Hi, bought a dispatch a couple of months ago and decided to fit my own roof rack. It was a universal one, only £65. Fitted it fine and looked ok but after driving it for a few weeks I've noticed the bars have gradually slid over to one side of the van. It's still secure and safe but I can't seem to keep the bars in the same position for longer than a week or 2. I think what's happening is the bars are moving slightly due to the vibrations of the drive. Suppose what I want to know is, how can I keep the bars solid and secure in the same place and have no chance of them sliding? I have tightened them as far as they go but they still slide. The nuts/ washers aren't keeping it secure enough. Is there a way to weld it in place? Any material I can put on the nuts/ washers to stop them moving?
Or should I take it off and get one fitted at halfords?!
Thanks
The Citroen/Peugeot/Scudo roofrack was a complete unit with sides and needed to be shimmed to set up correctly. They were also very expensive and expensive to fit.
The most common after market roofracks came in 3 parts per bar, 2 supports, 2 U shaped brackets and the cross bar. The 2 U shaped brackets hold the bar onto the support brackets. Unfortunately, they designed it so friction stops the bars from sliding sideways. With age this stops holding the bars tightly enough.
If this is what yours is, can you try to tighten the bolts a bit?
If this doesn't work then there is another solution. Prise off the plastic trim end carefully of the cross bar and see if you can get your fingers far enough into the hollow to reach the position of the u bracket. If you can, then line the bar into its proper postion. Now drill a hole through the centre of the bracket and the top section of the roof rack, and then secure with a nut and bolt. you will have to do the same thing on the other side and other bar/bars.
If this isn't possible, then could you drill a smaller hole and hold the bar to the bracket with large, heavy duty stainless steel pop rivets.
Or you could get some 5.5mm x 19mm TEC/TEK self drill roofing screws and drive them in with a drilling machine and adaptor, but being careful not to screw them in too fast and strip the threads. Any electronic speed controlled drill would be best.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-5mm-x-19mm-12g-x-3-4-TEK-TEC-SELF-DRILLING-METAL-SCREWS-ZINC-8mm-HEX-HEAD-/190767472608?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Nails_Fixing_MJ&var=490121284318&hash=item2c6aa09fe0#ht_2023wt_1399 Or could you drill a hole right through the bar and put a bolt and nylocnut on it just tightening enough not to flatten the bar. You have to be careful not the miss the ledge of the support, but leave enough room to put a nut on the bolt.
The next possibility is to drill a hole through the bar on each side of the support so the nut and bolt will prevent the bar from sliding either way.
You may even be able to do something like this with these type of U Bolts.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZS308-Dispatch-Expert-Scudo-Roof-rack-bars-up-to-07-/370300479913?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Touring_Travel&hash=item5637a0e9a9#ht_4159wt_1161Let us know what you think once you have had a look.