Why do people ask for help and then completely ignore the advice?!!

The Altera's fit.

Just trying to avoid the Altera's as they're pretty ugly, IMHO. Having said that, if I end up with the OEM bars then I believe these are manufactured by Altera anyway.

I have a pre-FL 2009 vRS hatch with the Thule bars. I have checked a colleague's car which is a FL model and the roof line seems identical,

If the roof lines are identical, why would Thule sell a different kit for the FL model to the pre-FL model? Prorack also confirmed that the pre-FL kit will not fit the FL model.

the bars fit his exactly as they do mine, as long as I left the foot pack loose at first there was a slight adjustment to his, but I feel that may be the case form anyone car to another. I set mine up using the Thule measurements, but without tightening the foot pack. I then laid on the car roof and they were a little out so adjusted - but I mean mm not a cm. They then sit loose on th eroof with the adaptors well away from the holes. As sais above the fitting then needs tightening one side then the other, alternately until tight. If you, as you did in the photos, tighten one side

I didn't tighten up either side, I just laid the bars on the roof with one end engaged in the hole. The feet were set as specified in the instructions, 33 at each end. Maybe I'm just missing something.

Given that you have got a Thule set fitted to a FL model could you confirm the part numbers you used? Was it with the same 754 feet or the older 750 feet?

Doh. Just seen that my feet have the latch for the fit kit bar screwed all the way in, out of the box. Once unscrewed it widens the fitting area considerably so I'll be trying the bars again later today.

Doh. Just seen that my feet have the latch for the fit kit bar screwed all the way in, out of the box. Once unscrewed it widens the fitting area considerably so I'll be trying the bars again later today.

>head hits desk<

>head hits desk<

Absolutely. After untightening the bolts in the feet I managed to fit the Thule bars perfectly using the newer 1594 kit, Thule label this kit as fitting 'Skoda Octavia III Sedan 09-'. I spotted afterwards that the feet had a little note in the box advising that they needed unscrewing before use.. I'll RTFM next time.

Credit to The Roof Box Company who have been great in helping me get this sorted and to those who posted to this thread, fireftrm in particular who gave the clue on unscrewing the feet.

Well my 1594 adaptors arrived the other day and added to my Ebay bargain Thule 869's and 750's and they fit perfectly at 33cm on the fronts and 29.5 on the rears.

Well impressed for £50 posted for the bars and the foot pack and then £23 for the adaptor pack. The bars even have locks

Big test will be next saturday for trip to the lakes with roof box and 2 bikes up there. What are the weight limits on them?

Well my 1594 adaptors arrived the other day and added to my Ebay bargain Thule 869's and 750's and they fit perfectly at 33cm on the fronts and 29.5 on the rears.

Well impressed for £50 posted for the bars and the foot pack and then £23 for the adaptor pack. The bars even have locks

Big test will be next saturday for trip to the lakes with roof box and 2 bikes up there. What are the weight limits on them?

Might be 75 kg matey IIRC

Cheers

ACSC

thought that was the case - hmmm doesn't seem a lot!