Factory Rack Removal Options?

[swampfoxSC]

I picked up a roof rack recently. And would like to remove my stock system completely. What are other options besides welding and a repaint/liner methods. I know they have a cover up kit for the 100s now. I was thinking of some large color matched rivets/washers possibly. My paint is good and is white. So I would prefer not to do the liner thing if I can help it. Any thoughts?

 

[western flyer]

I am doing this right now. Almost done. I will do a short write-up soon, as I did it a little different than most. I did not want to drop the liner, so I did not weld. CDan told me he thought plastic plugs would likely leak. He suggested some SS hardware, half-doughnut washers, and O-rings.

I decided to clean up the rust under the feet, replace any rusted out nutserts, paint any rust with Rust-Bulltet, paint the pad areas with Duplicolor grey (my rig is sage green), then seal the SS hardware with Loctite 565 and Permathane. I cleaned up the roof rails and put them back on with SS hardware and sealer.

Steps:
Clean
Grind rust
replace bad nutserts
tape off (Frog tape)
Rust Bullet (small disposable brushes, second pic below)
primer
Duplicor final color
Duplicor clear
Permthane on top of nutserts
Loctite 565 on threads
SS hardware
Sealing washers

 

[western flyer]

Here are some more pics. Notice two different types of hardware. I ended up going with the sealing washers for now (left side, top pic). I think the design of the sealing washers is good for what we are doing here, except they are zinc coated steel. I will switch over to the SS "half-doughnut" and O rings (more like flat rubber washers...last pic) if the zinc sealing washers corrode.

 

[western flyer]

some more pics

 

[kneedragger]

Can you give me more details on your hardware, like what size is needed and where you purchased it. I have the rack removed and gots holes to plug.

Thanks Bro

 

[swampfoxSC]

I guess what I have underneath will really determine my options. Hopefully it wont be too bad. Kinda like puling a crack whores panties off. You never know what crud you will find.

 

[Pin_Head]

I had 4 of the nutserts spin on me, so I cut them with a Sawsall, punched out all of the nutserts and filled the hole with a Dorman universal plastic plug #45680 glued in with DAP kitchen and bath adhesive caulk. 2 years and no leaks or problems.

 

[Delancy]

You know, this may be easily done with a 1/4-14x7/8" Cupped Head Lap Screw, commonly found on metal building panels at the laps.

It'd be a cheap, weather tight fix, for sure. A dab of sealant on the threads wouldn't hurt, or even a light plastering of butyl sealant. Lightly torque down with a 2500rpm clutched gun, or better yet, a ratchet and a little common sense.

Anyone wants to have a go at, I'll send the screws for free. I have about 50,000 of them laying around.

I did it right the first time and welded, for what it's worth.

 

[western flyer]

I lucked out: I was able to get my roof rack off without spinning nutserts or too much drama. I did have to replace a couple M5 (5mm x 0.8) nutserts. Many many folks have lots of drama just getting the port-installed rack off. The rust under my rack and wind deflector was essentially the only rust on my rig. My LC spent most of first 2 lives in Florida and Mississippi as a mall runner. Best to avoid pulling crack whore panties...

I got my hardware at a excellent brick/mortar store here in San Diego called Marshalls, but Bolt Depot has much of this stuff online (I have good luck with them in the past). The hardware I ended up using was (links give good images):

To hold down roof rails (retained on LC): metric socket flat head, stainless, 5mm x 0.8, 25mm long
Metric socket flat head, Stainless steel 18-8, 5mm x 0.8mm x 25mm - Bolt Depot

To fill roof rack pad nutserts: metric socket button head, stainless, 5mm x 0.8, 10 mm long
Metric socket button head, Stainless steel 18-8, 5mm x 0.8mm x 10mm - Bolt Depot

Sealing washers: M5 or close equivalent. This link gives you a good idea...
Sealing Washers from Estco Enterprises

Finish Washers (half-donut): I purchased, but did not (as yet) use M5 stainless finish washers. These (link below) are close to what I used (not sure if #8 is correct for standard close equivalent)...
Finishing washers, Stainless steel 18-8, #8 - Bolt Depot

I do not have data on the flat rubber washers I purchased for for finish washers. They are a tough, almost fibrous rubber.

I used the Loctite 565 as a thread sealer on the hardware, and Permathane as a painted steel-compatible sealer for the everything else. I am wary of using most silicone sealers as some release acetic acid as they cure, and most do not state they are specifically compatible with painted steel. I made a mistake with a silicone sealer on another car, and ended up with major rust.

HTH, Jon

 

[ngrich99]

I went with the sealing washers and button head method that WesternFlyer shows. Two years and no leaks and it does rain in WA state. I took a piece of card stock and cut a washer sized hole and put over each washer and shot it with spray paint. No corrosion thus far. I had three stripped out nutserts so I used rivets on those three and they are proven water tight.

 

[western flyer]

I went with the sealing washers and button head method that WesternFlyer shows. Two years and no leaks and it does rain in WA state. I took a piece of card stock and cut a washer sized hole and put over each washer and shot it with spray paint. No corrosion thus far. I had three stripped out nutserts so I used rivets on those three and they are proven water tight.

ngrich99,

I used to live down the road in Olympia, WA. Yeah, it rains a bit... That washer-sized hole in the card stock for spray painting is a good idea.

Cheers, Jon

 

[kneedragger]

Thank you for the links, that helps alot

 

[Splangy]

How about just a few SS screws and some silicone? Why go through all that mess just to have mismatched paint that looks worse than the nutserts?

 

[Stevesnj]

Can the center strips be removed or are they necessary to keep on the roof?

 

[Pin_Head]

Can the center strips be removed or are they necessary to keep on the roof?

You can remove them, but expect to find the same kind of stuff that was under your rack.

 

[western flyer]

How about just a few SS screws and some silicone? Why go through all that mess just to have mismatched paint that looks worse than the nutserts?

I have had enough with rust returning after a partial or hack fix. On my FJ-60 the rust continued to progress after a partial fix to where I am now repeating previous work a decade later. All this work on my 80 should stop the rust. All that "mess" with mismatched paint was to cover the rust bullet (no UV protection) that I used to stop the rust on both the nutsert and sheet metal areas as well as the scuff wear where the roof rack tower pads wore through the paint. You can see the rust bubbles under the paint in the pic, well away from the nutsert; I ground that flakey rust out and coated it. Your proposed fix would have done nothing to take care of the scuff wear, and I doubt a dab of silicone would stop the rust that bubbled the paint (and the wrong silicone sealer would probably make the rust worse). If the sheet metal, nutserts, and paint were all in great shape I would have just done SS hardware and an appropriate sealer. If all I cared about is how it would look for another 5 years I would have just left the rack on there.

 

[Splangy]

I have had enough with rust returning after a partial or hack fix. On my FJ-60 the rust continued to progress after a partial fix to where I am now repeating previous work a decade later. All this work on my 80 should stop the rust. All that "mess" with mismatched paint was to cover the rust bullet (no UV protection) that I used to stop the rust on both the nutsert sheet metal areas as well as the scuff wear where the roof rack tower pads wore through the paint. You can see the rust bubbles under the paint in the pic, well away from the nutsert; I ground that flakey rust out and coated it. Your proposed fix would have done nothing to take care of the scuff wear, and I doubt a dab of silicone would stop the rust that bubbled the paint (and the wrong silicone sealer would probably make the rust worse). If the sheet metal, nutserts, and paint were all in great shape I would have just done SS hardware and an appropriate sealer. If all I cared about is how it would look for another 5 years I would have just left the rack on there.

Ahhhh, the rust didn't look so bad in the first pic. Just looked like surface rust on the nutsert.

 

[4G63 POWER]

Subscribed. Will be doing this soon. IMO 1/4-14x7/8" Cupped Head Lap Screw is the worst idea ever. Lol.

 

[mechanist]

I keep going back and forth between the jbweld steel stick stuff or body lead to fill the holes.

As for covering; if I don't paint I'll probably get a heat gun and sheet of vinyl to cover the roof. It'll last for a few years and does a decent job keeping moisture out. Plus I've read it can be color matched.

 

[izzyandsue]

I didnt know what's a nutsert, asked my urologist and he didnt know either. So this weekend sanded the area around hole, cleaned, and used black adhesive sealant. Then pushed into hole these Dorman plastic Ford panel retainers. Hope it holds! ARB rack community ng soon.