• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Roof holes - factory rack - closing them

Apostle

NAXJA Forum User
Location
COS
On the factory rack, the nutserts encased in the rubber gasket, have come undone (from the rubber gasket). This is causing the center of the rack to bow up.

i plan to remove the rack inserts and rivet the rack back down to the roof, but how do i close up the factory holes?

thought maybe a plastic hole cap, but not sure if i can find one that size
thought maybe a self expanding foam, then trim the top flush with the roof

of course, any route i take will be reinforced with silicon to prevent water from getting in.

suggestions or links to an application would be appreciated.
 
On the factory rack, the nutserts encased in the rubber gasket, have come undone (from the rubber gasket). This is causing the center of the rack to bow up.

i plan to remove the rack inserts and rivet the rack back down to the roof, but how do i close up the factory holes?

thought maybe a plastic hole cap, but not sure if i can find one that size
thought maybe a self expanding foam, then trim the top flush with the roof

of course, any route i take will be reinforced with silicon to prevent water from getting in.

suggestions or links to an application would be appreciated.

Welding them shut would be the best solution, the grind flat and drill your new holes for rivets. I stay far away from expanding foam when cars are involved, especially when moisture is involved...that stuff is meant for houses.
 
welding would be the best thing to do, granted. but not an option at the moment. actually being lazy on this and want a fast fix
 
I found some push-in plugs in the "Help" parts section at NAPA. Package contained a number of different sizes, but I don't have a roof rack and I am not familiar with the size of nutserts used. I used them to seal some holes the PO drilled in the floor pans--a little silicone and then hammered them in, they are tight!
 
I want to say the holes without the wellnuts would be either 5/16 or 3/8, they probably do make those plastic plugs in those sizes. My only question is how are you going to get a rivet to hold it down? Would the rivet just go through your plastic plug?
 
no, put the rivets in diferrant locations. will have to dimple the rack so the sliders work, but thats just a large punch

mind you, there are 6 nutserts (i believe,maybe 5) holding it in now. with rivets, ill do about 10
 
unless the nutserts are physically damaged the easiest thing is to tighten them up again. get an m6 bolt, an m6 washer, and a nut that is slightly larger than the bolt. you want to immobilize the nutsert with the washer and nut, while pulling the nutsert up with the bolt. that compresses the back of it against the roof.
 
rubber well nuts were only used for a few years, then they switched to nutserts/threaded rivets. the OP says he has nutserts, but then again he mentions rubber which I assumed was the weatherstripping but maybe he actually does have well nuts. it would certainly be easier to replace those if that is what he has.
 
they are rounded rings, set in rubber. so, not nutserts.

anyway, used caps and some silicone to cover the holes, then riveted the rack down using 3/16" rivets
 
Back
Top