OEM roof rack trouble...

I just installed the OEM roof rack on my vehicle and it was easy to do pretty much except that I did not pay attention to the instructions well and broke off one of the front bracket bolts.

The rack still went on but I can tell that I will need to replace the bolt for better stability. Drilling it out then reversing the bolt with a left handed bit may be the way to go on that deal.

I noticed that I did get a gap on the right hand front side even though I adjusted the bracket as much as I could, from what I read some others had the same issue and no bolts broken. I don't see that the broken bolt is the cause other that it helps with a better attachment.

I think I also over torqued the bolts and now I fear that I will get leakage from water as the seals were damaged. Are the bolt holes coming through over the headliner and this is what causes leaks if not sealed right? I am thinking that I should remove the rack, completely removing any adhesive/residue and find some more mastic washers or some type of better sealing ones.

I guess my main concern is leaking, the gap looks like it would catch rain, etc and pool up water within the ditch area and eventually cause the roof to leak. I figured that the holes were drilled in but did not go through where they would cause leaks. I see that towards the front and rear of the ditch close to the windshield and back window, that you can maybe place some silicone in the small area where the modling rests, but if it did not leak with the previous weather strips in those areas I figured the seals there are fine.

Do I need to worry about leaks is the main thing, I would hate to have water damage on my costly nice new vehicle.

 

Only one way to find out. Grab a hose.

 

Heh, nice.

 

I've got a about a 1/8'' gap on the front of both sides of my OEM rack. I've driven through heavy rain and havent noticed any leaking. I sure do wish I could get that leading edge to sit more flush though

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate the response. I will probably remove the one with the gap later on to try and fix it but for now I will leave it be, still looks great all around anyway