Pinchweld?(Adhesive actually)
 

Ok, so Jeep uses Adhesive instead of weld under those rubber strip.

Anyone had any success with drilling rivet nuts into it and holding up strong enough?

I would be at ease if it was a weld(like other manufacturers). Only the likes of BMW uses adhesive for its structural areas.



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OK I'll bite - why do you want to put a rivet in a rubber strip???

Need to find a better way to mount a roof rack backbone system. The shitty rivet nut points provided under the roof rails are weak. Had them repaired last week and need to move on finding a secure way to take the load.

It seems drilling into the pinch weld area is nothing new to the other car makes for roof rack systems. I've just never heard any other jeep owners not exploring these options.

I have the front runner slim line 2, and measured the roof rack is just wide enough if I were to widen its backbone brackets to the pinch weld area, making a flush look, yet probably 10x stronger than using the factory rivnuts which litterally is on sheet metal.

Front runner on 4runner.
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If your happy to get under the headliner why not bolt through the roof where the factory rivnuts are to a custom plate/frame underneath. You could almost make a frame on the underside of the roof tying in to the factory roof supports and then put the headliner back up to cover it?

That would have been my best option, but nobody is willing to do the job. I have contacted 4 fabricators. The car was in the panel beaters last week for the roof repairs, and their not up for the job to strengthen the support. Neither is a few others. Easier said than done. Have plenty of photos of under the head liner, as I had taken it off a few weeks back.

I notice you are in Perth. Have you tried on track fabrication. Heard he does some pretty good work.

https://otf4x4.com.au/

Yes, I have. Hoping they would have a solution...