Hi guys, I just bought my 1974 Ford Country Squire last week and took it for a drive yesterday, runs great and is very quiet on the interior until, you catch a gust of wind from a semi or something and then the most awful noise hits the roof! I removed the air deflector from the luggage rack and the noise is gone. Any suggestions on what to do? I don't want to remove the rack and the screws that hold the deflector to the rack were as tight as Ii could get them. Anyone encountered this problem before? And if I have to remove the rack what do I do about the holes? Thanks guys. Brandon
That's the first I've heard of that problem, but I wouldn't be surprised if another member has a solution for you. I had a new Bronco II, years ago as a company car. Every time I'd go over a bump, there'd be a nasty rattle. I went back and checked the jack to make sure that was secure; I checked the tail pipe all with no success. It was driving me crazy. Finally I figured out it was the adjustable luggage rack bars and one of the clips was not locked. Sometimes it's the simplest things.
Brandon, that's a weird one alright, but you can tweak the airdam by affixing a piece of side molding (self adhesive type) under the airdam. The trick is to experiment a bit. The idea is to deflect the air between it and the rear gate's top edge, underside. I'd use masking tape and hold it in place, then test drive it. First at the bottom edge of the airdam, then at the top edge of it. If its got a wood insert in it, or some other laminated finish, it may have separated a bit and then it catches air and starts the howling noise. If that's it, you could inject contact cement or even better rubber cement and bond it flat again. Just a couple of thoughts.
Might wanna wach your MPG and then decide, allot of stuff on SUV boards about removing them to pick up a few......... Then decide how much per yr is it worth to have a rack n deflectors on top that never really gets used.
Thanks for the info guys. Im gonna try some of Normans suggestions because i hate to get rid of the rack, but the noise is too annoying to leave the deflector on for sure. Let me know if anyone else has encountered this. Thanks!
No sorry I wish I did. It is the factory Ford Luggage rack and the Deflector also is the original Ford item.
No problem....I just am not familiar with it while sitting here, but, wind noises like you describe can be easily remedied. Providing the deflector's attachment system will allow it. Even if it doesn't, a small bend or washer or whatever will change the way the wind is captured and thus change the pitch. When you ride near a truck it sets up a perfect storm so to speak. A small change in the angle of that deflector will change everything. It's possible that it may be noisy under DIFFERENT circumstances after the change so you may have to change it a little again until you find the spot where it is continuously quiet. The bottom line is.....these "perfect storms" can be altered with just a slight angle change or even an addition of a piece of tape or something here or there. Sometimes strengthening the piece will do it too. It won't take much to completely change the wind angle. Be sure everything related to that deflector is tight as well.
Yes Norman looks just about like that 69 model deflector. Where it fits in the racks tubing seems to be a fairly solid fit but I may see if I can get a washer to snug in between the deflector and the tubing to make it an extra solid fit, theres a little slack there. I would also like to trade out the phillips head screw for a allen head type screw, that may help it snug up a little better. Thanks for the help guys. Brandon
In case it's helpful, I have attached a diagram of the adjustable roof rack used on 70-72 Ford and Mercury wagons. I would imagine the roof rack on your 74 is very similiar.
Thanks for the diagram, that's very helpful to see all the pieces that make up that roofrack. Brandon
