I've had a good think about it overnight. I'm not sure I wouldn't end up with 'wavy' track if I tried to squish the sides in. And then the sides would be slightly lower than the base, which is not an issue a plane couldn't fix...
But if I'm going to get the plane out, and there's the possibility it wouldn't come out straight either, I think I am going to just modify the track and install a piece of EDPM foam rubber strip to fill the gap neatly. A cylindrical profile 'cord' with a slot in it (used for edging), on the 'inside'.
I just have to work out a way to cut the track nice and clean. Thinking a router might be the best? Mount the track upside down on the workbench so I can run the router over the flat part of the bottom, and use a fence/guide to keep it all aligned, with a bearing 'trimmer' cutter up against an edge.
Or a circular saw with a fence/guide on it. A table saw would be the best but I don't have one.
I
HAVE to have this installed by 17Nov, as I am doing support for a big enduro off-road motorcycle event and need the roof tray to carry all the luggage, quick shades, & fuel jerry cans for the bike riders down into Bendethera. The dual wheel 1200kg trailer has to stay up on the top of the ridge, the track down into the valley is too bad to get it down there and Parks have now banned ALL trailers on that track.
KKNut, didn't you say you still had a bunch of rivets left over I could buy from you?
I'm having no luck here.
Speciality Fasteners, the biggest place in town, says none of their rivet suppliers can supply stainless sealed blind rivets. Have I got it wrong and yours are alloy?
The RTV Tracks come with SEALED alloy rivets, but yeah, from your info, they won't be long enough.
Going to do a bit more measuring and thinking. But now I realise how you got away with leaving the base of the original bolt heads. I've already ground mine right down to just about roof level on the side I'm working on, and zinc painted them. They can stay that way for a while. I assumed the track would lay flat right on the bottom of the roof channel, I didn't realise there would be a gap under it.