850: Split rivits, fender liners, mud flaps and rocker panels

[Cookeh]

I mean a nutsert. They often get called different things, like rivnut or blind rivet nut. You install the nutsert in the exact same way as a normal rivet, and come in sizes from M2 to M10, so finding one to suit your hole size is easy. This goes into the bumper or fender etc. You then thread a bolt (button head preferable) into it, and the liner or mudguard is held by the head of the bolt.

[erikv11]

I mean a nutsert. They often get called different things, like rivnut or blind rivet nut. You install the nutsert in the exact same way as a normal rivet, and come in sizes from M2 to M10, so finding one to suit your hole size is easy. This goes into the bumper or fender etc. You then thread a bolt (button head preferable) into it, and the liner or mudguard is held by the head of the bolt.

Sounds like a good idea. How does this deal with there being a smaller hole in front (e.g. muflap) and larger hole in rear (e.g. body panel), or do you also need to drill out the various pieces so they all have the same diameter hole?

Please post links or pictures so we know what you are talking about, looks like there are several different kinds of nutserts.

[ZionXIX]

Those nutserts looks perfect. I'm definitely going to try those instead of buying the rivets. So tired of having to drill those out to replace the fender.

[erikv11]

Those nutserts looks perfect. I'm definitely going to try those instead of buying the rivets. So tired of having to drill those out to replace the fender.

Link and/or pic? Will you need to drill out the aligned holes to be connected, so they are all roughly the same diameter? Thanks!

[Cookeh]

I mean a nutsert. They often get called different things, like rivnut or blind rivet nut. You install the nutsert in the exact same way as a normal rivet, and come in sizes from M2 to M10, so finding one to suit your hole size is easy. This goes into the bumper or fender etc. You then thread a bolt (button head preferable) into it, and the liner or mudguard is held by the head of the bolt.

Sounds like a good idea. How does this deal with there being a smaller hole in front (e.g. muflap) and larger hole in rear (e.g. body panel), or do you also need to drill out the various pieces so they all have the same diameter hole?

Not sure I follow what you mean by different sizes. The mudguards/bumpers/archliners all have one size, so would require one size of rivnut for all 20-odd of them front and rear. The sill covers are a different size so would require a different sized rivnut, but I am not aware of any instances of the rivets changing within a component group?

Unless you mean the hole in the bumper being different in size to the arch liner? In which case that difference is size is irrelevant as the rivnut only goes into one of those pieces. So if you were doing an arch liner, the rivnut goes into bumper, then the liner is held in place by the bolt threaded into the rivnut. So the only hole size that matters is the one you're putting the rivnut into.

You choose your rivnut based on the size of the hole you have to fill, for example the arch liner and mudguards have a 5mm hole, so you buy a rivnut that fills a 5mm hole. As an example of rivnuts, the link below contains steel, stainless, aluminium and rubber coated rivnuts. The description details what size hole each nut is suitable for, so for the arch liner case above you'd need an M3 rivnut. Different rivnuts from different suppliers will differ due to the thickness of the walls etc, so please do check with your supplier.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3569114123

You then need a button headed bolt to thread into the fastened rivnut. M3 rivnut would obviously require an M3 bolt.

[Cookeh]

41I9gmCymgL.jpg

[Cookeh]

...
Unless you mean the hole in the bumper being different in size to the arch liner? In which case that difference is size is irrelevant as the rivnut only goes into one of those pieces. So if you were doing an arch liner, the rivnut goes into bumper, then the liner is held in place by the bolt threaded into the rivnut. So the only hole size that matters is the one you're putting the rivnut into.
...

Yes, for the front mudflap you have three different holes: (1) the mudflap in front, (2) the wheel liner in the middle, and (3) the rocker panel in the back with a blind hole. Now I get it, just to reiterate what you said the way it works is:

(a) Pick a rivnut size that fits pretty much exactly the hole in the back piece. So e.g. the rocker panel hole for front lower mudflap attachments.

(b) Use a rivnut install tool or fashion a simple jig with a bolt that fits the rivnut thread, to install the rivnut. The rivnut collapses the way a rivet does, to crimp in tight into the back piece.

(c) Use a screw diameter that fits through all the other holes between the front piece and the back piece, with a screw head wider than the hole in the front piece. So e.g. wider than the hole in the front mudflap.

Thanks!

[JimBee]

OR you can pick through NAPA's impressive fastener kit and find a hefty self-threading screw with a broad flat head that's a tight fit for the largest hole, grind it in there and be done. That's what I did on one of my 93 mud flaps that was coming loose. After maybe 5 years it's still holding well.

[Cookeh]

...
Unless you mean the hole in the bumper being different in size to the arch liner? In which case that difference is size is irrelevant as the rivnut only goes into one of those pieces. So if you were doing an arch liner, the rivnut goes into bumper, then the liner is held in place by the bolt threaded into the rivnut. So the only hole size that matters is the one you're putting the rivnut into.
...

Yes, for the front mudflap you have three different holes: (1) the mudflap in front, (2) the wheel liner in the middle, and (3) the rocker panel in the back with a blind hole. Now I get it, just to reiterate what you said the way it works is:

(a) Pick a rivnut size that fits pretty much exactly the hole in the back piece. So e.g. the rocker panel hole for front lower mudflap attachments.

(b) Use a rivnut install tool or fashion a simple jig with a bolt that fits the rivnut thread, to install the rivnut. The rivnut collapses the way a rivet does, to crimp in tight into the back piece.

(c) Use a screw diameter that fits through all the other holes between the front piece and the back piece, with a screw head wider than the hole in the front piece. So e.g. wider than the hole in the front mudflap.

Thanks!

That's exactly it, and much better explained than I managed myself! I much prefer it to using the blind rivets, as aside from being significantly cheaper, it's much easier and time-efficient to simply unscrew a bolt than it is to drill a rivet out.

[FLXC90]

M4 aluminium rivnuts and button head bolts... Never worry about finding suitable rivets again, or paying a fortune for them everytime.

and what type aircraft do you work on?