To anybody with a prinsu rack

Did you cut your weather stripping where the bolts go or did you drill holes to fit the spacers? What do you recommend?

 

Used a 3/4” hole punch

 

Did it come out clean and line up well?

 

Yup measure them out center them and don’t mix up the right and left moldings and it will be good

 

Thank you for the advice! I will try and find a 3/4" punch at home depot

 

I kept my drip strips as well unlike some people to get rid offing. I cut the rubber lips from backward to expose inner metal and I drilled it with very low speed from the other side. Its pain but doable. Some holes were not exactly in the middle of the strip, I guess the rear ones were kinda close to one edge. But I played with the holes with Dremel and they fit eventually. As a very last thing, I got black silicon and I filled the gaps around the rack fitting. That is a pain to reach but it worked and sealed everything beside the main clear silicon you putting when you installing bolts.

 

I also used a dremel to clean them up and made them a bit bigger in the rear

 

I got tired of messing with it when I got a couple slightly off-center and just said screw it and cut the weather stripping, then adhered the sections back with some of the clear silicone. Just the silicone has sealed it put nicely from rain though. Many downpours and 2 years later, no wet headliner. You never see up there anyway unless loading/unloading gear but I can't argue that getting it done properly with the hole punch would be a cleaner install, no issues with just cutting it stripping though IMHO

 

I cut mine in segments, easier to clean if ever needing to pull things off

 

I cut them in strips. If you're slightly off center like others have said with hole punch or drill method, it will make the install a pain. Good luck.

 

I used this.

Gaosi Tools Professional DIY Leathercraft Tools，The Heavy Duty and Bigger Size Black Carbon Steel Changeable Hole Punch (22mm)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HRI41C0/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

22mm punch, works like a charm. Back with a block of wood and hit with a hammer.

 

I was originally going to drill but I end up cutting them in strips. Also, I realized after i bolted everything together that I should've filled up the spacers with silicone so which will prevent water collection.

 

THIS. Do not try to drill.

 

will the hole punch go straight through the little metal piece?

 

I tried drilling holes at first, I measured 30 times before I cut. Didn't get them lined up correctly. Ended up just cutting into sections. No issues.

 

I used a hole punch, but I think the hole punch slightly moved on one of the holes as the weather strip sort of bends up alittle bit. not enough for me to fix it or even really notice it, but one of the risks using the hole punch.

 

Dremelled the metal strip out then hole punched it.
Installed once on our 2nd Gen and then again on our 3rd Gen. it worked great both times.

 

Black GE Silicone II, I hope. The regular black silicone contains acetic acid and will corrode the steel, guaranteed. It might not show paint bubbles for a month, six months, a year...but it will corrode. Then leak, then require a weld-in patch. Never use acetic acid based silicone on or near steel.

I learned that the hard way so you don't have to.

 

With enough whacks. It takes a bit of elbow grease.

 

Yeap it is GE 2+ and it does not contain acetic acid