roof rack mounts

i got the oem roof rack rails and hitch the other day for 50.00 bucks from a bone yard. my question is do i have to remove the head liner in order to put the rails on? is there some type of bracket that i need to secure them with? all i got was the exterior rails.

nope, you need nutcerts (or the little rubber compression nuts)

basically drill the holes in the right spot, go to your local hardware store (wait, go to the hardware store BEFORE you drill ), and grab some little compression nut thingers. they're rubber sleeves with a flange on one end and a nut in the other...when you put a bolt through them and tighten them up, they clamp down.

nutcerts are like a rivet. also known as rivnuts. typically aluminum...bad choice. steel is fine. they're a threaded piece so you can just drill the hole and "rivet" them in.

I'd go with the compression nuts. drill careful, you don't want to drop a hole through your headliner.

when drilling make a stop so your drill bit doesn't go to deep

Duct tape makes a cheap, effective drill stop. Leave about 1/2" of exposed drill bit at the tip. wrap the shank tightly with duct tape about 1/4"-1/3" thick. And use discretion when drilling, ease up on the pressure as you get close to popping through.

jeepcomj said:

nope, you need nutcerts (or the little rubber compression nuts)

basically drill the holes in the right spot, go to your local hardware store (wait, go to the hardware store BEFORE you drill ), and grab some little compression nut thingers. they're rubber sleeves with a flange on one end and a nut in the other...when you put a bolt through them and tighten them up, they clamp down.

nutcerts are like a rivet. also known as rivnuts. typically aluminum...bad choice. steel is fine. they're a threaded piece so you can just drill the hole and "rivet" them in.

I'd go with the compression nuts. drill careful, you don't want to drop a hole through your headliner.

Click to expand...

do you put these in the hole from the top or do you have to remove the headliner?

i said you don't have to remove the headliner.

so yes, you put them in from the top.

Should any sealant be used to keep water from entering ?
If yes, What sealant is best for the job ?

just on the screw threads, and rtv black silicon is just fine.