Charlievee
Senior Member
Some poor Private with a 30% first time loan. "Hey Sarn't. Got a great deal on a station wagon" .
Destroyed Factory Roof Mounting Locations
- Thread starter OutBreak
- Start date
Some poor Private with a 30% first time loan. "Hey Sarn't. Got a great deal on a station wagon" .
Heavy_GD
New member
First off, thank you for your service Marine. (even if it was Hawaii. :nerd: )
Second, the combo of lineX and coastal rain are the two main factors IMO.
As for the repair, strip it down, clean the area, and get a body shop to help you weld/repair that. Also assuming you have USAA, talk with your insurance to see if they can help at all, not likely but worth asking.
It may be costly but it will be worth the investment in the long haul and it should come with some kind of warranty.
check out this guys youtube he peels the roof on a 4runner.
YouTube
Second, the combo of lineX and coastal rain are the two main factors IMO.
As for the repair, strip it down, clean the area, and get a body shop to help you weld/repair that. Also assuming you have USAA, talk with your insurance to see if they can help at all, not likely but worth asking.
It may be costly but it will be worth the investment in the long haul and it should come with some kind of warranty.
check out this guys youtube he peels the roof on a 4runner.
YouTube
OutBreak
New member
Thanks for the support, HI was awesome when I was there. I just recently got to DC and miss HI weather. The video you posted was good. I'm in the process of shopping around for a local place that can help. I may look into JetBoys suggestion on fiber glass, just so i can do it myself
Heavy_GD
New member
The glass is a good option.
If you call around, remember a custom/restoration shop is the best bet NOT a body shop.
Mutant138
Banned
Damn thought I was on the 240sx forums for a second.
Looks like you want to keep it (understandable with no payments)...
Do you need the roof rack?
If the answer is no I would maybe see about cutting, grinding, and wiring wheeling all the rust out. Find a way to seal it all up (ideally welding in new material) and run with a slick roof. IMO slick top runners look tits be it the loss of space.
I basically use my roof rack to tie my tarp down and that's about it. Thinking about going slick myself.
Looks like you want to keep it (understandable with no payments)...
Do you need the roof rack?
If the answer is no I would maybe see about cutting, grinding, and wiring wheeling all the rust out. Find a way to seal it all up (ideally welding in new material) and run with a slick roof. IMO slick top runners look tits be it the loss of space.
I basically use my roof rack to tie my tarp down and that's about it. Thinking about going slick myself.
mynameistory
New member
All,
I really encourage you to research the use of butyl rubber instead of silicone/RTV sealant when it comes to roof rack installations and other automotive applications.
Silicone sealant isn't meant for this kind of application. It hardens and dries out, retracting away from the joints (and often pulls paint as it goes). UV exposure is a HUGE detriment to most types of silicone sealant.
When you pull off your factory roof rack, you should have noticed that the factory sealant was still tacky and pliable, regardless of how long you've owned the truck. This is the kind of seal you need- not one that hardens into a rock under the sun. Butyl rubber stays tacky and is a dynamic seal, which is what you need for a dynamic outdoor environment.
Take a look at how and why I did my own seals for my aftermarket rack installation. It's my guess that the use of silicone is the failure point in this thread.
EcoTechne Roof Rack Installation (5th Gen)
I really encourage you to research the use of butyl rubber instead of silicone/RTV sealant when it comes to roof rack installations and other automotive applications.
Silicone sealant isn't meant for this kind of application. It hardens and dries out, retracting away from the joints (and often pulls paint as it goes). UV exposure is a HUGE detriment to most types of silicone sealant.
When you pull off your factory roof rack, you should have noticed that the factory sealant was still tacky and pliable, regardless of how long you've owned the truck. This is the kind of seal you need- not one that hardens into a rock under the sun. Butyl rubber stays tacky and is a dynamic seal, which is what you need for a dynamic outdoor environment.
Take a look at how and why I did my own seals for my aftermarket rack installation. It's my guess that the use of silicone is the failure point in this thread.
EcoTechne Roof Rack Installation (5th Gen)
ElectroBoy
Banned
Good point about silicone sealants. And some of them, the RTVs that are Acetoxysilane-based, release acetic acid during the curing process. This will eat into and corrode bare metals.
mynameistory
New member
Not even close to the reason for this.
tylertenny
Member
I've been following this thread and I currently have an LFD roof rack on order. After reading everything I'm worried about leaks after installation. Since I can't follow the same installation process you used because the LFD uses different hardware, I'm thinking that I could just put some butyl rubber around the base of the tubes and then cover that with some 3M super weatherstrip and gasket adhesive. Is putting more sealant over the butyl rubber overkill or would I be better off using one or the other?
mynameistory
New member
I don't know the characteristics of those particular sealants. Can you add a few pictures of LFD mounting feet and hardware, or start your own thread for discussion? Whatever you do, do NOT use a sealant that is meant to cure and harden completely. Not only does this make for a bad seal, it makes the rack and hardware difficult to remove later (you do not want this).
Frankly, I think it's crazy that companies that sell racks just encourage you to use whatever sealant you can get your hands on. They're either ignorant to potential damage like this, or they don't care because they already have your money and 5 years will have gone by before anyone realizes the impact.
tylertenny
Member
I apologize in advance if I'm hijacking this thread but I feel like these questions are relevant to the topic because I'm just trying to avoid damage to my roof mounts.
1:56 into the video shows the mounting hardware for this rack:
YouTube
This is the sealant I was looking at since it's made for automotive applications:
https://www.amazon.com/3M-08581-Bla...aWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1
I know this topic has been covered many times over but for someone installing a rack on their expensive vehicle for the first time it can be a little nerve-racking when there are differing opinions about the correct installation method.
mynameistory
New member
I would still hesitate to use anything that cures into place, even if it's described as flexible. It may work, but how easy is it to remove if you change your mind in a few years?
For the LFD feet/spacer install, I would personally use butyl rubber under the spacer (make sure it gets squeezed into the little gaps around the tubes). As long as the rest of the hardware surfaces are clean, flat, and installed snugly, they should be okay and resist leaking through the threads. Blue Loctite should also help (it's a mild sealant and also temporary strength, not permanent threadlock).
daytonaviolet
New member
Just wondering if you used the Oem bolts and rubber washers ? This is what my Oem rack came with.
Hydguy
Member
Obviously you are wrong, as the pics in the original post clearly indicate.
rageandlove
Member
Sherpa sells a rack that doesn't require any sealing due to the design of the mounting system. Or at least that's the claim - I haven't ordered one yet, but I have talked to a few forum members that have put them on their vehicles and they seem to hold up to plenty of rain.
Thread on Sherpa on 5th Gen 4Runners here.
If Toyota can design a system that doesn't need sealants, it makes sense that other vendors could too.
mynameistory
New member
Your post implied that this is the result of cheap hardware, of metals " that don't play well with with other metals."
I'm saying that galvanic corrosion is not the primary failure mode here. The primary reason for failure is the intrusion of water and moisture as a result of bad sealing methods. If you don't introduce moisture to the system, rampant oxidation (rust) can't occur to begin with. Also, even cheap hardware is usually coated in black oxide or zinc, which acts as a sacrificial anode, actually preserving the surrounding steel.
ForRun
New member
I have to ask because I could not find anything on the net about silicone being bad for paint in regards to sealing a roof rack as example. I saw multiple web sites saying that modern paint contains silicone as it helps flow through the sprayers. Some car wax contains silicone, windshield sealant is silicone.
Do you have any links that show its actually harmful? I'm just wondering because as I've used it in many automotive sealant areas like adding grommets for exterior lighting etc. maybe I haven't kept the rigs long enough to see damage but I've never read anything bad about until now. Thanks!
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