Factory Roof Rack trim piece repair/reinforcement?

[westfaliacamper]

Howdy folks -

Been on this forum for...a bit (maybe 5 years or so?) without a Cruiser. Finally acquired a 100 series a couple weeks back and am loving it so far. It's in great shape for a 21 yr old vehicle, but there's a few things I'd like tidy up while I'm baselining mechanicals.

One such issue is a loose bit of cladding/trim on the passenger side rear of the color-matched factory roof rack. It seems to hold on alright (made it back from LA-Austin without issue), but it doesn't take much to lift it up and off the rack mount that (I think) it should be clipped onto. Looks like someone maybe tried to recreate a tab at some point (see pics below). I'm fearful of it catching a gust of wind while at highway speed and popping off never to be seen again.

I don't want to remove the rack or go aftermarket at this time...feeling the stock look for now. Any suggestions or experience with this issue and a remedy for it?

 

[Super77]

Best bet is a mechanical join. Is there a spot where you can drill and tap for a small screw? Adhesives are tempting, but you'll want something specifically designed for that type of plastic and the heat/cold/moisture it experiences. Check the inside for markings - I have a 99LC, but IIRC mine says ">GF30," which is 30% glass-filled nylon. Next to impossible to glue.

 

[westfaliacamper]

Best bet is a mechanical join. Is there a spot where you can drill and tap for a small screw? Adhesives are tempting, but you'll want something specifically designed for that type of plastic and the heat/cold/moisture it experiences. Check the inside for markings - I have a 99LC, but IIRC mine says ">GF30," which is 30% glass-filled nylon. Next to impossible to glue.

Thought/feared that the "impossible to glue" response might be what I'd hear. I'll poke around for a screw point, but I don't really wanna drill into this or the main rack (not saying I wouldn't though).

 

[Super77]

It’s a difficult spot and material to work with.

I had a similar issue with an interior panel on my Mercedes. All the fastening tabs had broken, but luckily I had a photo of an intact part. I recreated a row of tabs in CAD, arranged them on a backing plate, and then 3D printed that whole assembly. I was successfully able to glue a single integrated part, with lots of surface area, rather than one tab at a time.