Volvo V70 III Fitting Roof Rails

I needed to move some large chipboard sheets and long wooden batons hat were too big for the boot (trunk). even with the rear seats folded flat. So I bought some roof rails and bars.
Epilogue: I bought some spare nuts with captive washers to replace the missing one, and used a silicone sealant to stop any water ingress.

[@TomSon-ej3pw]

Would you recommend fitting roof rails and drilling roof? There are many sealers that could be used e.g. Sikaflex.

[@mrmoodster5405]

No. I did this in a moment of need, and do have some regrets. The rails don't seem right for my car, in spite of being assured by the seller that they were correct. There has been some leaking into the car since installing them and my drilling wasn't the best. Some of the holes were slightly out of place and needed widening to allow the rails to fit, increasing the potential for leaking. I would take it to a specialist or dealer if i were given another chance! That being said, I have made some changes that I will show in a later video.

[@pclayton5063]

I would have definitely used some sealer around the holes you drilled to prevent any water leakage. Still a handy video as I need to replace my roof rails because they're a peeling mess.

[@mrmoodster5405]

Yes, I definitely should have, as I now have water ingress causing electrical problems! I should also have been more accurate in placing the drill holes, as the large holes I made have exacerbated the problem. I was hoping the rubber feet on the rails would help seal it, but as you see in this video they're not an exact fit. I suspect these rails may not be from a V70... maybe a V40? But the studs do line up with the internal paneling so... I don't know!

[@woody5466]

Hey I own the same Volvo then u and there is a roof rack system from stock. u can mount it in the middle of the front an back doors, just the bars the across the roof. there are 2 holes for each doors on the top to mount the bars. without drilling etc. but too late.. cheers

[@mrmoodster5405]

I wish I'd known that sooner. Thanks for letting me know anyway.

[@TomSon-ej3pw]

Can you send the link/picture to this system please? How hard is it to mount/dismount? I guess the biggest advantage of rails is that you drive with it all the time (no noise) and put additional bars across when you need it (and it's quick mount), whereas with this rack that you've mentioned I guess there might be little bit more work to put it on or take it away. I sometimes need box on the roof, but also do motorways where I wouldn't want any noisy friend above my head. What's your experience?

[@mrmoodster5405]

@@TomSon-ej3pw I fitted them because I needed to move some sheets of ply board and plasterboard. I drove carefully, fearful that the wind might catch under the boards and either damage them or brake the ties. So wind noise with the boards wasn't bad. The wind noise did increase with the roof bars attached but with only the rails it wasn't noticeable. I've never used a roof box so I cant comment on that.

[@RickRR22]

I was told that Volvo delivered two different kind of roof types for the V70 from the factory, either with or without a special gutter for the roof rails. That means that it is not possible to retrofit roof rails if your V70 is not the right type from the factory (ie when is was ordered from the factory with roof rails). That probably is the explanation why your roof rails did not fit… very unfortunate that you had to find this out after already drilling the holes. Did you manage to fix this afterwards?

[@mrmoodster5405]

As you can see in the video, the reinforcement plates are fitted on the inside. These add strength to the roof panel to prevent it from buckling under load. After finishing the work I moved several sheets of chipboard and plasterboard (that wouldn’t fit into the car) without any problems. Tightening the straps down didn’t cause any movement in the rails, so they seem firmly attached. We’ve had some heavy rain and no damp seems to be getting into the car, so I guess all is good.

[@TomSon-ej3pw]

@@mrmoodster5405 ... so was your Volvo actually designed to have the roof rails given that you've had the reinforcement plates?

[@mrmoodster5405]

@@TomSon-ej3pw I think this is done in the manufacturing process to make production easier (no separate production requirements), to allow fitting of roof rails by dealers for sales incentives and for additional sales potential as after sales add-ons. I don't know this as a fact, but it seems likely as the plates are clearly on my car already.

[@robertmassucci1]

that car is gonna squeek

[@mrmoodster5405]

Squeak? Why do think that?

[@robertmassucci1]

im so sorry, if i had that roof i wouldve left it. my car has that inch wide strip that is used to accommodate the towers. The clear coat is peeling off them so i am accumulating parts and will have the whole effin car painted. Upside down for now

[@krillet1566]

Did you disconnect the battery before you started to work with the rails?

[@mrmoodster5405]

No. Apart from removing interior lights, nothing electrical was disturbed. The biggest risk being the SIP airbags, but I didn't need to move or disconnect them. They won't be activated by some gentle movement (like removing the plastic trim pieces) so I'm not sure why disconnecting the battery would be needed. Please explain.

[@krillet1566]

@@mrmoodster5405 Good to know! Disconnecting the battery deactivate the airbags 'i think so anyway!' Came to think about it, as when changing a steering wheel they disconnect the battery and wait like 10 minutes. So i thought maybe it's the same thing when working around Sips airbag units. But i am maybe wrong 🙂 So good to know how you did! As when i got my rails they was on a car standing on a car wrecking yard and the car was powerless when i took them off! And i am going to switch my black rails to silver rails. So thats why it's good to know how you did with the battery. 🙂

[@mrmoodster5405]

@@krillet1566 If you are disconnecting airbags you MUST disconnect the battery, as the bag may trigger when the bag is reconnected. It is an explosive device and can cause serious injury. It's not uncommon for victims of collisions to get burns from the airbag discharging. Better than putting your face through the windscreen, but not nice.