tor size OEM roof rails 120

[onda Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close onda]

Hello, looking to utilize the OEM rails on my 120 with a DIY setup.

Forgive the incorrect names, I'm a novice, but I made a flat metal piece (7.5cm x 2.5cm x .5) with two threaded holes that I will slide into the inside channel on the existing rails. I will slide two in each rail, one for the forward bars and one for the rear bars so four in total. I will then have an angle (7.5cm x 3.0 cm, 3.0 cm) with a bar (99.5 cm x 1.9cm) welded to it with with two holes to pass bolts through. The bolts will pull the flat metal inside of the channel and the angle together to sandwich with the overlap of the channel. Then horizontal bars will be welded onto two angles to form each horizontal cross bars.

What I think I've discovered is that you can't access the channel with out separating the OEM rails from the OEM feet attaching them to the roof. I feel like I have searched everywhere and can't find one video/post of someone separating the rails from the feet.

So I need to take off the feet attaching them to the roof, then separate them from the rails so I can pass the (2) flat metal piece(s) into the channel. I will then reattach the feet to the rails and then to the roof. Then I will bolt my DIY angle and cross bars to one flat metal piece in each OEM rail, and repeat that for the 2 cross bars.

The rails are attached to the feet with TOR headed screws. I believe the size is T30. Are they threaded normally? They are turning quite difficultly and I don't want to cause any damage.

And is my theory correct, that I need to separate the bars from the feet to pass anything into the inside channel? I had everything painted then oven baked but I'm thinking I will also spray WD40 on everything as I'm in Peru with massively corrosive salty ocean air.

Any advice would be well welcomed. I will try and foto everything so there will be a record.

Thanks for all help.

[Guest Close Guest]

All you need to access the channel in the roofrail is to remove the plastic end caps. Make sure you remove it carefully and don't break the clips.

[Guest Close Guest]

[onda Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close onda]

Thanks for the reply. I totally agree it's possible as you say. I'll explain why I have to separate the feet and the rails. Maybe I should change my design but as of now I'm slightly stuck.

The height of the channel is about 2.7 cm, top to bottom, but there is only 1.8cm (all numbers rough) metal available for my attachment to attach to as there is the the space where the screws or whatever go (the right side of the channel in your picture). I wanted to maximize the use of that 1.8cm for security so I chose 2.5cm height.

2.5 cm height doesn't enter the channel because as your photo shows there is a part of the foot blocking the channel at the bottom. Of course I can cut (or remake) my part but I'd like to just separate the two and use the 2.5com piece as is. I'm thinking I'm just going to remove the whole rail and hopefully then it will be easier to separate one of the feet from the rail.

[Guest Close Guest]

Consider the future when you want to remove it. I would use a thin channel nut - M8 from Unistrut.

Also when you say oven baked paint, I assume that is equivalent to powder coating here. If so, that's not going to cut it for the environment you mention if it is just going over bare steel.

[Guest Close Guest]

OP wants to undo the Torx screws just underneath the factory rails. It is probably loctite or seizing which causes the screws to be difficult to remove.

[onda Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close onda]

I'm all ears on what you would recommend for the best protection instead of the powder coat. The base material is steel.

Had a bunch of problems (American in Peru) and had to work into the night and couldn't post after.

I just took the whole roof rail off on the copilot side so I could see everything. Took a while but got the TOR 30 screws out, inserted my 2 flat metal pieces inside the rail, and reinstalled everything. I took off both feet from the rail even though I didn't need to to get those other 2 TOR 30 nuts cleaned up. Did I need to put anything on the main bolts (12mm) that secure the rail feet to the roof?

On the pilot side I just removed out the foot securing bolts on the front foot and then un screwed the TOR 30 nuts. Tough job as it's underneath and low clearance, almost to the point that the TOR wrench couldn't fit as the screw exiting reduced the clearance and they didn't turn easy with the fingers.


Some observations/questions:
- Here's a picture of the inserts, one inside and the other going in. Are they OK to replace your M8 unistrut?
- I sprayed the flat metal inserts with WD-40 for some added rust protection. Was that pointless?
- I cleaned the TOR30 nuts with WD-40 and then reinserted. Now wondering if I was just going wd40 crazy. Is that OK?
- the part of the front feet that blocks the entrance to the rail is much bigger than on the back. My 2.5cm height inserts couldn't pass either but there is much more clearance at the back foot, probably to given that stopping causes much more unintended moving than accelerating. I would guess your photo is from the back as the front almost blocks half of the opening.

[Guest Close Guest]

You would want to apply a zinc primer through electroplating.