Rack filler questions

Two quick questions:

1. I recently obtained a full set of rack fillers and a couple of the metal spring clips were rusty. This is the only metallic part, the rest is plastic. The other six clips were perfectly fine. Any thoughts on how best to remove the rust and treat the clips so that they don't rust again? Preferably this treatment would be in place since those clips look a little hard to remove without possibly breaking the plastic bit they hook onto.

2. On the back my car has the small "end fillers" in place that would normally be used along with a rack. These have to come out before the long strips can go in. What's the best way to do this so that they aren't mangled in the process? For that matter, how does one remove the full rack filler strips "gently"?

Sorry if the answers are in the archives but Search seems to be broken at the moment.

Thanks

You could sand the clip as good as possible then use some of that stuff that turns rust back to metal then shoot a little black over them. Just gotta grab on them thangs & pop'em out. I think I'm gonna break'em every time I have put'em in but they haven't. I don't change'em out very often tho.

I have taken my roofrack off and put it back on probably at least 15 times now and I haven't managed to break any of the fillers. Some of the little ones are a little annoying to remove but you just pull on them and they'll come off.

i12drivemyMP5 said:

then use some of that stuff that turns rust back to metal .

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What stuff would that be? I thought about removing the rust with naval jelly but that stuff is usually concentrated phosphoric acid and I wasn't sure what that would do to the plastic, since I don't know what type of plastic it is.

pasadena_commut said:

What stuff would that be? I thought about removing the rust with naval jelly but that stuff is usually concentrated phosphoric acid and I wasn't sure what that would do to the plastic, since I don't know what type of plastic it is.

Click to expand...

I say just try sanding it and hitting it with some rustoleum?

As for the stuff i12drivemyMP5 mentioned, I have seen it at auto parts stores in the paint/body section labeled as "rust converter" mentioning something about converting rust into sandable primer. It seems like it wouldn't be that useful for the little clip you are talking about.

Yea, I forgot the name of it. I used it on a couple of spots on my old truck bed & it worked great. This may be pretty small project for it but it wasn't expensive & it just brushed on with a brush inside the lid. It turned the bad stuff blackish primerish looking then just painted over it.