Factory Fit roof bars

[(RIP) PLANK]

I have a set of original roof bars, came off a TDI swb Ford MAverick with all fixtures and fittings.

I am going to have a bash at fitting them to my swb tdi t2 in the morning.

My intention is to rtemove the head lining ( I have a nutsert tool but no nuts - no comments please :augie)

Questions:

1, can anyone send me a pic of their rooff with bars fitted so i can see where about they sit on the roof.

2, can anyone explain how the bloody htings go together, it seems you need to tighten the end pieces to their feet with the rail out, and then it looka impossible to fit the rail? or can you put an alan key in through the little slot with a ruber cap over it that is cut in the side?

 

[Fez_uk]

I think the slot is for tighten it when attach to the rail. Not tried it but I guess you will need a allen key that allow you to use them at a angle.

I plan on bolting mine to the roof from the inside with original bolts but with my own nylon lock nuts.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

I think the slot is for tighten it when attach to the rail. Not tried it but I guess you will need a allen key that allow you to use them at a angle.

I plan on bolting mine to the roof from the inside with original bolts but with my own nylon lock nuts.

same here, but i might use slightly longer bolts and a large diameter washer to spread the load. I also plan on putting a blob of non setting seam sealer under each washer to make sure they never leak.

But they are a weird set up, there is a loop of steel cable that hooks onto the base plates and then gets tensioned by tighteneing the bolt through the slot (if thats how you do it) to hold them all down. Weird

 

[rustic]

I also plan on putting a blob of non setting seam sealer under each washer to make sure they never leak.

Put some sealer around the top so that water doesn't get to the exposed metal of the drilled holes, otherwise you will get those whiskers under the paint as it starts to rust.

I would have thought that the steel wire is used to tighten everything so that the sections don't rattle.

I am surprised that the bars only attach to the thin roof metal, I would have thought that there would have been a section in the right place already, even with a pre-drilled hole in the lower section. But that would be asking too much.
I wonder how they differenciate between a car with roof rails and one without?
I doubt they would pre-punch them, or equally unlikely have some form of template that they drill through.:nenau


I remember a Vectra I had (W Reg), had got 4 M8 nut-serts behind the rubber above the door , so fitting a roof rack (not Roof Bars) was easy.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

Cheers Rustic, Ill, try and paint the edge of the exposed holes and put some seam sealer under the top half too, there are 2 hole to be driled in the roof at each end so 8 in total.

I know some members have used nutserts and drilled the roof with the head lining in situ, but i plan to take it down, to see if there are any existing clues to fitment, and that there are no wires in the way before i drill!

 

[rustic]

When you drill the hole in the roof, be aware that the drill could snatch and crease the roof around where you are drilling, to check out your method, try an empty bean tin first, you could end up with a ripped open, non circular hole.

Other members could advise the best way to drill thin metal by hand.

You could drill a small hole getting 1 size bigger every time, use a cone cutter, or have a block of wood pressed securely from below.

I cannot say which method would be best, but you only get one shot at each hole. Take your time and don't rush or take shortcuts.
Also put some masking tape where you want to drill in case the drill slips.
Use newish sharp drills.

And the most important advice ..... measure 10 times and drill once. (well maybe several times on the same hole). Good luck.

 

[rayf3262]

Got some more pics like this...

 

[R1cho]

piccys :thumb2

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

thaks very much for the pics, mine is the swb and does not have the cetral fixing point on the bars. It has given me a good idea of where they should fit i relation to the groove in the edge of the roof. If you llok on the inside of the bar you can see the 'slot' i mentioned filled with a black rubber cap, is that how you toghten the inner bolts (with an alan key) that holds them all together?


Rustic, I had planned to put a 2 inch wide strip of masking tape the length of the roof and assmeble the bars the sit them on the tape and draw round the feet, then remove the bars and mark the holes through the ruber pad. I have a goo supply of masking tape so i could use mre strips to ensure rhey are in the same relative posotion on each die of the roof.

I like the idea of holding a piece of wood against the roof inside, there will be two of us so this shold be 'do-able'

Thanks again :thumb2

 

[tonka toy]

hi . i recently fitted some to my swb terrano! they will only fit one way as they are shapped to the roof! you need to pull the roof lining out and fit some strenghtening brackets (i had to knock some up as didnt get the fitting kit with mine as off e bay) under neath as there is no structure at the front were they mount! keep them built up to use as a templare then take them apart to bolt down,fit the bases first then use a ball ended socket through the side slots to tighten up ! bit tricky but doable! hope this helps!

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

hi . i recently fitted some to my swb terrano! they will only fit one way as they are shapped to the roof! you need to pull the roof lining out and fit some strenghtening brackets (i had to knock some up as didnt get the fitting kit with mine as off e bay) under neath as there is no structure at the front were they mount! keep them built up to use as a templare then take them apart to bolt down,fit the bases first then use a ball ended socket through the side slots to tighten up ! bit tricky but doable! hope this helps!

that's what i thought - a ball ended alan key - but i seem to have lost mine :doh

What did you use to strengthen them under the front then?

 

[tonka toy]

that's what i thought - a ball ended alan key - but i seem to have lost mine :doh

What did you use to strengthen them under the front then?

i just used some steel pieces i had lying around at work and shaped them onto the structure above the doors ! the rears i got away with thick washers as the v rear bolt is above the structural frame .mite be easier to get 1 long piece as a brace and take from 1 side of the car to the other at the front! think ill re do mine when the weather picks up as still has some movement! but seeing the max weight for on them is only 50 kgs i mite not bother!

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

i just used some steel pieces i had lying around at work and shaped them onto the structure above the doors ! the rears i got away with thick washers as the v rear bolt is above the structural frame .mite be easier to get 1 long piece as a brace and take from 1 side of the car to the other at the front! think ill re do mine when the weather picks up as still has some movement! but seeing the max weight for on them is only 50 kgs i mite not bother!

I think the oes i have are marked 57.6 k max, but i can allways scrape that off :augie

All the ones i have seen 'factory fitted' have been on cars with a sunroof, i wonder if they had more stregtheners around the sun roof area?

 

[bailey]

I work at Ford years ago when the mk 1 Maverick came out and we had to fit the roof bars at pdi
you had to drill the outer roof skin out to a 20mm hole (if i remember correct) and the fit a riv nut into the second skin of the roof , there was a spacer to fit in to take up the gap so when tighten up it did not bend the roof in . These bars were slightly different to the factory ones.

mark

 

[11redrex]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220724590957&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

can take more pics if you want. I got about half an hour into removing the headlining before I got cramp. If you need to replace any of the parts you'll break getting all the trim off just let me know.
It's easier with the back seats out BTW.

 

[tonka toy]

I think the oes i have are marked 57.6 k max, but i can allways scrape that off :augie

All the ones i have seen 'factory fitted' have been on cars with a sunroof, i wonder if they had more stregtheners around the sun roof area?

i think your rite as mine is non sunroof!!!

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220724590957&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

can take more pics if you want. I got about half an hour into removing the headlining before I got cramp. If you need to replace any of the parts you'll break getting all the trim off just let me know.
It's easier with the back seats out BTW.

Cheers :thumb2

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

so far so bad!

I dropped the front end of the head lining, and where the roof rails would sit there is no support underneath at all. Just holding the foot of the rail down and wobbling it seems to bend the roof.SO it will need some side to side support.

RedRex - have you got the roof lining out of the one you are breaking? if so could you get a photo of the inside of the rood where the rails mount at the front?

It has been said you can do this with nut inserts without removing the head lining, but i wouldn' risk actualy using th raisl if you do. I think they would damage the roof :doh

Anyway, then i decided to take all the tyres off an turn the amround so the outline white lettering was on show. I borke the locking wheel nut key and had to chisel them all off. Then we didn't have a six stud adaptor fpot the wheel balancer, after taking the tyres off.

All good fun, i'm off to trawl ebay for some lcking nuts as i not only have 5 on each wheel :doh

 

[11redrex]

Not yet, I'll see if I can sort something out on Monday. Half way though a case of Gaymers pear cider now so tomorrow is cancelled.
The Maverick doesn't have a sunroof so it'll be a bit different to yours, bt it should still have whatever strengthening is needed.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

Not yet, I'll see if I can sort something out on Monday. Half way though a case of Gaymers pear cider now so tomorrow is cancelled.
The Maverick doesn't have a sunroof so it'll be a bit different to yours, bt it should still have whatever strengthening is needed.

Cheers, mine has no sunroof either, i'm in no rush :thumb2