Hmmmnn - not sure why this did not post - try again. When I use my soft rack on the Honda accord or when traveling it creates quite a buzz - not the good kind and the board vibrates also. I saw one guy put a third strap over the middle but not sure if that did anything for the buzz. Any suggestions.
A friend and I tried to use soft racks to put 2 longboards on top of a civic but when they nearly slid off the back halfway to the beach we managed to somehow stuff both inside the car. I no longer trust soft racks at all. Best bet would be to just upgrade to hard racks if you're going to be driving any distance over 5 miles with boards on top.
Try twisting the straps several times as you cinch them down across the boards. Don' just lay them flat. this should help.
good idea, will have to try that one. The buzz coming from the straps probably never goes away fully, but as long as the pitch isn't fluctuating wildly, it seems like it is business as usual with soft racks. When the pitch starts wobbling and the board starts moving, things can cascade fast and you should probably pull over and reset things. In my experience, they are not to be trusted past 55MPH or use caution when going that fast, because that will ruin your and someone else's day.
I battle the buzz every time I use my soft racks. Usually a rolled up tee shirt placed under the right strap in the right place does the trick. I think its just an issue of having some slack in the line.
Twisting the straps as they go over the board like csburg said does the trick. I battled it for about a year then my brother showed me the twist trick and i almost never have the buzzing issue now.
Thanks sounds like a consensus on the twisting, using for only short trips and buying a truck. Mahalo
Sorry for late response. I just joined Forum this evening. Your issue may have been resolved by now. I've been using Block Surf soft racks for past for past 6 months. The instructions are lousy, but it's relatively easy to figure out on your own. I have a large car (4-door Merc Marquis), and I space the two racks as far apart as possible - making sure the strap free ends are pulled tight before closing the doors. Underside of board facing up, skegs forward. Depending on wind speed and direction, I generally get minimal vibration if I keep speed under 60. The recommended twisting of the straps sounds effective, although I haven't done this.
I saw this below as well, but twisting your straps will do the trick. You do not have to go crazy with it, just a few good twist.
