roof racks for mazda 3

[toohotinTN]

I am looking to get back into kayaking. I will need to transport 2 boats and am looking at rack options. I don't want, and can't really afford, to invest in a roof rack system from the ground up. BUT, I have a Yakima system from a 2000 Honda Civic. It has Q towers and round bars. My question is, can I use the Q towers (with the correct clips of course) on my 2012 Mazda 3? My roof has fixed points, but the Q towers aren't designed for that. Does that matter since they are a clip style? In researching I can't tell if only the fixed point model towers are "sized" for my car because that is the preferred method or if the Q towers really truly won't work. This would really just be an economical solution- reusing a rack system I already have even though it isn't necessarily the most current design. Thanks for any insight.

 

[rjdee]

You can reuse the Qtowers and buy new Q clips. Your 3 is rated for only 100lbs with the Qtower system though. That is marginal for 2 kayaks since they average 45-50 lbs each and could be much more than that.

A couple things you need to check are:
1. Roundbar size: The Civic may have used a 48" bar, you'll need a 58" bar and it'll make it easier to tie the kayaks down with a wider bar.
2. Q tower generation. There are 2 generations of Q tower and the newer fits are designed around the newer Qtower. The Yakima website will tell you how to tell the difference. If you have the old Q tower, it'll be better to use the fixed point setup.

Base Rack
Tower: Q Towers 4 Pack
Front Clip: Q99 Clip
Rear Clip: Q119 Clips
Crossbar: Medium (58") RoundBar Pair (2 CrossBars)
Fairing: 44" Fairing
Minimum Bar Size: Medium
Measurements
M1: 41 5/8 "
M2: 12 "
M3: 39 3/8 "
M4: 30 "
Weight Limit: 99 lbs

The Fixed point Control/Skyline tower system will be stronger at 165 lbs.