Please help me with my stupid roof rack issues

[jp1985]

OK I need to get a roof rack for my 94 ford explorer 4 door so i can transport stuff on the roof mainly for my canoe but also if i need to move something that wont fit in the back.

It never had a factory roof rack and just has a naked roof top. I think it may have the gutters up there but am not totally sure.

Every where i look i have to buy one for a naked roof and they run at least 200-400 dollars i just don't have anywhere near that much to spend on a roof rack.

I pulled a second gen factory roof rack off one for 20 dollars at a wrecking yard thinking it would just easily attach on Oh how wrong i was !!!

Sure it fits up there and everything line up just fine, but i would have to drill it into my roof top?

I am unsure how to do that or if am even supposed to. My wife found out i would have to try and drill that up there my self and freaked out... saying it would leak and ruin the truck.

I tried asking body shops locally and they wouldn't do it. The most one recommend to me was getting something called a BIM nut and using that to drill it into the roof.

Please help!!

What parts do i need to attach it up there and are there any directions to doing it or do i just line it up and drill them in, and if so whats the chance of it leaking??

thanks for any help or advice.

JP

 

[Anime]

Yeah, you have to drill holes in the roof to attach the rack rails.

There are special threaded retainers that go on the inside, under the roof sheet metal, and usually a special adhesive is used on them so they both stay in place when tightened/loosened, and so they are watertight. A little silicone or other sealant on the threads of the bolt helps keep those sealed as well. The rub strips in the middle just get riveted down or use similar bolts to the rack rails, and need to be sealed with a weatherproof silicone as well.

If you didn't get all the hardware from the wrecking yard, you should try to go back and get it, or you can probably get the hardware in a roof rack install kit from a Ford dealer. The kit for later 90's Explorers should work too.

If you don't want to do it yourself, and can't get a body shop to do it, the Ford dealer can do it for you. The roof racks on the first gens were a dealer option, so they were shipped as kits and installed by the dealer. Lots of other Explorers without them have had the racks installed at the dealer, so they shouldn't have a problem doing it. You'll save a lot of money doing it yourself though.

Note that the factory roof rack cross bars won't handle that much weight, so if you want to use the roof as a cargo carrying spot for heavier items, you may have to look at getting tubular cross bars and the sliders that go into the factory rails. Thule and Yakima should both still have the parts available. You can get L-shaped brackets and clamps for the factory crossbars though, so you can carry a canoe up there.


This is what the OE fastener looks like stuck in the roof, with the bolt removed:

This is the rack and some other nuts. I'd advise against using blind nuts that have blades that would pierce the sheet metal, and make new holes:

 

[mr cribb]

LMC truck sells the fasteners. According to their catalog 91-97 is interchangeable.

 

[Roadrunner777]

This might be interesting... McMaster has a wide variety of blind rivet nuts, but these are kind of interesting because they are self sealing. It is not obvious, but there is a brass core that prevents pull-out... until you pull too much, I guess.

They do have metal ones that don't require so much depth... I'm thinking these might be too long. The metal ones typically require a special tool, though, something like $20-30 for the tool.

 

[jp1985]

This might be interesting... McMaster has a wide variety of blind rivet nuts, but these are kind of interesting because they are self sealing. It is not obvious, but there is a brass core that prevents pull-out... until you pull too much, I guess.

They do have metal ones that don't require so much depth... I'm thinking these might be too long. The metal ones typically require a special tool, though, something like $20-30 for the tool.

Thank you so much!!! I ordered a set of the ones you had posted in the pic(93459A310) from them.

So you don't need a special tool for the rubber ones right? meaning I can just drill them in when i screw the roof rack on?

 

[Roadrunner777]

Right, so long as it fits snugly enough to hold at the start. I might even push them in with some silicone sealant the night before so they have some extra starting grip and sealing action.

 

[Anime]

Rubber will do the trick short term, but it breaks down over time and when it goes, the fasteners leak and the headliner shows it.

I would guess that part of the reason Ford went with the zinc metal fasteners and the adhesive/sealant method is that it would outlast a rubber sealed fastener.

Of course, the rubber might last a long time too, not being exposed to light or UV or anything, but it depends on how it's made.

You'll want to drop the headliner for this either way, both so you don't drill into/through it, and so you (or the person helping) can hold the fasteners from the bottom if they start to spin when tightening the bolts to collapse them.

 

[jp1985]

thanks i ordered some of the rubber nuts and am going to try them out when they arrive. ouch 10 dollars to ship 8 small nuts ;/ they never mention the shipping cost on the site i figured it be less than 10 to ship it. oh well i hope they will do the trick.

thanks for the help all. will let you know how it goes wish me luck.

JP

 

[murkinstock]

Good luck fellow Oregonian! lol

 

[Roadrunner777]

thanks i ordered some of the rubber nuts and am going to try them out when they arrive. ouch 10 dollars to ship 8 small nuts ;/ they never mention the shipping cost on the site i figured it be less than 10 to ship it. oh well i hope they will do the trick.

thanks for the help all. will let you know how it goes wish me luck.

JP

Yeah, McMaster is more an industrial/commercial supplier, and their shipping can be high, compared to most retailers today. They are my go-to when Ace Hardware can't make it happen. You ought to see their catalog. The current release is over 3,800 pages, and contains a lot of reference material, like which o-ring materials are compatible with which fluids... things like that.

 

[jp1985]

Its done!!!! i finished it tonight it took me about 2 hours or so. I will post pics sometime soon.

Happy 4th everyone, and thanks again for all the help.

JP

 

[Eddie94]

Nice work! Now you can add a cool basket

Mine's working out great, going to add better crossbars eventually but it's definitely coming in handy-- here it is loaded with luggage on a 500 mile trip for a week of camping

 

[vq5speed]

Nice job! My roof rack is attached just like that on my cross bars, it works.

 

[jp1985]

what basket is that? it looks cool i want to add one that's why i put the roof rack on there.

 

[Eddie94]

Rola vortex

I have the Vortex from Rola, along with its extension.


Rack: Rola Vortex Roof Rack 59504:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/rcm-59504?seid=srese1&gclid=CLCEw7Sn7L8CFYZaMgod8zsAjg

Extension: Rola Vortex Cargo Basket Extension 59505:

http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies...rs/Rola-Vortex-Cargo-Basket-Extension?id=6861

 

[chapp2009]

Help with Extending the stoock roof rack?

I have the stock roof rack and I put a surco basket and hardware up there, but I also mounted a led bar and it sits way to far back. Is there any way to get gutters from a donor and extend the track so I can get the basket closer to the front of the truck. Overall the problem is when im running down the trail with the light on its awesome but so much of the light is cut off because the rack is so far back. any help would be great.