Review on 🚣 TMS® 2 Pairs J-Bar Rack HD Kayak Carrier: Lifetime Warranty for Car/ SUV Roof Top Mount- Perfect for Canoes, Boats, Surf Skis and Crossbars by Chase Hosea

First, it's good value for money. I'm glad I paid for these J bars. But I will give them four starts for three reasons; The assembly is poor and not easy to remove. You can use different devices and make dressing easier. The third reason is that they really need to come with some sort of spacer to keep the metal braces from tearing your crossbars. Assembly: They weren't impossible to assemble, but they were a headache. I couldn't figure out if it's better to put the plastic pads on top of the larger piece and then add the smaller one, or vice versa. Both were dissatisfied. But I managed to bring them together by patting them a little and taking my time. Also, my set was missing four washers, which isn't the end of the world. Installation: They fit nicely onto the Whispbar crossbars I installed on my 2013 Highlander. I didn't want to mess up the metal on the bars with those steel plates, so I cut an old yoga mat into four staple-width strips and wrapped them completely over the top and bottom of the bars. It helped a lot. The car's roof sits firmly on the screws to tighten them, so I also had to place a piece of yoga mat on the roof to avoid scratching the paint. I ended up switching between regular 13mm and long bushings depending on how deep the nut was threaded onto the bolts. I didn't use the included hand crank nuts as I figured they could be tightened much more tightly with regular bolts. The direction demands both, but I don't understand the point. With the regular bolts screwed in, I didn't need the nuts. Once installed they were solid and would not move with any of the kayaks. We have a 50lb and a 60lb kayak and both were fine. The supplied straps secured the kayaks well to the frame. If I were to do an interstate kayak trip I would probably use a more durable strap instead of the ones that came with the kit. For local use in the city, however, the supplied straps seem suitable to me. If you're having trouble figuring out how to buckle them, I routed the strap down the left side (as you look at it) of the cradle at the back of the kayak and the right side at the front of the kayak. Cross it right between the screws on the bottom of the rack. This allowed him to really stay on the pole. Durability Concerns: The foam padding on the stand itself doesn't look like it will last very long. One of the parts was already crumpled up quite a bit when it was put on one of the kayaks and had to be put in the right position. I rinsed the water out of the hose after use as the kayaks were in brackish water. Let's see how the coating holds up over time. If they were easier to install/remove from the car I would probably give them five stars. I have an Inno-Rack for our paddleboards which is quick to put on and off and also secure. It also costs more! For the price, these are decent, basic racks. If we start using kayaks all the time, maybe I'll switch to a different manufacturer. So far I am happy with this purchase.