That will hold for a little while but eventually the corrosion underneath will push through. Also the heating and cooling (expansion & contraction) will break that seal loose. I think road tar would work 
Factory Rack Removal Options?
- Thread starter swampfoxSC
- Start date
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I've had plastic plugs just like those above and Perma-Tex adhesive black RTV in those holes for about 1.5 years now and they don't leak at all. I pulled them up a little bit ago because the plug was being slightly pushed up by my moonroof when I opened it. The rust on the holes had not come back, everything looks good.
Welding the holes is not the only way to "do it right." It is the most permanent, looks the best after painting, and requires the most time and money. You have to pick your own solution based on what's important to you.
Welding the holes is not the only way to "do it right." It is the most permanent, looks the best after painting, and requires the most time and money. You have to pick your own solution based on what's important to you.
Like I said, it will hold for a "little while".
Body lead isn't too hard to do on a flat surface like that, but steel stick can be done without a flame and sanded flat. 
I figured as much. We have very similar field fixes in "naval applications", a dozen years and a few wars later, they are still holding. Will keep my eye on it though.
@Izzyandsue how is that holding up so far? I need to remove my rails to fit my ARB and they way you did it is they way I was thinking.
I need to remove my factory rack as I'm now half an inch too tall for my parking garage (found that out the hard way)
However the phillip screws are not moving and at the point of stripping, I'm soaking in PB blaster but has anyone removed it with stripped screws? Should I bust out the sawzall?
However the phillip screws are not moving and at the point of stripping, I'm soaking in PB blaster but has anyone removed it with stripped screws? Should I bust out the sawzall?
I just did it tonight and had to drill out the screw head and use an oscillating saw for the shaft.
Does anyone know what steel material the roof is made from, 4130 or 301 material. I was thinking about bonding coin plates to the roof at these locations with an adhesive. I imagine the coin doubler could be primered for corrosion protection.
Off topic... sort of.
Is there a reason people don't use the factory rack mount points for after market racks? Besides that most of them use gutter mounts of course. I am considering making my own rack and find myself wondering why I couldn't design it to use the factory mounting points. What am I missing?
Is there a reason people don't use the factory rack mount points for after market racks? Besides that most of them use gutter mounts of course. I am considering making my own rack and find myself wondering why I couldn't design it to use the factory mounting points. What am I missing?
Because of the weight restrictions on a tin roof vs a pinch weld.
I think most people are trying to fix what the port installed rack created - point of entry for rust. I suppose you could use the wholes that are there and do what you can to protect it from rust. It may also not be able to hold as much weight as the gutter mounts.
I used Kwik Steel. I had minor surface rust around the feet of my rack. I purchased a new rack from @reevesci and had put button head screws in as a temporary fix.
I took off the old rack.
Popped out the nutzerts (just tapped them in to the hole so they are stuck in the headliner somewhere)
Grinded the surrounding area down to bare metal
Rolled the Kwik Steel until it was ready and pushed it down in to the hole and spread it out like in the picture
Waited about 30 minutes or so
Grinded off the excess until not much was left
Then hit it with a fairly coarse flap disk
I could've sanded it to get it smoother but didn't care
Spray painted the entire roof
I will be Line Xing my roof in the next few weeks so I didn't really care if it was ultra smooth.
For grins I tapped on the roof with a hammer to see if the weld would fail. It didn't.
I took off the old rack.
Popped out the nutzerts (just tapped them in to the hole so they are stuck in the headliner somewhere)
Grinded the surrounding area down to bare metal
Rolled the Kwik Steel until it was ready and pushed it down in to the hole and spread it out like in the picture
Waited about 30 minutes or so
Grinded off the excess until not much was left
Then hit it with a fairly coarse flap disk
I could've sanded it to get it smoother but didn't care
Spray painted the entire roof
I will be Line Xing my roof in the next few weeks so I didn't really care if it was ultra smooth.
For grins I tapped on the roof with a hammer to see if the weld would fail. It didn't.
I haven't removed the head liner to look but I guess I was expecting that the factory mount points would be on the cross members through the roof. Makes sense to use the gutter mounts if the holes are just through the tin on the open part of the roof.
Reviving old thread. Pulled my roof rack off today and had to bust out the sawzall for 3 of the screws.
Question is how do i pull out the screw and/or nutsert? Just vicegrips and yank it out then instert new nutserts?
Question is how do i pull out the screw and/or nutsert? Just vicegrips and yank it out then instert new nutserts?
I am also in the middle of this repair process - Yes, even an arizona vehicle gets significant rust damage at the factory nutcerts.
Fortunately, all of the rub-rail end-cap nutcerts came through un-rusted - in fine shape.
However, if you keep the rub rails, you really need those end-caps to keep them in place. I can see no way to keep those end-caps (and their retainer screws) AND robustly seal the screws from water entry. So - I'm just going to ditch them too. Too bad about that. But really, I will never put anything up there, even touching the roof surface. With just the nutcert, you CAN seal it up, something like shown above. Details TBD.
The end-cap screw is a water entry point, and then, seeps down the screw threads, eventually rusting the body, creeping under the paint.
View attachment 663052
Fortunately, all of the rub-rail end-cap nutcerts came through un-rusted - in fine shape.
However, if you keep the rub rails, you really need those end-caps to keep them in place. I can see no way to keep those end-caps (and their retainer screws) AND robustly seal the screws from water entry. So - I'm just going to ditch them too. Too bad about that. But really, I will never put anything up there, even touching the roof surface. With just the nutcert, you CAN seal it up, something like shown above. Details TBD.
The end-cap screw is a water entry point, and then, seeps down the screw threads, eventually rusting the body, creeping under the paint.
View attachment 663052
are you taking nutserts out or going to plug them? I was able to get the screws out by using a vice grip and channel locks so now i have all empty nutserts. Most have very little rust that can likely be used but part of me wants to replace them all new.
Wondering how to take out old nutserts and replace with new.
Fortunately, even my worst rusted nutcerts are still structurally intact. I have empty nutcerts too. Some stainless screws just screwed in the holes - for now.
I plan to leave them in place and seal up with stainless screws, stainless finish washers, and Viton O-rings, per suggestion by @cruiserdan - details TBD.
Definitely some of the nutcert steel is gone, turned to rust, but most of the threads are still sound - and all the screws came out without difficulty. There was some kind of resilient glue/sealant thread locker used, that held the screws in place. As a sealant - it didn't really work in the long run. The OEM screws broke loose easily.
My opinion is to leave them in place, not to attempt replacement. Part of that is that the function they once served is now permanently obsolete, never to be used again. So why bother with replacement? They only need to keep a stainless steel weather shield in place that protects and compress the actual o-ring water seal down to the nearly flat body metal (properly rust treated and paint sealed, of course).
BTW - the screw threads are M5x0.8mm - recommend having that tap on hand to clean up the threads.
I plan to leave them in place and seal up with stainless screws, stainless finish washers, and Viton O-rings, per suggestion by @cruiserdan - details TBD.
Definitely some of the nutcert steel is gone, turned to rust, but most of the threads are still sound - and all the screws came out without difficulty. There was some kind of resilient glue/sealant thread locker used, that held the screws in place. As a sealant - it didn't really work in the long run. The OEM screws broke loose easily.
My opinion is to leave them in place, not to attempt replacement. Part of that is that the function they once served is now permanently obsolete, never to be used again. So why bother with replacement? They only need to keep a stainless steel weather shield in place that protects and compress the actual o-ring water seal down to the nearly flat body metal (properly rust treated and paint sealed, of course).
BTW - the screw threads are M5x0.8mm - recommend having that tap on hand to clean up the threads.
That is what I was looking for. Appreciate the advice. Think I will do that. 3 of the nutserts are spinning and needed vice grips to keep still while I backed the screw out - so imagine those may be difficult to get a screw to sit all the way flush but I will give it a go. Thanks!