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roof rack holes

Silicone caulk
-or-
A nice set of stainless button head cap screws
 
I had to peel my roof rack off since it was leaking - I used a dozen or so 1/2" OD rubber well nuts with a little clear Auto Glass Sealer on the outside diameter and on the threads of the brass screws I used to retain everything. Got it all at my local hardware store and it holds up to the pressure washer at the coin-op, so I'll stick to it until I pull out the sunroof and do a lot of roof work. It's been well over a year.

Make sure to use either brass or stainless screws, don't want anything rusting out overhead!

5-90
 
Why don't ya leave the rails on and just pull the slats off? This way if you go on some huge cross country trip and need the extra space, it's still there.

Sean
 
You're gonna go on a cross country wheelin' trip in the lil' lady's rig? Noobs :rolleyes:
 
Another simple approach would be to get a roll of 3/4" or 1" black side moulding and just stick that down for the full length of the ribs where the holes are. It'll seal the holes, and still provide some roof protection if you ever toss a sheet of plywood or something up there.

I don't remember how wide the ribs are. You'd want the rubber strips to be wide enough to cover the holes, but not wider than the flat surface of the ribs.
 
5-90 --

What kind of store did you find those well nuts at (chain, as in Sentry, Ace, etc.) and what are they sold as? I've never seen anything like them in a hardware store around here.
 
Eagle -
Got 'em at Orchard Supply Hardware (bought by Sears a couple years ago, BTW - but had them before) and I've seen them at Ace and most other chains. Usually, they are in the section with the rest of the screws and bolts, in the "drawer kits" where they keep the odds & sods like cotter keys, hairpins, small linchpins, and things like that. They have a rubber body and a brass threaded insert, and work somwhat like a pop rivet when installed (provided you can keel the thing from spinning in the hole until it starts to grab.) Expect to pay anywhere from fifty cents to about $1.25 each, depending on size.

5-90
 
I'm about to do this myself, I was told the best thing to do, cuz i live in extreme cold -20 for two solid weeks, was to back all the screws out, then tape a small square around the hole sand it a little, then take a ball pin hammer and lightly tap it so it indents in a little, then fill it with bondo/fiberglass, then paint....
 
If you are going to use a body filler, I recommend against Bondo or fibreglass. Repair metal with metal.

I would use either Allmetal (a two-part metal-based body filler, which is readily sandable,) Labmetal (rather tougher,) or VersaChem's two-part steel stick. No matter what, you really should repair metal with metal, and save fibreglas for the liftgate or your boat.


Allmetal is found in most well-stocked paint/body supply houses, and Labmetal should be at your local welding supplier. MSC Direct has Labmetal as well, as I recall.

Note that Labmetal is REALLY tough - I've used it to repair mistakes made by "shade tree" machinists on parts with light to medium stresses without difficulty. Miles better than JBWeld, too!

5-90
 
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