Soul777Toast
Veteran Member
Hey All, just thought I'd post this as a helpful FYI:
I've been trying to find a decently priced used set of crossbars for my 2010 JSW, mostly focusing on either Thule or Yakima. Until now I hadn't seen anything that I would consider for less than $150, and even that was for just standard square bars and usually they were in pretty beat up condition. Well, today I stumbled upon a post for a set of Saab OEM crossbars for the 9-3 SportCombi (the wagon with raised rails similar to those on the JSW) part #32025594, and I noticed that they looked suspiciously similar to Thule Aero bars. Also, the rail clamps looked like they very well could fit the JSW rails.
After quite a bit of research, I found out that yes, the bars were indeed Thule Aero's (although Saab calls them "C-Track"), but I couldn't find any info on whether the clamps would be compatible. Another thing I found was that due to some agreement between Saab and Thule, the Saab branded OEM bars were SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive than buying direct from Thule, with a set of new in-box bars costing between $130 and $170 (this is for everything, 2 load bars and 4 clamps/feet, although the clamps don't have locks).
Even though I couldn't confirm whether the Saab clamps would work on the JSW roof rails, I decided to take a chance and pick them up (the fact that they were only $50 on craigslist and looked brand new helped
). I can now happily announce that THEY DO WORK! The shape of the clamps isn't quite exact, but they are definitely close enough to do the job and I don't think the difference would be noticeable unless you were looking for it specifically. I may fabricate some kind of extra pad to put in the clamps to make it fit more exactly, but it would only be for aesthetics. It's late and dark out now so I'll post pics tomorrow but they do look pretty darn good even as-is, and I also just drove home about 60 miles on the highway at around 75-80 MPH with them on and had no noticeable whistling/noise or drop in fuel efficiency. I'd say this is a pretty decent score!
Anyway, I figured that since after much searching I hadn't found anyone mention this on the forums I would post in the hopes that some of you may find this helpful. So, if you're looking for a set of decent Thule crossbars and don't want to spend a ton, look into the Saab OEM 32025594 bars!
TL;DR: Saab SportCombi roof racks fit the JSW and are way cheaper!
I've been trying to find a decently priced used set of crossbars for my 2010 JSW, mostly focusing on either Thule or Yakima. Until now I hadn't seen anything that I would consider for less than $150, and even that was for just standard square bars and usually they were in pretty beat up condition. Well, today I stumbled upon a post for a set of Saab OEM crossbars for the 9-3 SportCombi (the wagon with raised rails similar to those on the JSW) part #32025594, and I noticed that they looked suspiciously similar to Thule Aero bars. Also, the rail clamps looked like they very well could fit the JSW rails.
After quite a bit of research, I found out that yes, the bars were indeed Thule Aero's (although Saab calls them "C-Track"), but I couldn't find any info on whether the clamps would be compatible. Another thing I found was that due to some agreement between Saab and Thule, the Saab branded OEM bars were SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive than buying direct from Thule, with a set of new in-box bars costing between $130 and $170 (this is for everything, 2 load bars and 4 clamps/feet, although the clamps don't have locks).
Even though I couldn't confirm whether the Saab clamps would work on the JSW roof rails, I decided to take a chance and pick them up (the fact that they were only $50 on craigslist and looked brand new helped
). I can now happily announce that THEY DO WORK! The shape of the clamps isn't quite exact, but they are definitely close enough to do the job and I don't think the difference would be noticeable unless you were looking for it specifically. I may fabricate some kind of extra pad to put in the clamps to make it fit more exactly, but it would only be for aesthetics. It's late and dark out now so I'll post pics tomorrow but they do look pretty darn good even as-is, and I also just drove home about 60 miles on the highway at around 75-80 MPH with them on and had no noticeable whistling/noise or drop in fuel efficiency. I'd say this is a pretty decent score!Anyway, I figured that since after much searching I hadn't found anyone mention this on the forums I would post in the hopes that some of you may find this helpful. So, if you're looking for a set of decent Thule crossbars and don't want to spend a ton, look into the Saab OEM 32025594 bars!
TL;DR: Saab SportCombi roof racks fit the JSW and are way cheaper!
