Yes you can put on ratchet straps with less tension, but just an extra bit of tension can cause serious damage, it's not needed.

Not bicycle ties. Lines (ropes) from the ends of the kayak to the car. Every car is different so how the lines will attach will be different for each model car.

There are little loops available to attach under the hood of the car that makes putting the lines on easier up front. I'll have to search for their name, been years since I installed mine. You can make them with nylon webbing strap from an extra tie down strap. Just make loops about a foot or so long, double them and melt a hole in one end about 1/2 inch from the end. Then under the hood of the car, find a fender attachment bolt, take one out on each side, put the bolt through the hole you melted and install the bolt back into the fender. When you're car topping, you open the hood, take the web loops out to hang over the fender edges and close the hood, then you have nice webbing loops to tie the bow of the kayak to. On some cars you can do the same thing on the trunk. Don't get silly getting tension on these straps, they are only a safety if something else goes wrong they aren't to hold the boat down on the car.

You con't want to hurt your boat putting it on the car, but you really don't want to have it come off the roof by mistake and hurt someone else.

Bill H.