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06 Luggage Rack Install

Night0wl

Full Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
26
Location
Northern Virginia
I just purchased an 06 Avalanche last week.  I have always liked the look of the luggage rack and thought if I ever had an Avalanche that I would like to have the luggage rack especially for road trips where I could use a cargo carrier and not have to worry about the bed being bone dry with all of the families items.
I was able to pick up an 06 Avalanche luggage rack, a rear window motor, a set of steering wheel buttons (mine had some paint come off and the light was shinning through at night), a cargo box light (mine only had the drivers side) some decent gutters (mine were already torn and cracked) all for only $100.
Here is my install on the luggage rack.  I ran into a couple of issues and hopefully this will help others attempting the same thing.
Here are the fasteners I used.  Came from Fastenall.  A pack of 10 for $16.
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Here are some measurements on the fasteners
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I made my first mistake by taking the measurement of the rivnut just under the collar.  I used a 13/32 drill bit for the first hole.  I should have used a 7/16 because the riv nut would not go in the hole.  When I measured the rivnut again at the bottom I saw the larger diameter measurement.
This presented a dilemma because my bits have pilot bit points on them and they will not self center once a hole larger than 1/8 inch have been drilled.
So I had to improvise and use a step bit I had with a 7/16th level.
I ended up using this step bit for most of the holes if it was a single piece of sheet metal to go through.  I will explain later.
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you can click on the pics and see pics of the entire install.
Continued on next post.....

 
(I have no idea why my first post pics did so well but these are skewed????)
I put tape on the roof after dry fitting the rack and prepared to mark my holes.  From the salvage yard I didn't have a tape measure but I did use my finger and it appeared that the rack was about my index finger width away from the rear of the cab and the edge of the cladding on top of the roof.  Side to side was easy enough to  figure out.  I started on the drivers side rear and did only one hole at at time.  Moving slow and marking and aligning multiple times as I went.  It took longer but it assured each hole was in the right spot.
The first hole drilled was the 2nd from the rear on the drivers side.  I did this because the rear most hold has some forgiveness on the mount but the front hole of that bracket is not adjustable.
I started with a 1/8th inch bit on top of the tape and then graduated to the 13/32 bit.  (Remember before I drilled this hole I was going off the measurement of the rivnut just under the collar.
After attempting to install the rivnut I noticed my mistake and the larger diameter dimension of the rivnut at the bottom so I changed to the step bit.
This location has a 2nd piece of metal below it that I just mist when drilling.  See in the pics.  I do not know if this was for the actual factor installed fasteners or not.  I would have had to move the rack up at least another inch to utilize this additional piece of metal underneath.  I also vacuumed in between drilling to help with the shavings.
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Next to install the fastener.  I used a metal bracing bracket so I could apply force and hold the rivnut down.
I also used a cordless impact driver.  Advantage of using the impact is I can tell how tight the fastener is getting by the beats of the impact.
Disadvantage of the impact driver.... the impact itself.  It lends itself to potentially spinning the fastener if not held down properly.  Do not over tighten!  Tighten enough to have the fastener grab hold and then back off.  The final setting can occur when you make the rack install.
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Next I did the farthest most hole from the front of the cab.  This hole was just the outer sheet metal with no underlying metal layer.  Here are some rough estimates for measurements.  Approximations here as the radius edge on the back and side of the cab can make a difference of how your tape reads.
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The middle bracket at this position also has a underlying metal layer.  I did not find this out until after I started drilling the drivers side with the step bit and got down to the 7/16 layer.   :E:  So I had the 7/16 hole on the outer layer and approx a 3/8 hole on the underlying layer.  I could not push my step bit any further for fear that I would end up with a 1/2 hole on the outside.  My solution was a die grinder attachment to ream out the inner hole.
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Start to finish with the incidents I had took about 2.5 hours.  Starting from the front:
Hole 1 (outer sheet metal only)  Hole 2 (outer sheet metal only)  Hole 3 (outer sheet metal with underlying support metal.  perhaps this is for the entertainment center?)  Hole 4 (outer sheet metal and you may catch the underlying metal as well.  My drill missed it on the drivers side but hit it on the passenger side just on the edge)  Hole 5 (outer sheet metal only)
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Wish I could see the pictures.  Photobucket 3rd party hosting issues.  I do not lik photobucket anymore.
 
I moved my pictures to www.imgur.com photobucket hijacked my picture also.
 
http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/1945CJ2A/slideshow/

Try this link and see if you can see the pics

I will figure out what is going on. 
The whole thread was moved as well.
 
The link worked.  Thanks.  Nice job.  I mis-understood your original post though.  I went back re-read it and it all made sense. LOL!  I, for some reason, thought you were adding a basket to your roof rack and was wondering why you had drill.  My 2005 came with the roof rack...I love the look of the roof rack also.
 
I still have the rack laying around to put on my truck. I will probably install that this summer one of these days... Too many projects...
I have the inserts and everything. Just have to do the job..

Rodney
 
I have always liked the look of the factory luggage rack as well.
Rodney, the install goes pretty quick once you do a couple of fastener installs.  If you have a couple of hours you can get it done in that time.
I am gonna put my Yakima cargo hauler on top and get a cpuple of pics to post.  Gotta figure out a work around on tgis photo bucket issue first.
 
My main reason for installing the rack.
Now we can travel with adequate space for our luggage.
I have seen water int he bed after a heavy rain.  Not a lot but enough that I would not want my wife's or kids bags getting wet.
Perhaps after I have it for a while and learn where the leak is coming from and fix that I will build some confidence in the rear bed staying dry.
Still all in all I am glad I did the luggage rack install.  It will definitely serve purpose and look good while doing it.
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Pics are showing now!  I was thinking about a bike rack on the bed panels..  Then, I could use that rack for extra luggage space if needed.  So far, my 2005 truck doesn't leak into the bed.  Maybe you have a drain clogged?
 
jmcclung11 said:
Pics are showing now!  I was thinking about a bike rack on the bed panels..  Then, I could use that rack for extra luggage space if needed.  So far, my 2005 truck doesn't leak into the bed.  Maybe you have a drain clogged?
When I bought this truck last week, yes about every drain in it was clogged.  The original owner who bought it new, I don't ever cleaned them.
There was even an colony of ants living under the rear mat and up under the drain cover behind the midwall.
everything has been cleaned out and and should be good now.  But we had a pretty big storm here the other night and I looked in the next morning and there was a little bit of water inside.  I was parked in the same spot as my pics so on a slight downward decline towards the front.
I can only assume the water came down so fast that the gutters could not handle it and it overflowed?
But the water I saw in the bed was wet on the mat on each side closer to the side walls as well as all the way back towards the tail gate. 
So I am not sure where it is coming in at.  This makes me suspect that it is somewhere near the rear.  Maybe the tailgate seal itself.
 
Not to hijack this thread...I wonder if it would leak if the truck was turnaround.  That could be a good starting point.  Just have to have it parked correctly when it rains. LOL.
 
I did a rack install on my avalanche a couple of years ago. Wanted to make sure it didn't leak, so I put silicone on the well nuts before inserting in the holes. Even coated the screws with silicone also. So far, no leaks.
 
Thanks old skool.  The leak we are discussing is specific to the truck bed itself.  I may try parking up hill next time it rains so that I can check and see if the leak is related to the incline.

I did give some thought to adding preventatives to the rivnuts during the install of the luggage rack.  It probably would not have hurt.
After looking at the original in the salvage yard (no silicone or covering on the rivnut itself.  And after looking at the bracket I felt comfortable that it may be difficult for water to get in).  The bracket itself has a softer plastic boot with risers around the bolt.  The boot makes a good contact seal on the roof of the truck and it also has a drainage system on it as well to channel water away from the center where the rivnut is located.
The rivnut itself had a nice coating on it that should seal well.  I can add silicone later to the bolts threads if need be.  It would be an easy upgrade.
Thanks for the comments.  I am looking forward to this Avalanche and what I can use it for.
 
I plan to drill the holes first.. then paint the holes with touch up paint. let it dry... Then coat the nut-zert with silicon, install them. Coat the screws with silicon and install them... Should not leak. I don't know that they would leak anyway but this way insures it.

Rodney
 
Rod,
That is probably the best way to do it and a really good idea.
Painting the pre-drilled holes was something I didn't think about but now that you mention it it would help with the potential rust.
Still, the donor Avalanche that I took it off of did not have silicone on the rivnut at all and it looked like it was just plain zinc.
I will be back at that salvage yard some time I am sure.  I will get some measurements and a pic or two for the thread.
 
That donar Avalanche doesn't happen to have the dark pewter interior does it?

Looking for a door handle for drivers side for my truck.. The retainer that the switch panel clips into broke on mine. I currently have an industrial wire tie holding mine together now. It is tight but would rather fix it right.

Rodney
 
GM used a few different nuts to hold exterior accessories to the sheet metal.. Some were called "Well Nuts" or "Side Rail Nut" but they all sealed in some way. The rubber Well Nuts didn't need sealer around them but the bolt going into it did. The metal type ones came with sealer already applied around the head where it seats, you can see it in the picture..

http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/searchresults.asp?Search=well+nut

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=1968+Camaro&_sop=16&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.TRS0&_nkw=11518684&_sacat=0
 

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Rodney,
This salvage yard had 6 Avalanches to pick from.  Two of them had luggage racks.  One had already been picked.
Figured I would figure out if I needed anything else and then make another trip down.
I can put it on my list for you.  Post a pic of that color as I am new to Chevrolet and do not know exactly what the dark pewter is.4
This place is only 40 minutes away so it's nice and their prices are very reasonable in my opinion.

Randy,
When I am down there next I will get some picks of the well nuts on this Avalanche I pulled the luggage rack from.
It definitely did not have the rubber style and from what I remember I don't remember the coating on their either.
The screws did have some white coating on them though.
I went back and put some silicone on each of my screws and reinserted them earlier this week.
I will get some real measurements and some pics.
 
The ones you used/show look to have something on them to seal against the surface. Adding a little Silicone can't hurt.
 
Dark Pewter is like elephant skin... Best way to explain. I think my thread has pictures of my interior but if it looks like elephant skin thats it.. ;)

There are two styles of door handles as far as I can tell. One with the switches in it and one without. Mine has the switches in it and has a cheap plastic "hole" in it that the switches clip into. As I mentioned, my drivers side is broken so I drilled a hole in the switch assembly under the clip and was able to find a matching hole in the door panel that I was able to put a metal wire tire through. It is holding and seems to be in place well but would rather fix it right as mentioned.

I will try to post a picture of mine.

Rodney
 
Yeah, get me a picture of what you need.  I cannot picture exactly what you are describing.
I may hit the salvage yard again next week.
 
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