Thank you so much for your detailed explanation of this roof installation. I have been preoccupied looking for a rack solution and now i feel a bit more comfortable in attempting this at my own.
How to Mount a Roof Rack on a Sport Model Renegade
8
Hi All,
I know there are a couple of threads already devoted to chasing roof racks for the Renegade sport.
When I first started searching for a Renegade, I was looking for one with the MySky option. I however came across a great deal on the Jeep I have now, not paying any mind to the fact that non-MySky Renegade Sports do not come with roof rails.
Easy solution right? Just buy a roof rack from Thule or Yakima... Or not, they both only produce fits for the roof railed Renegade. Makes since, due to the relative scarcity of naked roof Renegades.
We'll being I am in the cycling industry and have a knack for modification, I present you with my attempt at fitting a roof rack on a Sport renegade, without being bent over by Mopar and purchasing $1,000 in side rail parts
Those who wonder if they need to drill into their roof might look here:
![]()
The Renegade has (2) threaded receivers in the front and rear of the vehicle:
![]()
![]()
So When we look at spacing, the Inside to Inside bolt locations space at 36" apart from each other:
![]()
![]()
And then Outside to outside bolt locations land at 58.5" apart:
![]()
![]()
Lastly the bar spread from Driver to Passenger is only 44" spread
![]()
Ultimately what does this mean?
Thule makes direct mount Roof Rack systems, and they include a base plate made of Metal, ready to be modified.
What Vehicle fit kit should I get crazy with:
Mazda 5 (Minivan CrossOver), it measures out quite similar, and came factory with "direct mount" positions for a roof rack.
So what I have on order to fit this Jeep is the following:
Thule Fitkit 3080
Thule 460r Foot Pack
Thule ARB53 Aero Bars
Now once this comes in (Next Day or So) I expect to track down the hardware to fit our Italian make Jeep and create a great roof rack without the need for the crazy expensive Mopar side rails.
Stay Tuned!
I know there are a couple of threads already devoted to chasing roof racks for the Renegade sport.
When I first started searching for a Renegade, I was looking for one with the MySky option. I however came across a great deal on the Jeep I have now, not paying any mind to the fact that non-MySky Renegade Sports do not come with roof rails.
Easy solution right? Just buy a roof rack from Thule or Yakima... Or not, they both only produce fits for the roof railed Renegade. Makes since, due to the relative scarcity of naked roof Renegades.
We'll being I am in the cycling industry and have a knack for modification, I present you with my attempt at fitting a roof rack on a Sport renegade, without being bent over by Mopar and purchasing $1,000 in side rail parts
Those who wonder if they need to drill into their roof might look here:
The Renegade has (2) threaded receivers in the front and rear of the vehicle:
So When we look at spacing, the Inside to Inside bolt locations space at 36" apart from each other:
And then Outside to outside bolt locations land at 58.5" apart:
Lastly the bar spread from Driver to Passenger is only 44" spread
Ultimately what does this mean?
Thule makes direct mount Roof Rack systems, and they include a base plate made of Metal, ready to be modified.
What Vehicle fit kit should I get crazy with:
Mazda 5 (Minivan CrossOver), it measures out quite similar, and came factory with "direct mount" positions for a roof rack.
So what I have on order to fit this Jeep is the following:
Thule Fitkit 3080
Thule 460r Foot Pack
Thule ARB53 Aero Bars
Now once this comes in (Next Day or So) I expect to track down the hardware to fit our Italian make Jeep and create a great roof rack without the need for the crazy expensive Mopar side rails.
Stay Tuned!
