How to Repair Broken Hinge Post on Thule Cargo Box

Updated 04/18/2018 | Published 04/16/2018

Question:

Hi. I have a Thule mountaineer cargo box, and the ball socket separated from the rectangular metal bracket that is riveted to the bottom of the box. How can I best secure the ball socket back into the bracket so that I can replace the hinges back onto the ball socket? I tried hammering the ball socket into the metal fitting which seemed secure at first, but then when I was attaching the hinge to the lid ball socket, the bottom socket separated again. I am wondering if a glue or epoxy would solve the problem? I could not find Thule replacement ball sockets for sale.

asked by: Johanna R

Expert Reply:

Thank you for the photo of the hinge ball from your Thule Mountaineer rooftop cargo box.

If the bracket into which this part installs is not damaged then your idea of using an epoxy adhesive is likely to be the best option. Just be sure to select a product that is expressly intended for use with metal surfaces. There are many such mix-when-needed epoxy resin products readily available at most hardware stores.

expert reply by: Adam R