brownvan
2017 4X4 HR 144"
A couple of tips to pass on to whoever is installing their OEM MB roof rails themselves.
I looked at a few online videos which were helpful but thought I would mention a few things...(2017 2500 HR 4x4 Cargo 140")
My Cargo van didn't have any headliner but it did have the two foam pieces above the driver/passengers seat. They take abit of wrangling to remove if you want to keep them intact - start with removing the B-pillar plastic trim (seatbelts first) and undoing 2 grab handle bolts and 1 sun visor screw for both sides. This will free up the headliner enough to grapple with the foam. Or hack it out if you don't want to reinstall it again.
Note that the passenger side foam is attached with a piece of VHB to the inside of the roof. The foam pieces are "hooked" into features on the interior cage. Removing the foam pieces is necessary to access the 2 hidden roof plugs....
Regarding removing plugs- I found a medium temp setting on my heat gun and held 1" from the plug for 20 seconds (working from inside the van, under each plug), then use medium phillips drive screwdriver to tilt/break off the body of the plastic plug. Reapply heat at 1" for another 20 seconds, then push up/out the plug with phillips screwdriver. If it doesn't free, give it another 15-20 seconds of heat from below. Easiest to remove glue while it is heated or when it is really cold. Acetone also works but harms the paint.
Clean area where rails will mount on the roof channels thoroughly.
Foam pillow on step ladder top-face/bearing-surface held with bungee cords to lean against the side of the van...
After cleaning all the holes and removed excess glue (with can be scraped off as well), I painted the areas from the inside/outside, sprayed paint into cup and applied with small brush.
Assemble the OEM roof rails and prep threads with Vibratite VC-3. Apply silicone sealant (I used Dow 737) around lower shaft of each stud to black rubber seal on each stud. Also applied silicone in areas of the plastic rail-connectors (3 plastic pieces per rail, 4 regions per rail) that did not have perimeter rubber sealant to keep water out from under the rail if possible.
Place rail on roof upside down then slide and rotate to mate with holes.
Apply silicone sealant on OEM flange-nuts on bearing side in small o-rings. Lightly thread all of them onto the studs. I did one rail at-a-time doing this method. Then come back and get them further tightened to minimize assembly slop but not fully secure.
Regarding roof seam - I found I was able to get the roof seam to deform if I heated it with the heat gun (1" @20 sec) from above and torqued the bolts from inside. Somewhere around 20 seconds at 3 angles, including heating the rail, then hurry in the van and tighten the flange-nuts inside on either side of the roof seam and the roof seam will deform/flatten. Repeat to stress relieve. I chose a reasonable torque at 30 in-lb for the flange nuts - didn't have any instructions fyi so this may be lower than OEM spec.
Removed excess silicone inside with q-tips and clean with alcohol.
anywho, onward...
I looked at a few online videos which were helpful but thought I would mention a few things...(2017 2500 HR 4x4 Cargo 140")
My Cargo van didn't have any headliner but it did have the two foam pieces above the driver/passengers seat. They take abit of wrangling to remove if you want to keep them intact - start with removing the B-pillar plastic trim (seatbelts first) and undoing 2 grab handle bolts and 1 sun visor screw for both sides. This will free up the headliner enough to grapple with the foam. Or hack it out if you don't want to reinstall it again.
Note that the passenger side foam is attached with a piece of VHB to the inside of the roof. The foam pieces are "hooked" into features on the interior cage. Removing the foam pieces is necessary to access the 2 hidden roof plugs....
Regarding removing plugs- I found a medium temp setting on my heat gun and held 1" from the plug for 20 seconds (working from inside the van, under each plug), then use medium phillips drive screwdriver to tilt/break off the body of the plastic plug. Reapply heat at 1" for another 20 seconds, then push up/out the plug with phillips screwdriver. If it doesn't free, give it another 15-20 seconds of heat from below. Easiest to remove glue while it is heated or when it is really cold. Acetone also works but harms the paint.
Clean area where rails will mount on the roof channels thoroughly.
Foam pillow on step ladder top-face/bearing-surface held with bungee cords to lean against the side of the van...
After cleaning all the holes and removed excess glue (with can be scraped off as well), I painted the areas from the inside/outside, sprayed paint into cup and applied with small brush.
Assemble the OEM roof rails and prep threads with Vibratite VC-3. Apply silicone sealant (I used Dow 737) around lower shaft of each stud to black rubber seal on each stud. Also applied silicone in areas of the plastic rail-connectors (3 plastic pieces per rail, 4 regions per rail) that did not have perimeter rubber sealant to keep water out from under the rail if possible.
Place rail on roof upside down then slide and rotate to mate with holes.
Apply silicone sealant on OEM flange-nuts on bearing side in small o-rings. Lightly thread all of them onto the studs. I did one rail at-a-time doing this method. Then come back and get them further tightened to minimize assembly slop but not fully secure.
Regarding roof seam - I found I was able to get the roof seam to deform if I heated it with the heat gun (1" @20 sec) from above and torqued the bolts from inside. Somewhere around 20 seconds at 3 angles, including heating the rail, then hurry in the van and tighten the flange-nuts inside on either side of the roof seam and the roof seam will deform/flatten. Repeat to stress relieve. I chose a reasonable torque at 30 in-lb for the flange nuts - didn't have any instructions fyi so this may be lower than OEM spec.
Removed excess silicone inside with q-tips and clean with alcohol.
anywho, onward...