painting roof rack...? 2002 path LE

[Cabo]

hey im brand new here and i recently bought my girlfriend a 2002 LE pathfinder and the oem roof rack has huge chipps of paint out. any suggestions on how to remove it and best way to paint it.. thanks

[Towncivilian]

To remove the crossbars, remove the black end cap with a T20 Torx bit, and they will slide out. Unscrew the crossbars from their mounting hardware and repaint. I sanded mine down to bare metal and used spray primer and matte black paint. I missed a few spots, but it's still holding up OK after about 6 months. They're aluminum so they won't rust, so it's not imperative that you repaint them.

[Finkle]

is there a way to get the tracks on the roof off? i havent looked, just wondering.

[Towncivilian]

The black rails that the crossbars slide into? I think they're bolted through the roof and you'd need to remove the headliner to access the mounting hardware, but perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly.

[Finkle]

That stinks, thats where mine is loosing paint.