How to Remove Car Roof Rack

by Si Kingston

Roof racks are screwed into the roof of your car, so when a rack is removed, your car is left with holes in the roof. You will need to block these holes to keep water and other debris from settling between the inside of the car roof and the headliner. Water that settles in this area can create a perfect environment for mold to grow which can become hazardous to your health and create a stench.

Remove Roof Rack

Step 1

Unscrew the mounting screws from the roof rack siderails with a Philips screwdriver. Each siderail will have at least one screw on each end of the rail that secured the rack to your roof. Once the mounting screws are removed, the roof rack is no longer fastened to the car.

Step 2

Pull the entire roof rack from the vehicle roof and place it on the ground. Notice the screw holes left in your roof from the mounting screws.

Step 3

Pull off each no slip strip. The no slip strips are stuck to the roof by their adhesive backing and were there to keep luggage and other items from slipping and causing damage to the vehicle roof top. You may need to insert a razor blade into the end of each strip to detach it. Then the strip should pull up with your hands.

Fill Roof Holes

Step 1

Sand down the area surrounding the holes with sandpaper. It is not necessary to sand past a half inch of the hole circumference. This will remove excess metal shavings created by the screw and any paint.

Step 2

Bunch a nylon screen and insert it into the holes. Nylon screen material can be purchased from a hardware store. The nylon screen acts as a support, or backer for the bondo.

Step 3

Mix the bondo hardener with the filler on a piece of cardboard using a plastic spreader. Follow the directions for the specific amount of hardener to filler required. Generally, you will need to fix a half-dollar amount of hardener with a golf-ball size glob of filler. Mix the two until the color is uniform.

Step 4

Cover the hole with the bondo using the plastic spreader. Push the bondo into the hole then smooth it over the hole. Allow the filler to harden over the holes. Sand down the bondo until it is smooth. Wipe away any excess bondo or debris from the filled hole with a dry towel.