The more I have thought about it (and been too busy to make my planned roof rack deflector) the more it made sense to just remove the aluminum grid roof rack. I have ordered and will soon install a pair of Rhino Rack longitudinal 6 foot long tracks, to which I can attach some of my existing Yakima roof racks (which will stow in the truck more easily) when needs arise. $119 out of pocket, but will save me hours of work for a less ungainly setup. For this weekend, I just pulled the OEM rack.
It was held on with six rusty lag bolts installed from the top. Four of the six snapped when I tried to remove them, so I cut through the integrated spacer blocks to free the rack from the cap, aiming high enough to leave a length of lag bolt stub without damaging the main grid structure, which I plan on using for future structural mods.
Those lags left behind were easy enough to grab with Vise-grip pliers to remove. Unseasonably warm weather was favorable for both outdoor tinkering and silicone sealant curing in six vacant lag holes.
