Dealer Roof Rack "Fix" (1 Viewer)

[Fieldtester96]

So like some of you, i have a POS dealer roof rack and luggage protectors. They used s***ty sheet metal screws to hold them in, and i have been dealing with them popping up and rusting for the last few years. Since i wanted to wait to remove them until i could paint the whole cruiser i decided to find a solution to keep what i have. Since the screw holes were rusted out, i wanted a rivet nut that i could put on that will span out to solid metal. Also i didnt want to remove my headliner, so i had to find something i could use from the roof side.

(Mind the dirty roof, i have a tree that likes to drop sap on it and figured why clean it when i was gonna be working on it.)

That's where this guy comes in. Its a screw-to-install rivet nut that i got off of Mcmaster-carr (McMaster-Carr) Basically how it works is the bottom is the nut and it umbrellas out to clamp to the metal. I figured it would work well to span the rusty areas and will fit the curves of the roof.

It comes with a tool to hold it in place, and you basically use a screw to clamp it down. Then you can remove the screw and put down whatever you want to hold in place.

Here is what it looks like in place, it holds surprisingly well. I initially just wanted them for the luggage protectors, but decided to use them on the roof rack as well. They held so well that i am able to shake my Cruiser by the roof rack now. I am honestly really impressed by how they work, i plan to use them to replace most of the sheet metal connectors.

Here is how it turned out. I had foolishly painted these black originally, but decided to clean off the flaking paint and do a brushed chrome look. Also i had wanted to purchase new rubber, but since Covid is a thing my granger order never got shipped even after a month. So i used a heat gun to pull the old shrunken rubber back to the original length. Hopefully i can buy some new rubber so i can get a good seal between the luggage protectors and the roof.

Hope i gave some good advice for those like me who have the s***ty dealer roof rack and/or the luggage protectors. I do plan to remove these at some point, but for now i can keep the water out and stop them from popping up.

 

[Spook50]

Not a bad solution. I also use blind rivnuts that I get from McMaster for a lot of applications. They require a separate tool that uses two wrenches to install, but are ribbed and when installed properly (I still sometimes booger one up and have to remove and replace with a new one) hold very securely to the sheet metal. You need to be precise with the hole size you drill, but they do work fantastic. There are even stainless variants for exterior paneling that I'll use if I can ever source decent OEM mudflaps. I recently had my front door panels reupholstered, and rather than use the hokey plastic piece to secure it, punched holes in the upholstery that I could put M6 screws through where the plastic pieces go, then installed rivnuts in the door sheet metal frame to secure it all down. Looks nice, and works beautifully.

 

[too tall]

Here in canada all of our 60's came with factory roof racks. The rubber strips in between the main frame are just stuck down with emblem adhesive. If I was to remove a dealer installed rack I would probably weld the holes shut and glue the strips on like toyota did. I live in a place where it normally rains a lot. The less holes in your roof, the better around here.

 

[Fieldtester96]

Here in canada all of our 60's came with factory roof racks. The rubber strips in between the main frame are just stuck down with emblem adhesive. If I was to remove a dealer installed rack I would probably weld the holes shut and glue the strips on like toyota did. I live in a place where it normally rains a lot. The less holes in your roof, the better around here.

My plan was to get slightly softer and thicker rubber that is UV resistant. The idea being it will compress more and fill in the air gaps. Though I did see ones with adhesive backs, but didn't know how well it would stand up to constant high temps on the roof.

 

[Fieldtester96]

Not a bad solution. I also use blind rivnuts that I get from McMaster for a lot of applications. They require a separate tool that uses two wrenches to install, but are ribbed and when installed properly (I still sometimes booger one up and have to remove and replace with a new one) hold very securely to the sheet metal. You need to be precise with the hole size you drill, but they do work fantastic. There are even stainless variants for exterior paneling that I'll use if I can ever source decent OEM mudflaps. I recently had my front door panels reupholstered, and rather than use the hokey plastic piece to secure it, punched holes in the upholstery that I could put M6 screws through where the plastic pieces go, then installed rivnuts in the door sheet metal frame to secure it all down. Looks nice, and works beautifully.

I think i saw those, but I was afraid of how it would hold with the thinned out sheet metal do to rust. Though my car isn't as rusty as most, most of the connection points have some form of rust.