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DIY Rivnut tool (installation video)
sgraber - 17/8/04 at 06:02 AM

My chassis has a removeable engine undertray and I am attaching it to the frame with rivnuts. I was going to buy a rivnut tool but decided instead to use some common stuff around the garage. It turns out that they are quite easy to install. So I made a little video on how to install RivNuts without using the special rivnut tool. It's the first video in the list.


http://www.grabercars.com/Mambosite/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&id=10&Itemid=31

Hope this can help someone.

Steve

PS the second video on the page shows my progress so far on the bodywork.


andyps - 17/8/04 at 12:00 PM

The rivnut video is very useful to see how it can be done - surprised me that a screwdriver is sufficient but I haven't yet used a rivnut at all.

The bodywork is looking really good. Congrats.


MikeP - 17/8/04 at 03:03 PM

Are those ali or steel rivnuts Steve? It did look real easy to set it, the steel ones I use seem much, much harder - the 1/4" ones are very tough to compress.

Are you worried at all about them spinning in place when you try to remove the screws down the road? I used a spot weld on some of mine to keep that from happening, not sure if it was a good idea or not.


derf - 17/8/04 at 03:20 PM

Wow, that was pretty sweet, only question I have is how does it stay in?

Also looks like you have a vandal in your garage, h's running around spraying half built cars with black paint


sgraber - 17/8/04 at 03:42 PM

Mine are carbon steel, but they are quite compressible in the center section. It does take a bit of pressure from the screwdriver to pull them in. Since they are pulled inside the shank, they expand to fill the hole. The knurl then bites into the tube and prevents it from turning. I have no idea if they will loosen over time. I HOPE not...

Here is a link to something similar to what I have http://www.rivetsplus.com/manufacture/avdel/nutsert.asp


MikeP - 18/8/04 at 04:51 AM

Neat, a little different to the ones at McMasterCarr, pg 3070 or search on "Rivet Nut".