Beltline screws

[adj]

While checking the size of the vynle(?) for the front beltline, I noticed that the forward screws had rust on the heads. I pulled a couple and discovered the threads were also very rusty. I went to the drivers side with the same results. Actually, one screw is stripped and won't come out.

I'm very concerned about the rust. I don't know what these screws secure into but rust on screw threads is a sign of water intrusion.

[flwandrin]

Had the same problem on my 04 Safari Cheetah...the fix was not easy...you have to very carefully remove the vinyl...if pulled too hard or bent too much the paint will crack or flake off. After removal you will see a bunch of rusty steel screw heads. I removed them all and replaced them with stainless screws, spreading a small amount of silicone sealant around each screw head to make sure there were no leaks.
Putting the vinyl strip back on was the hardest part...you will notice that the strip was originally held on by double stick tape. I tried to remove the old tape with hopes of just using new tape...not gonna happen...I finally decided to use contact cement and very carefully applied the cement to both the vinyl and then the strip where it goes. After it set I had to attach the strip, it's gotta be right the first time as there is no second chance. It helps to have at least one other person to help hold the strip while it was being attached. As it is put back on you have to make sure the paint pattern lines up. When finished the strip had about a 1/2 inch gap at the end, probably because of heat expansion/contraction.
Good luck
Cliff Douglas

[H. Miller]

We used 3M Plastic & Emblem Adhesive with good results and it was very forgiving as to placement of the vinyl strip.

[adj]

Update---Just had about 13 hours of steady rain. I pulled three of the rusty screws and they were dry. I guess I'm not leaking internally. I will replace with ss screws.