S1 Cant Rails

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:17 am

The little spring clips that hold the cant rails on. the wee screw that holds the spring clip in place keeps undoing itself, resulting in the roof bars pushing the cant rail out sideways so when you shut the door, it pushes the top of the window out.

Possible fixes...:

Option 1 - Carry a screwdriver in the car and fix as necessary
Option 2 - Nylon based(?) thread lock in the screws
Option 3 - Some form of superglue in the screws

Anyone experienced this??
Don't want more crap rattling around the car so not keen for screwdriver.
Will the spring clip break eventually - superglue bad idea?
Thread lock. Is this the best solution, anyone recommend a super tight one??

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:18 am

How old is your car?

Mine has little nylon blocks that work fine, I thought the spring clips had been superceeded?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:20 am

If they are stick to the fiberglass then glue them back on with sikaflex or superglue but superglue is brittle and won't last.

If it's into metal then loctite or nail varnish (Seriously) will work

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:20 am

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:How old is your car?

Mine has little nylon blocks that work fine, I thought the spring clips had been superceeded?

Sept '98. Weird because they must be post may 98 rails, as i can switch between hard/soft top without adjusting anything. am confused now

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:22 am

IIRC its not the rails but the car side that changed.

s it the cant rail side that is loose?

Post by **Shug** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:23 am

Do the clips hook over the posts on the car, or do they just clip over it, IYSWIM.

ie. Is it the spring tension holding them on, or does the metal actually hook over the post?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:24 am

Pics?

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:24 am

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:24 am

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:IIRC its not the rails but the car side that changed.

s it the cant rail side that is loose?

yes. theres a block on the door pillar that the clip goes around to hold it in place. the clip is screwed into the rail.

What are the rails made of?? dont know what the screw goes into

will check later

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:25 am

Not all of them, mine is fine (Touch wood!)

MOTDTS

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:26 am

The cant rail is fiberglass filled with foam

Try impact adesive on the faces (But not in the hole) strong and fexible

HTH

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:27 am

Shug wrote:Do the clips hook over the posts on the car, or do they just clip over it, IYSWIM.

ie. Is it the spring tension holding them on, or does the metal actually hook over the post?

The clips hook over, but only when they are tight. Once the screw loosens, the roof bars have enough tension to push the rail off the car. ie before you attach the canvas. The canvas is effectively the only thing holding the rail on the car

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:31 am

Eh?

Mine must be the old version then, I just have a metal bar mounted on the cant rail and a nylon block with a grove in it.

Works fine.....

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:32 am

will get photos later to show better. If the spring clips were changed for something better, can I retro fit the change, or does it mean new rails.??

Failing that, not being to clued up on glue, is impact adhesive another term for superglue (in vein of calbibrated percussion) or something more complicated??

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:35 am

Shug wrote:Do the clips hook over the posts on the car, or do they just clip over it, IYSWIM.

ie. Is it the spring tension holding them on, or does the metal actually hook over the post?

just reread and understood

. Spring tension holds them on. Screw gets loose, no tension, rail falls off.