WARNING !! Point of no return !! WARNING
Step 6: drill roof hole
Using a pilot point drill bit i started drilling at low rpm's. The package of the rivet nuts sais 9mm. Yours may be different. No need to drill a smaller hole first! In fact, it will do more harm than good when using a pilot point bit. Be carefull as the drill can get stuck sometimes and the roof can get twisted a bit:
Good hole:
Bad hole (twisted roof):
I used some tube to put over the bit so i could not drill too deep. If you drill too deep you will get stuck in the interiour and we don't want that...
Step 7: apply anti-rust
Well, bare metal is what you get when drilling holes so some zinc-spray is needed. I spayed some of it in a small cup and used a small brush to apply in and around the hole. (see picture above) Let it dry out.
Step 8: apply silicone sealant
I used some silicone sealant around the hole in order to get it waterproof.
Step 9: insert rivet nut
Put the rivet nut in and used
that special tool-thing to tighten it.
There it is. My first roof hole...
Step 10: align other end's hole
So i screwed in one end of the rail and now i can mark the hole on the other end. Put some pressure on the rail so it bends with the roof.
Step 11: drill other hole
Repeat step 6 to 9
Step 12: align other holes
Fasten the rail in the two outer holes and mark the rest of the holes, using the rail as a template. Remove the rail afterwards.
Step 13: drill rest of the holes
I marked down the remaining 9 holes so i can begin drilling. Repeat step 6 to 9
.
All holes drilled.
Step 14: rubber foil
I don't want my roof to get scratched so i put some rubber foil between the rails and the roof. It's also more waterproof. I used some leftover EPDM-rubber but there are rubber foils in all sizes and even with one- or two-sided tape. I made some cut-outs to fit over the rivets.
Step 15: Tighten the rails
This is a DIY job so there is no way that all the holes lign up prefectly. I screwed in the outer bolts first but didn't tighten them. Then i screwed in the rest. Now i could tightend them some more. Kinda like you do with rims.
There you have it. My DIY roof rails...
And my perfect paint job!