Honda Pilot Crossbars

Installed these yesterday with very little troubles. I will say that the box I was shipped did not have instructions (as was indicated on the packaging), so I had to look that up online, and I'll attach that link for easy reference. I go into quality at end of review, but in summary highly satisfied at this point. Also high load capacity and low noise compared to off-brands make the extra money well worth it.What you will NEED:- Flathead screwdriver- 5/32 drillbit and drill- T-15 Torx Screwdriver- Someone to help align the railsHere's the full instructions (this includes instructions on how to install the rails (steps 1-14), but you'll only need the last 4 steps (which I've included a photo of):http://www.bernardiparts.com/images/install/2009_Pilot_RoofRack_AII39407.pdfStep 15 already has the covers popped off, but this is easy to do, don't be afraid to use a little force. Just get a flat head and pop it in the notch with a small opening for you to do so and pry up. Also you may need to push in the plastic tab to get it to come free, I did for one and not the other side.(I'll get a picture of this when I can).This video details this better:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1QjlmzrS80Step 16 shows dots (holes) you need to align with on the rails. These are very small, and look almost like imperfections, but you'll see them. These are the optimal position for the rails, so you're best bet to even distribute your load safely.Step 17 in the instructions is what you'll need the drill for. The holes that come factory standard with the rails are two narrow, and need drilled out but this is easy to do. The screws that go in there secure the rails to your car, so they don't rip off. This may not seem likely and you could put it off for a short time. But if you'll be hauling anything I STRONGLY advise you to take this extra step. Those screws are what you need the T-15 torx screw driver for (that's the 6 pointed star screw driver, similar to an alan wrench, but with points. Think Philips screwdriver meets alan wrench).I'll update my review later as far as the actual performance of the bars. For now I will say that they were quite quiet on the highway, contrary to what I've heard about other rail systems. Also my Yakima kayak mount that was for my Honda Passport (with factory rails) fit these great. They tightened well, and I'm looking forward to a kayak packed summer.

Tips by other reviewers helped a lot with making the installation a lot easier knowing what to expect. I am definitely not an expert on this sort of things, and the instructions warned 'do-it-yourselfers' that this was something to be done by 'skilled technicians who have the proper tools, equipment and training'. But then, the same warning was included with the 'full nose mask' for which it is ridiculous. So I figured, that is the warning that the lawyers put there to avoid any liability. Since, I could not afford to pay what the dealership wanted to install these I did it myself and saved about $80! Of course... you must make your own decision!My summary:- Definitely taking the end caps out was the hardest part, in particular because you don't want to do it too hard and damage them. The instructions show how to position two screw drivers (on from the front and one in a notch on the inner side towards the back of the cap). Do exactly that and it will come off. Takes a little wiggling and force, not too much.- Use two people when it comes to sliding the bars through the rails. Everything else can be done by a single individual. I got my wife to help for the 10 minutes of that particular part.- As others pointed out, Torx driver needed was a 15 not a 20- Mine came with instructions, I still went to the web as instructed on the box, and found the same instructions.- As to others, the screw in the last step did not fit in the available hole. I tried the 9/16 bit as someone had suggested and that did not make it large enough. The 5/32 worked well. I had to wiggle the bit a little to widen the hole so the screw would go in. Goes hard initially but then it just goes easily once it opens the hole up.- My rails did not have a mark to position the bars, so I just spaced them to my needs.They look just great!

I installed these crossbars on our 2009 Pilot today. Here are a few notes:* Popping off the end caps on the roof rails was a bit of an ordeal. I did not have the plastic trim removal tool referenced in the instructions. I worked with two small flathead screwdrivers, trying to be careful not to deform the plastic as I pried up the edges. But ultimately I found you do have to push pretty hard to get the covers to pop off.* As someone else suggested, the installation is best done by two people pushing the crossbars forward in unison. If one side gets ahead of the other, it is easy to get the bars wedged.* Neither my helper or I could not find any markings on the roof rails to align the crossbars. I pushed the front bars forward as far as they would go, kept the back bars as far back as they would go and used a tape measure to make sure they were even.* As noted by another reviewer, the screws require a T-15 torx, not a T-30 as indicated in the instructions. Also, the screws were not self-tapping and in my case they were too big for the holes in the rails. I had to drill out the holes using a 5/32 bit in order to be able to get the screws in.All in all, the installation was not too bad. Total time invested was less than an hour, the majority being spent trying to pry off the end caps on the rack, and also running back and forth to my shop to get the proper tools (torx driver, drill, etc.)