hi i was wanting to take my roofrack off bc i'm thinking about lowering it 3" and thought it might look better ..I looked at what i might need to get it off and it looks like a star screwdriver? i tried one i think might have been to small..and it kind of messed the head of the screws up am i using the right tool? was i not using the right size or what?

 

It's called a torx screwdriver. They have a tendancy to strip really easily though. If you've stripped the screw the only way to get it out would be to drill it out.

 

k well looks like i'll have to drill a couple out ..what size drill bit should i use?is there anything i need to know before trying to remove the others or are they just going to strip also...do i need to be careful how far i drill them down so i don't poke through the headliner? what can i do for covering up the holes besides welding that would be simple?

 

It's a real PITA. I stripped the bottom screw closest to the taillight when I re-painted my tire carrier. It took a hole behind the taillight, a weeks worth of soaking in PB blaster, and a screw extractor to get it out. Ohh yea and $8 to replace the screw


So be careful

 

Im not sure how to go about taking off the second gen roof rack but when I took off the roof rack on my first gen Blaze I just filled the holes with lots of BONDO and sanded it down to smooth.

 

 

The holes are as big as the screws. It's nothing major, but they are a decent size.
I'd recommend welding it over using bondo to fill it. Although it's a hell of a lot more work it will last longer and probably look better if done right. If you plan on doing that keep in mind you'll have to get a full body paint job. If you just paint the holes you'll never get it matched.

 

Sure you can get it to match. That's what feathering does. It lets the new paint flow into the old making it much harder to notice.

 

is there anything maybe i could read on "feathering" or maybe even the whole process?

 

you could google "feathering in automotive paint", or look for it on youtube.

But I would suggest having it done by a pro that knows how to do it.