor significantly.
Gas Mileage
You’ll also get better gas mileage by installing wind fairings onto your vehicle. Your truck will be more aerodynamic, and that means you can drive through the wind and experience less drag. By using a wind fairing, you’ll bring down your miles per gallon (MPG), which will pay you back for the wind fairing in no time.
Appearance
A wind fairing on your vehicle will make your bare ladder rack look much more stylish.
Conclusion
As you can see, you don’t have to suffer from driving with a noisy ladder rack if you act on it. If inexpensive wind fairings or wind deflectors are still out of your budget, the rope hack would only cost you a few dollars. Be sure to plug up those ladder rungs with foam to make your ride down the highway even more quieter. All these solutions are cheap and can be done easily!
If you’re thinking of different ways to accessorize your truck or make it more functional, consider checking out my recommended accessories page. I spent a good amount of time picking out mods that can be useful for most pickup trucks.