OEM Rail Removal Issues for a Rack
#41
The following users liked this post:
Jolly Rancher (09-08-2021)
#42
This is also my plan...just need to make sure I'll still fit in the garage...
#43
I agree that heat is also a good method but I could not find a safe or fast way to heat the bolts, and gave up. Solder iron just didn’t work and no way I was going to use a flame. Impact is always preferred when loctite is present anyway. BTW, it’s loctite blue, an ester based adhesive, not silicone on the bolts.
loctite does recommend heat above 250 degrees to release stuck bolts, so if anyone does find a safe, fast way to heat the bolts, that would be a good idea too.
loctite does recommend heat above 250 degrees to release stuck bolts, so if anyone does find a safe, fast way to heat the bolts, that would be a good idea too.
All in all, not giving anyone a lesson on using the right tool for the job just sharing what worked for me!
see y’all out there!!
#44
I am totally with you on whatever works for you. Myself, being from an aviation background never want to use impact on anything. Reason; aluminum work hardens really quickly. Then you get cracks propagating from the fastener holes. Heat gun and a shield works good for applying heat to a small area. Most modern heat guns have dial in temps. I still cannot get over how long it is taking dealers to get out old rivnuts! Then again, dealing with stripped fasteners is a daily thing in aircraft and success separates the good mechs from the, well...tire changers. Makes it even more firm, I will make adaptors for the factory rails when my Defender eventually gets to the USA.
#45
jen - did your dealer say what their repair solution was? I just never repaired mine because the dealer said it was a full invasive body cutting situation. Even though it’s warrantied - I don’t want that extensive of work done. I have a local company that did my rack and they crated a pressure foot mounting for the spot where my bolts were. I’m not inclined to fix it since this solution worked well. Pic below of the rack.
#46
The following 2 users liked this post by Defendit..:
Bdcrosswhite (09-10-2021),
_Allegedly (09-08-2021)
#47
#48
Another plus, it may not have the same look as voyagers, but it’s cheaper and more versatile. They sell all sorts of attachments. I mounted quick release tent mounts and awning bracket to them below.
#49
Holy Moly!
I removed my factory rails last night to install the front runner rack and ran into a similar issue but luckily got them all out. I was chuckling at the Front Runner instructions that simply say "remove the land rover rails but be careful not to break anything". I was sitting there thinking so do I take off these black oval flaps? If so how do I get them off? Ended up just breaking them off and possibly also breaking my rails when trying to pull them off. 💁
I sat down thinking I could knock this all out in two hours and ended up taking two hours just to "carefully" get the rails off of the defender. I did a fair amount of research before buying Front Runner but didn't realize that Voyage was also out there. I kept thinking why don't they just allow this to work with the factory rails. Now that I have them off I will just continue with Front Runner and love the look of the rack and all the accessories they have but probably would have gone with something that worked with the original rails to avoid the scare/hassle.
I am about to finish the install of the front runner rack tonight and would love any tips for that part. I have loctite to put on the bolts when securing the FR rack rails. Is that what everyone used here?
I removed my factory rails last night to install the front runner rack and ran into a similar issue but luckily got them all out. I was chuckling at the Front Runner instructions that simply say "remove the land rover rails but be careful not to break anything". I was sitting there thinking so do I take off these black oval flaps? If so how do I get them off? Ended up just breaking them off and possibly also breaking my rails when trying to pull them off. 💁
I sat down thinking I could knock this all out in two hours and ended up taking two hours just to "carefully" get the rails off of the defender. I did a fair amount of research before buying Front Runner but didn't realize that Voyage was also out there. I kept thinking why don't they just allow this to work with the factory rails. Now that I have them off I will just continue with Front Runner and love the look of the rack and all the accessories they have but probably would have gone with something that worked with the original rails to avoid the scare/hassle.
I am about to finish the install of the front runner rack tonight and would love any tips for that part. I have loctite to put on the bolts when securing the FR rack rails. Is that what everyone used here?
Last edited by inater; 11-11-2021 at 10:46 AM.