What do i need to put a bike roof rack on my car?

i have a 96 honda civic 2dr. i think all i need are the 4 feet that attach to the roof, the 2 load bars, and a tray to hold the bike. is this correct?





does anyone have any preference of thule or yakima?|||I use a Yakima Rack, but I understand Thule makes really nice racks, as well.





I suggest you go to the Yakima and/or Thule sites and do a bit of reading. Both have nice explanations of what you'll need. In any case, with a Yak Rack, you'll need the following:





1. Towers - What you refer to as feet, Yak calls "Towers." For a Honda, you'll use Q Towers. These come in two parts: a generic piece that affixes to the crossbars, and a "clip" that is specific to your Honda Civic.





2. Crossbars





3. Mounts for your bicycle. Yak and Thule makes a wide variety of mounts to fit nearly all bikes and budgets. The good news is they are pretty much compatible with other rack systems.





Thule works about the same way.





Here are some links:





http://www.yakima.com/RackBasics.aspx


http://www.thuleracks.com/default2.asp





If you go through the configurator on each company's web site, they'll give you a complete list of parts you'll need. You can print the list and take it to a dealer and get your system. Or start looking on Craigslist to buy a used system (at a significant discount.) If you buy a used system, you should probably plan on getting the "clips" specific to your car from a local dealer. Clips are about the least expensive part of the system.





Hope this helps.|||Thats all I needed to put a rack on my jeep. Ask a sales person check in there book. I kind of like the flat bars thule has over the round bars yakima has. A little easier to tie things to. 2x4, ply wood, canoes whatever. Ask around if you have a freind that already has one. Its nice to get the same so you can swap accessories around.