The body metal is rusting through around two of the roof rack attachment points on the driver's side.
I'm thinking that taking it to a body shop and having the rusted areas cut out and fixed properly is going tb very expensive.
'98 Suburban, cosmetics are unimportant.
All I care about is the ability to mount two cross bars between
36 and 42 inches apart.
Off the top of my head, unencumbered by any knowledge/experience:
- Remove the factory racks/rails
- Apply something to the rusting areas to stop the rusting.
- Apply something to the now-empty rack mount receptacles so they don't become rust magnets.
- Install some sort of after-market bolt-though plates that attach in a different area from the rusted area and accept Yakima crossbar mounts.
- Possible complications when removing the existing racks in the form of bolts other than the problem area being frozen in not-yet-visible rust.