i was on the roof of my Discovery attaching my bike to the roofrack when i noticed a hairline "crack" on the top of one of the rails on the rack. you can push on it and it feels hollow.

i want to repair it before rain and whatever else gets in there and eats the whole rack, if that hasn't started already.

is there a bonding agent or something that anyone recommends?

Rack is a Brownchurch Full-length "91" model

http://www.brownchurch.co.uk/images/91-NL-D.jpg

 

You can put some electrical tape over the crack to seal out the water for temporary. Then take it off and let a welding shop fix it. Some epoxy's are strong but they need some surface area.

Willie

 

I was going to suggest JB Weld.

 

yeah i will probably do a JB weld type thing with some tape on top haha... the rack was $300 used i don't think i can justify getting it welded.

 

Not to mention that the metal is just to thin to weld. Sand back about a inch from the crack in all directions all the way around, JB Weld it, let it set up for 24 hours and then paint it.

 

A brownchurch is a decent rack and should be welded if you don't want to find it broken again after you have lost something on the road.

 

if you really want to do it properly, find a local paint shop or if you have any friends who have access to the equipment and have it media blasted, walnut shells or some other abrasive material besides sand, sand eats away the metal too much, have the whole thing done down to bare metal, that way you can see all the problem spots and where you have a problem, then just weld in patches or new pieces... it sounds harder than it is... prep it with a primer/sealer or rust inhibitor and paint it... i know it sounds like a lot but when you are done you will have a brand new rack and you may be suprised how many spots under your paint are beginning to deteriorate...
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Have it Tig welded. They can weld very thin metal.

Willie

 

yeah properly done tig welds are like art...
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patched it with a little JB and it's curing in the garage right now... maybe someday i'll have the whole thing gone over and repaired as i'm sure there are other spots that could use attention. but the Rover already dominates more of my finances then i would like so a professional job is just going to have to wait haha