Valerie Anne

Looking for a second opinion on widths for Thule Podium 460 (door frame) feet with a Thule 1302 fit kit.
The advised width between the feet seems too short. Anyone done this, and what was your bar width?

Here's what happened with the front smart-slides at 36 [X] as the manual recommends:
- The rubber feet on the passenger side fits perfectly in the roof rail
- The rubber feet on the driver's side is way short.

The result was the same whether or not the door frame brackets were loose or tightened
The gapping was even worse on the back, and the brackets couldn't reach under the door frame even with them fully loosened.

As an experiment, I added 1/2 a mark to the smart scale in the back, and I'm thinking the front needs the same.
X = 36.5 Y = 35

Those widths have the rubber feet sitting correctly flush.
Anyone used this system on a Mazda 3 before?

- 2008 Mazda3 5door (hatchback)
- Thule AeroBars
- Thule Podium 460 feet
- Thule 1302 fit kit
- Most recent 1302 manual: (downloads a pdf)

The fit kit advises the following:
- 254 mm (10 inches) from the back of the windshield to the front of the front feet. [W]
- 660 mm (26 inches) from the front of the front bar to the front of the back bar [Z]
- 1013 mm (39 7/8") (smart slide #36) to set the width of the front bar [X]
- 996 mm (39 1.4") (smart slide #34.5) to set the width of the back bar [Y]

Footnote 1: I have two versions of the manual for the Thule 1302 Fit Kit. The first one (503-1302) lists models of Mazda6 and Madza Atenza, but no 3). The more recent revision (519-1302-03) lists the Mazda3 on all measurement tables, but omitted it from the front page. And the widths are a full inch wider than the other models. I kind of suspect the design was intended for the Mazda6/Atenza and the specs for the Mazda3 came later as an afterthought, may not be perfect.

Footnote 2: Wish I'd looked under the roof rails for fixed points! Door frame clamps look so out of place.

TIA,
Val and Cera the Mazda3