Good afternoon! just looking for opinions and alternative ideas. I am trying to choose between options as to what I should do with some screw holes from an old roof rack on my 1987 FJ60. There are 24 of them... From research it appears that some of them were from chrome rails that ran lengthwise on each side and some of them are from a dealer installed option that left four black plastic runners in the middle running lengthwise. Right now all of the holes just have stainless panhead screws in them.
What to do with old roof rack screw holes
- Thread starter 87MantisCruiser
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I'll have the same issue with mine when i build a roof rack. Me being somewhat of a cheap basturd i think i'll just run in appropriate sized stainless steel rivets coated with seam sealer. My thinking says that would be least expensive water tight seal. Also least obtrusive non-bodywork solution.
RevISK
SILVER Star
what he said.Slather some RTV on there and use aluminum rivets.
The roof metal is quite thick. No need to drop headliner. Take your time to let weld fully cool before each zap. Fill the holes with your mig, sand, clean, epoxy primer or zero rust, then zap with a little paint then 2k clear. Little spots on the roof who cares.
I’d guess mig is 5 minutes for each hole.
Ps: chemical sealant won’t last.
Pps: here are pix where I fixed rust around a factory rack
I’d guess mig is 5 minutes for each hole.
Ps: chemical sealant won’t last.
Pps: here are pix where I fixed rust around a factory rack
I tried sponge today but steam is so evil.
I had a good day today. Low 40s but sun was out so everything warmed up. And roof metal is much thicker than I'm used to. Here is the sketchy rack mount that was beautifully sealed with clear silicone bath caulk.
Actually not so rusty inside. Pretty neat!
In the bright sun I could see more tiny bubbles near the gutter. Made these holes just scratching with an awl. Then used the grinder.
I had a good day today. Low 40s but sun was out so everything warmed up. And roof metal is much thicker than I'm used to. Here is the sketchy rack mount that was beautifully sealed with clear silicone bath caulk.
Actually not so rusty inside. Pretty neat!
In the bright sun I could see more tiny bubbles near the gutter. Made these holes just scratching with an awl. Then used the grinder.
Rtv, bath silicone caulk, drives me nuts that the general populace thinks that it's be all, end all for sealant. Yup, dow corning has done a bang up job marketing that $h!t but automotive body work is not the place for it.
No, not b!t€h slappin' any of those who have weighed in, just grindin' an axe
No, not b!t€h slappin' any of those who have weighed in, just grindin' an axe
- Thread starter
- #6
Thanks everyone who has responded so far!
@zakthor , the screws fastening that down, are they just self tappers or mchine screws into a captured nut.?
RevISK
SILVER Star
This is like comparing apples to boots.
That is a factory rack on canadian bj60. The machine screws go into a nut on other side of a plate thats attached to the interior roof structure.
Yeah may be so, but i still despise the $h!t. I've waged war on too much of it in other applications as well as automotive trying to seal where it's been goobered on n should not have been used at all. Like i said, just grindin' an axe
I glassed over mine. No hassle, still looks great 3 years later.
I fixed my holes on my 60 when I was fixing all the other body damage and getting it ready for paint. It's true the metal is thick up there, but that's why they could torque the ever loving shlt out of the sheet metal screws when the mounted the rack. This means you will end up with very high spots when you pull the rack off where the metal is stretched. The fix isn't hard, and welding them up is best, but don't just do it without at least opening up the headliner.
Remove the gaskets around the doors and peel back the headliner material from the body. This will get you access into the void above the headliner. This is important because before you weld anything you need to at least get the headliner insulation damp. It's that old insulation material made of horse hair and cloth fibers. That stuff will ignite very easily from a hot metal pop when welding. Ask me how I know. Luckily I had a damp cloth and tamped it out. It doesn't burn super fast, but it will definitely catch on fire. Once you have access, take something to use as a metal dolly so you can beat the stretched metal flat again before the welding. It's up there where no one will see, so unless you are planning to show at Pebble Beach you should be good with a quick weld and flap disk sanding to smooth it out. If you aren't going to paint the truck, get some touch up paint off eBay that are in slightly larger container, like a half pint, and just brush it on.
Since since you are up there, check if the rain gutter seam sealer is cracked and is promoting rust along the roof line. If so, bust it all out and get some 3M self leveling seam sealer epoxy.
Remove the gaskets around the doors and peel back the headliner material from the body. This will get you access into the void above the headliner. This is important because before you weld anything you need to at least get the headliner insulation damp. It's that old insulation material made of horse hair and cloth fibers. That stuff will ignite very easily from a hot metal pop when welding. Ask me how I know. Luckily I had a damp cloth and tamped it out. It doesn't burn super fast, but it will definitely catch on fire. Once you have access, take something to use as a metal dolly so you can beat the stretched metal flat again before the welding. It's up there where no one will see, so unless you are planning to show at Pebble Beach you should be good with a quick weld and flap disk sanding to smooth it out. If you aren't going to paint the truck, get some touch up paint off eBay that are in slightly larger container, like a half pint, and just brush it on.
Since since you are up there, check if the rain gutter seam sealer is cracked and is promoting rust along the roof line. If so, bust it all out and get some 3M self leveling seam sealer epoxy.