CX-9 OEM Roof Cross Rails Installed

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2024 CX90 PHEV Premium Plus
I posted this in another thread and wanted to separate out into the Accessories Forum too...

Installed the OEM cross rails this past weekend. I purchase them through Mazda Swag online. They’ve been great to deal with. Even with shipping they were cheaper than picking up locally. My dealership is hit or miss on discounting accessories.

Installation wasn’t difficult but tightening the Torx screws was tedious because they’re tucked down low. Of course I didn’t fully read the instructions and if I did, I would have seen they recommended using a swivel socket with a Torx bit. That would have made things much easier.

Posted an extra pic here from the rear. You can see that the rear bar is a little taller than the front. Because of the sloping roofline, it needs to be so anything mounted is level.

The bars are solid, look good, and the instructions said they’re rated for 209 lbs combined weight, evenly distributed. They’re mounted roughly before and aft of the rear doors so they’re not far apart. With the CX-9’s raked windshield, sloping roofline, and hatchback-esque rear lift gate, theres’s not much roof up there I can see how some people would have trouble with long items up there. We’ll mostly use it for a smaller basket and a soft cargo carrier for extra luggage room so hopefully it won’t be a problem for us.

Next up the basket!

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Looks good. I installed mine this weekend also. Interesting to see that yours appear warped as well in the picture. Some kind of optical illusion. (I looked at mine from several angles and finally decided they were fine. Mine looked twisted.)

I actually did try to use the torque wrench and swivel socket thing, but it didn't work. The adapters are too fat. You'd have to have a T-30 adapter that was almost as long as the provided wrench.
 
Hey guys this looks awesome any chance for some pictures of the instruction sheet? Im super nerdy like this. Interested in seeing mounting positions of bars, and if I have the swivel head tool with the right length torx bit.

Looking to do myself too however hard to find localy without charging an arm and a leg. I enquired for genuine side rails x2 + cross bars x2 from local dealer was something crazy (converted to USD is around $1330 USD)

Have found them genuine (i think they are) on ebay from mazda parts dealer? In arizona that will ship to my country for almost half the price including freight. Not sure about import duties and taxes at border though. Link below


Or for even 1/4 of the local price we have non genuine, reluctant to go this route due to free shipping from asian country, could take ages or not show up at all, and scared fitment is arse, but wondering if anyone has had any experience what so ever with non genuine rails/bars? Link below


I wonder how good the ebay protection is if it
1) Doesn't show up at all
2) Shows up damaged in transit from going halfway around the world
3) Takes 2 or 3 months to come and then fitment is arse (does the protection time out?) If ebay tells me to resolve with seller first which means paying for me to send it back which costs heaps hundreds just for freight...
 
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I bought my CX-9 used with the rails already installed. I understood it was a $500 item?

For the cross bars, the text on the paper instructions was too small and faint. I found the pdf:


That T-30 socket shown on page 1, top right...the thin part needs to be longer, or the socket part needs to be thin like the picture. Mine was too thick, so I had to do the whole job with only the provided allen wrench. I made sure to put some thick paper between the paint and the allen wrench. It rubs the roof when you are turning it.

Maybe this would work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

I bought the rails here (0000-8L-N11):

 
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I bought my CX-9 used with the rails already installed. I understood it was a $500 item?

For the cross bars, the text on the paper instructions was too small and faint. I found the pdf:


That T-30 socket shown on page 1, top right...the thin part needs to be longer, or the socket part needs to be thin like the picture. Mine was too thick, so I had to do the whole job with only the provided allen wrench. I made sure to put some thick paper between the paint and the allen wrench. It rubs the roof when you are turning it.

Maybe this would work: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

I bought the rails here (0000-8L-N11):

Thank you for your input this has answered heaps of questions. I actually have the long torx bits like your amazon link along with swivel / torq wrench just not short torx so happy to know.

So when you bought from mazda swag they shipped international to you? Or are you in the same country?
 
Thank you for your input this has answered heaps of questions. I actually have the long torx bits like your amazon link along with swivel / torq wrench just not short torx so happy to know.

So when you bought from mazda swag they shipped international to you? Or are you in the same country?
I'm in the same country...
 
Just a quick follow up… My intentions were to also mount a roof basket and share pictures of that but it didn’t work out. It was a “Haul Master” basket, not too big (46x36x4), big enough for our soft carrier and a small container or two.

The issue was that the mounting brackets didn‘t line up with the cross rails. Neither the Mazda rails or the Haul Master Hardware were adjustable to make it a secure fit. I’m looking for a basket that has adjustable mounts. But, they look pretty expensive. I just might have to swap out the Mazda cross rails for aftermarket.

Otherwise, there haven’t been any follow up issues with the cross rails. I haven’t noticed increased wind noise. The bars still seem to be mounted solid. And they cleaned up pretty easily after washing a couple of times.
 
I put the cross bars on my CX9 each winter to carry skis and remove them after ski season. I use a Wiha 362BE ball end T-30 driver for the screws. I put a drop of Vibra-tite VC-3 Threadmate on the screw threads, "Prevents fastener loosening due to shock & vibration. Adjust, remove & reuse up to 5 times." The VC-3 doesn't harden like most Loctite-type thread lockers. To protect the paint from the tool I use thin cardboard like the front panel from a cereal box.
 
Hi, I recently bought the crossbars for my CX-9. They were used but in great condition. Sadly they didn't come with the bolts. Can someone send a picture of one of the bolts to see if I can get something similar in a local hardware store or someone know where to get them?
 
Hi, I recently bought the crossbars for my CX-9. They were used but in great condition. Sadly they didn't come with the bolts. Can someone send a picture of one of the bolts to see if I can get something similar in a local hardware store or someone know where to get them?

I checked the instructions hoping that the bolt size was listed on it but it isn’t.

Here’s a link to the instructions. Take a look. Maybe I missed it.

Another thought is maybe you can find a parts diagram online for the cross bars. That should list the bolt size. Call the local Mazda dealer? They might be able to tell you.

I can tell you it was a bolt with a hex head. 1.5 to 2 inches long. No idea of thread size or if it was metric.
 
I checked the instructions hoping that the bolt size was listed on it but it isn’t.

Here’s a link to the instructions. Take a look. Maybe I missed it.

Another thought is maybe you can find a parts diagram online for the cross bars. That should list the bolt size. Call the local Mazda dealer? They might be able to tell you.

I can tell you it was a bolt with a hex head. 1.5 to 2 inches long. No idea of thread size or if it was metric.
Good idea. I will try a local dealer to see if they can sell the bolts (I highly doubt it) or at least show me one to see if I can get something similar in a hardware store. Thank you.
 
Try to get the unique bolts from a Mazda parts counter. The bolts have an M6-1.0 thread, but they're big head shoulder bolts. The head is 16mm diameter. The shoulder is 9 mm diameter x 4mm long (it might need this shoulder to fit snuggly into the feet of the crossbars), and the threaded shank is 14mm long with a 3mm long unthreaded tip to guide the bolt into place.
 
These are all 6M and can fit the holes in my roof.
The two odd ones came with my 16.5 cx5 -- the loop top is for the adjustable crossbars.
The other three either came with another car or the hardware store. They have stainless steel at some stores.
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These are all 6M and can fit the holes in my roof.
The two odd ones came with my 16.5 cx5 -- the loop top is for the adjustable crossbars.
The other three either came with another car or the hardware store. They have stainless steel at some stores.View attachment 298485

FYI ... The very bottom screw looks a lot like the ones that came with the hardware for my cross bars.
 
I am pretty sure I could get the roundhead Phillips stainless screw to work with the addition of a washer. The black oxide screw might work, too.
 
We didn't get this option in Australia. we only have the black plastic track in the roof. I have some Whispbar cross bars installed on mine. They screw down through the black plastic track into the factory roof mounts.

I would like to install a third bar further back and slide the front two forward. I would also like a wind deflector to go in front of the sun roof. I have 4 bike racks up there at the moment.
 
I posted this in another thread and wanted to separate out into the Accessories Forum too...

Installed the OEM cross rails this past weekend. I purchase them through Mazda Swag online. They’ve been great to deal with. Even with shipping they were cheaper than picking up locally. My dealership is hit or miss on discounting accessories.

Installation wasn’t difficult but tightening the Torx screws was tedious because they’re tucked down low. Of course I didn’t fully read the instructions and if I did, I would have seen they recommended using a swivel socket with a Torx bit. That would have made things much easier.

Posted an extra pic here from the rear. You can see that the rear bar is a little taller than the front. Because of the sloping roofline, it needs to be so anything mounted is level.

The bars are solid, look good, and the instructions said they’re rated for 209 lbs combined weight, evenly distributed. They’re mounted roughly before and aft of the rear doors so they’re not far apart. With the CX-9’s raked windshield, sloping roofline, and hatchback-esque rear lift gate, theres’s not much roof up there I can see how some people would have trouble with long items up there. We’ll mostly use it for a smaller basket and a soft cargo carrier for extra luggage room so hopefully it won’t be a problem for us.

Next up the basket!

View attachment 296832

View attachment 296833

View attachment 296834
Just received my crossbars, read instructions, installation doesn’t seem like a problem. My question is the rear crossbar stanchion has a lot of play in it. Very easy to slide back and forth. The front crossbar seems fine. Do I tighten the stanchion? If I don’t, is it going to cause rattling? Instruction #2 states to “ensure the stanchions have the ability to slide and compress to narrowest configuration by pressing the stanchion mounts inward as shown below.”

Can’t find any info on this subject.
 
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