Removing my roof rack..... ?

[mountie]

I have come to realize, I never plan to use my roof rack.....

If I remove it,.... what's the best way to seal the mounting holes?

 

[strutaeng]

I thought I had seen someone sell some "block-off" plates?

 

[strutaeng]

01-07 Tahoe/Yukon Roof Rack Delete Plates

Aftermarket truck parts

cunninghammachine.com

Roof Rack Delete?

Is it possible to do away with the OEM roof rack on my yukon? Can I just unbolt it and call it good or is there holes to fill?

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

I like @Tonyrodz approach. His Tahoe looks very nice.

 

[mountie]

01-07 Tahoe/Yukon Roof Rack Delete Plates

Aftermarket truck parts

cunninghammachine.com

Roof Rack Delete?

Is it possible to do away with the OEM roof rack on my yukon? Can I just unbolt it and call it good or is there holes to fill?

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

I like @Tonyrodz approach. His Tahoe looks very nice.

I like the idea, using a M6x1.0 - 16mm stainless set screw & good sealer to avoid water/dirt to accumulate ..... So, not noticeable.. ?

 

[strutaeng]

I like the idea, using a M6x1.0 - 16mm stainless set screw & good sealer to avoid water/dirt to accumulate ..... So, not noticeable.. ?

On those photos, it's hard to tell the screws are even there, so I would say not noticeable at all. I suppose you can also just leave the screws out and add a dab of RTV to the holes?

I removed the roof rack to paint on my 06 and the PO added a ton of silicone to the mounting pads (also cut off the bottom layer off them, so I had to replace them). The truck has a moonroof and it sometimes leaks, so I'm pretty sure he did that thinking it was probably the roof rack. The screw holes are actually blind holes, not through-holes. Kinda like a blind heli-coil insert IIRC.

 

[mountie]

TWA Motorsports / YouTube channel has some great videos for Yukons, etc....

 

[Tonyrodz]

Imo it's not a bad idea to just put the bolts right back in after removing the rack. The roof takes a beating from the sun, especially in Florida. I think if you put silicone in there it could eventually shrink and/or dry out and might let water or dirt collect in the very holes you were trying to keep debris free. Granted this could take a few years, but why even chance it?

 

[mountie]

Imo it's not a bad idea to just put the bolts right back in after removing the rack. The roof takes a beating from the sun, especially in Florida. I think if you put silicone in there it could eventually shrink and/or dry out and might let water or dirt collect in the very holes you were trying to keep debris free. Granted this could take a few years, but why even chance it?

I was planning to use set screws.. they will be flush to the 'hole'..... with a dab of sealer )
There is stuff, better than silicone..... ( don't remember what it's called at the moment, but it's for a marine use )
I want to keep the bumps as flush as possible.

 

[SilverSport]

other than looks are there any real benefits to removing the roof rack???...MPGs???...

Bill

 

[mountie]

other than looks are there any real benefits to removing the roof rack???...MPGs???...

Bill

Yes... I am semi-retired..... I am not going to carry anything heavy or over 8 feet long, anymore.......

And another yes, ..... Looks cleaner......

 

[Roilux]

I removed the crossbars due to a low clearance issue entering a garage. I've not noted any differences in wind noise or MPG. It does look a touch cleaner now than before with only the side rails remaining in place.

I've used the roof rack once in 2.5 years. Should it be needed again, 15 minutes to reattach the crossbars and a dab of sealant will bring it back to original.

 

[homesick]

Imo it's not a bad idea to just put the bolts right back in after removing the rack. The roof takes a beating from the sun, especially in Florida. I think if you put silicone in there it could eventually shrink and/or dry out and might let water or dirt collect in the very holes you were trying to keep debris free. Granted this could take a few years, but why even chance it?

Yeah, I think maybe JB Weld might be better for this approach.

joe

 

[mountie]

Yeah, I think maybe JB Weld might be better for this approach.

joe

Uh, won't do that... I may use the rack in the future......
Can the cross beams remove, while it's on the roof? ( Besides sliding? )

 

[homesick]

Uh, won't do that... I may use the rack in the future......
Can the cross beams remove, while it's on the roof? ( Besides sliding? )

I already thought, and do even more after reading this, just leave it there.

joe

 

[Tonyrodz]

Took mine off and sold it. I was lucky since no one would ever want to buy one.

 

[homesick]

I'd just be concerned about too many ons and offs creating leaks.

joe

 

[89Suburban]

I used something like these:

Everbilt M6-1.0x16mm Stainless Steel Pan Head Phillips Drive Machine Screw 1-Piece 863568 - The Home Depot

Visit The Home Depot to buy M6-1.0 x 16 mm Stainless Pan Head Phillips Metric Machine Screw 12778

www.homedepot.com

With something like these:

https://www.homedepot.com/s/bonded%20sealing%20washer?NCNI-5

 

[mountie]

I used anti-seize on the inserts...... Next, I'll clean & paint the 'cap', then a coat of a black marine sealer on top..

 

[mountie]

Done..

 

[JoeBlobs]

I just took mine off yesterday funny enough. Unfortunately I had a few bolts that were severely rusted and snapped in the hole. One was so bad it pulled the entire rivnut out of the roof.

It was definitely a smart idea to use anti sieze.