100 series landcruiser roof rack mounts leaking water into car
Submitted: Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 14:51
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Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW)
Dear all, I have just purchased a 105 series landcruiser. I have found that under the vinyl flooring the underlay is soaking wet under the drivers & passenger feet compartment along with the rear boot area. The passesnger section of the back
seat was dry. Also in the hollow section of panel in the boot where the tow bar bolts into was about 2cm deep with water.
I've found that the water is coming in the car via the roof rack bolts. They go through the roof channel and bolt to captive nuts up kinda near the handles above the windows.
The set up is this- roof, foot plate of rack, bolt holding the lot down. There seems to be some sort of rubber ring on the bolt but it's very perished and I think water would have run between the roof and rack foot anyway. Be it bad design or old materials I dont know.
My question is, how are your roof racks on 105's sealed up to stop this happening? Does anyone have a suggestion as to how to fix?
My first thought was plumber's thread tape but a plumber I know said that prob wont seal well enough. Second idea was to put a piece of rubber under the foot with a small hole in it to allow the bolt to go through the rubber. The foot will push down and capture it between itself and the roof hopefully sealing it. Not sure if I need a rubber washer for the top of the bolt. The bolt needs to be tight to hold the rack down so it nay squish a rubber washer anyway.
Looking towards your suggestions.
Reply By: Member - Odog - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 15:30
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 15:30
Hi sdr00y
Not sure how it's suppose to be fix to the car, (maybe google it?) maybe good amount of silicon under the plate, before tightening up the bolts.
One thing, that underlay will stay damp for a very long time, when I drowned my old 62 cruiser , I pulled out the front seats, consol,
seat belt buckles, and pulled up the vinyl, had to rip up the underlay, this happened in a brackish creek, so I was concered about salt.. And a massive dose of fish oil.. Yours being rain water, I'd just pull up the vinyl and make sure the stuff is properly dry, after you do the fix... Cheers Odog
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AnswerID:
541910
Follow Up By: Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW) - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 23:34
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 23:34
Odog,
You're correct about the underlay soaking up the water. I had the flooring out in the sun on some hot tar and walked over it underlay side down about 20 times to squeeze out as much water as I could. Then they lay in the sun for two days. They've been in the garage for about a month now since I took them out so they will be dry by now. I have also been pretty generous with the fish oil on the floor pan and edge channels.
FollowupID:
828160
Reply By: Zippo - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 15:30
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 15:30
A generous layer of silicon sealant would be my first suggestion. And my second.
AnswerID:
541911
Reply By: vk1dx - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 16:44
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 16:44
I took each one off and put some silastic around the hole, bolt and bracket and tighened them. No leaks. The rubber was a but "how are you" so I tossed it and used the silastic in its place.
AnswerID:
541918
Follow Up By: Member - Rosss - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 18:10
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 18:10
Silicon on the threads, no more problems
FollowupID:
828135
Reply By: Member - mark D18 - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 18:12
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 18:12
I would be checking for rust under the roof channel.
Its a common problem with most cars and 4x4 with the roof channel screwed or bolted directly on to the roof.
Seen them rust out in 4 to 5 years in some cases where the cars are parked near the coast
Cheers
AnswerID:
541927
Follow Up By: Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW) - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 23:42
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 23:42
Mark, I've had all the plastic covers off, the roof lining etc too. There's no rust up there. That part of the car is the first to dry off in the heat of the sun too. Besides the water just came in that bit and ran downwards and did not collect anywhere much in the roof part of the car. Where the moisture stayed and collected was the sill channel along each side of the car and the floor pan front drivers and passengers and mostly the rear boot section.
The rear boot section showed the most signs of rust but even so very little for a 14 year
old car. I've scraped the rust back and covered those little bits with fish oil. All was surface rust and none were bigger than a 5mm circle size. Now the task will be to prevent it from happening in the future.
FollowupID:
828161
Follow Up By: Member - mark D18 - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 08:09
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 08:09
Seems strange one to me . Ill have a think where it maybe coming from today.
as the last message said ,never use silicon as it reacts with metal.
Also fish oil is a good rust preventer ,but before you put it on after sanding the rust spot back put on some rust convertor .
Cheers
FollowupID:
828170
Follow Up By: Member - Phil H (NSW) - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 10:57
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 10:57
my roof basket has been on and off my 100 series a number of times. I use liquid Teflon available from plumbers suppliers or maybe bunnings . Anyway just put it on the bolt and screw it in.Silicon may cause rust for the record.Hope this overcomes ingress of water via roof racks for you.
FollowupID:
828186
Follow Up By: Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW) - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 15:19
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 15:19
Ta Phil H.
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828202
Reply By: TomH - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 18:21
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 18:21
Do NOT use silicone sealant As an exroofer we found it always pulled off one side or the other after time.
Get a tube of windscreen sealant take the rack off, clean the threads with a wire bottle brush . If possible buy a new set of rubber pads that are under the feet you screw down. Then squirt a dab of sealant down the holes and smear it on the bolt thread and screw them up. They wont leak as the sealant never sets. Mine lasted 5 years and had removed the rack a few times and it was still ok
AnswerID:
541929
Follow Up By: Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW) - Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 23:44
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014 at 23:44
Good suggestion on the sealant that does not dry up. Thanks for that suggestion.
FollowupID:
828162
Follow Up By: bluefella - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 08:40
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 08:40
I thought neutral cure silicon was okay, no reaction with metal?
FollowupID:
828172
Follow Up By: TomH - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 08:59
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 08:59
Its not the reaction with the metal. As Silicone sets to an almost solid mass, in situations of vibration or heat it tends to separate from one of the two pieces its between.
Have had roofs leak because flashings expand more than other side of the joint in the heat and pull the silicone off what it is supposed to be sealing to.
Far better to use a non hardening mastic like Sikaflex or Butyl mastic types which dont set and retain their "Stickability"
We used a product called Secomastic.
Also means you can take the rack off and replace the bolts and just put a dab on the bolt when you replace it back in the thread.
Worked for me over many years
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Colin E - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 11:13
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 11:13
You can get the rubber coated washers from toyota $5 each $60 for whole set
Thought after a set of nylon washers would be cheaper but might not seal as well as original
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828187
Follow Up By: TomH - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 18:26
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 18:26
The rubber part is actually about 75mm long and fits under the piece that two bolts go through There are 6 of them. As most 100ser racks would be ARB racks I would think they would supply some (maybe) LOL
FollowupID:
828218
Follow Up By: Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW) - Sunday, Nov 23, 2014 at 11:01
Sunday, Nov 23, 2014 at 11:01
My racks are not ARB but the foot should be the same or similar. Will try them for the rubber foot and add some butyl in there too for the thread. Suppose Toyota may do something too.
Cheers.
FollowupID:
828308
Follow Up By: Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW) - Thursday, Nov 27, 2014 at 08:09
Thursday, Nov 27, 2014 at 08:09
Called Toyota, they don't sell the rubber seals separately. I've sourced some from ARB and I'm hoping they will do the trick.
FollowupID:
828466
Reply By: Member - mark D18 - Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 16:20
Friday, Nov 21, 2014 at 16:20
As you have purchased the 105 , what are you doing with the old Troopy you have as your profile photo.
Cheers
AnswerID:
541994
Follow Up By: Member - sdr00y (Beecroft,NSW) - Sunday, Nov 23, 2014 at 10:56
Sunday, Nov 23, 2014 at 10:56
Mark. Tried to search you on the member list but could not fir some reason, on my phone maybe.
Can you member message me? Search up my profile via the members oage then you can private message me.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - mark D18 - Sunday, Nov 23, 2014 at 17:13
Sunday, Nov 23, 2014 at 17:13
sdr00y You can phone me on 0407263337
Cheers
FollowupID:
828326
Reply By: Member - Stuart P (WA) - Saturday, Nov 22, 2014 at 00:37
Saturday, Nov 22, 2014 at 00:37
I have just had the scale rust repaired from leaking roof racks (not my car just bay sitting it for an eo member ) the cost of repairs was nearly $3000 , and the rust in the windscreen pillars was bad ,not severe, but enough to have the vehicle taken oof the road for structural damage
AnswerID:
542010