luggage rack rivet nuts

I have the factory luggage rack, but a couple of the rivet nuts have worked loose and I'm trying to figure out options.

The stock threading on these is 6 mm, which is really uncommon--almost all of them are standard threading, and Fastenal can only buy the metrics in units of 1000... I would also need a bit for the rivet tool to pinch them in place, which will also be hard to come by.

My buddy with the body shop has the tool and some standard sized rivet nuts already, but if I went to standard sizes then I would need to cut them all off and replace them, which isn't really a big deal (the Dremel cuts the tops off smooth and fast) but it's not really the right fix either. I'm also not sure that the luggage rack rails will accommodate a larger bolt.

Another option is to make them super strong by tack welding some flange nuts to the ceiling. Then I could keep the 6mm nuts, and the rails would be able to support more of a load than the aluminum rivet nuts can safely handle. The big problem here is that space is very tight up there and I'm not sure I could get a welding tip in the gap.

I want to keep the stock rails, even though I plan to use gutter mounts.

Does anybody know a source for the OEM luggage rack rivet nuts? Maybe I can get some of those and fashion together a bit with a bolt and some nuts to pinch the rivet up.

Have you tried www.McMaster.com

This product matches all of your selections.



Part Number: 97217A444 $5.96 per Pack of 10
Rivet Type
Rivet Nut
Rivet Nut, Nut Insert, or Rivet-Type Stud Type
Slotted-Body Rivet Nuts
Rivet Material
Steel
Rivet Finish
Zinc Plated
Steel Type
C1008 - C1010
System of Measurement
Metric
Thread Size
M6
Metric Thread Pitch
1 mm
Thread Fit
Class 2B
Rivet Material Thickness Range
.5 mm - 7.1 mm
Body Diameter (A)
9.7 mm
Dimension B
25.40 mm
Dimension C
16.38 mm
Dimension D
1.50 mm
Dimension E
12.80 mm
Drill Size
10 mm
Specifications Met
Not Rated
Installation Instructions
To install, first determine the material thickness, then thread nut onto the mandrel of an installation tool, place in drilled hole, and crimp.

it's this kind

http://www.mcmaster.com/itm/find.AS...tlLink&fasttrack=False&searchstring=97467A666



Those are the steel ones instead of aluminum. I order 20

edit--the aluminum ones come in a bag of 20 so I bought those... should be easier to install too

your welcome

I got the bag of 20 aluminum and they are too large. They have the correct 6mm internal threading, but the nutsert is too big for the original hole, and the outside flange lip is larger too, which may cause problems with getting the rack rails on nice and flush.

I'm going to go talk to the dealership and see if they have any

I was a body & fender man for many years & they did used to be readily available from the dealer. I believe Volvo inserts are similar also. Any metal inserts will not work, they aren't flush enough & also will leak.been there done that one. also a body shop supply house may have them. let us know if you find them anywhere.

The dealer parts desk ordered me two, at $6 each! :gonnablow: I'll post a follow-up when I get them installed.

When I peeled off my roof rack, I used 1/4"-20 rubber well nuts and brass screws to fill the holes. The rubber well nuts were sealed to the body (and the screw threads sealed to the well nuts) with clear silicone Auto Glass Sealer (the stuff you use if you have a leak at a "popped-in" window seal, like the rear side glass, rear window, or windscreen.) Haven't leaked yet - and it's been seven or eight years. Now to get that damned sunroof out...

Get flat head/countersunk machine screws when you get the well nuts, and you should be good to go. Replace them all, seal with light-bodied clear silicone (like the glass sealer I mentioned,) and you should be just fine.

The problem with the Rivnuts shown is that you'll have one Hell of a time getting them to seal - you're really better off with the rubber, unless you feel like stripping it all out, putting in weld nuts, and resealing the whole arrangement...

The OEM rubber / brass nutcerts are no longer available at the dealership, but Jeep came out with one that looks like the post rogersjeep made below, except they are PVC coated, they don't leak, they install just like a drywall molybolt, and they are all steel ,except the PCV dip coat. They work great, and were about $1.50 each in packs of 6 or 10 as I recall. I re-did 2 Jeep roofs last year with them. I posted the Jeep part number in this forum about 12-18 months ago.

Just find a steelership parts guy that knows what he is doing. Mine are 85-89, but I am pretty sure they are the same up to at least 96 models, maybe higher.

Now to get that damned sunroof out... (Quote) 5-90

You willing to sell the sunroof? What hear is it from?

I fixed mine the wrong way. I put JB weld on them to stop the nuts from spinning. Then reinstalled the luggage rack and put rubber washers between the mounts and roof. No problems yet. No leaks and not stupid rattle as you drive down the highway. Well it looks good and no noise or leaks.arty:

Jeepm@n said:

Now to get that damned sunroof out... (Quote) 5-90

You willing to sell the sunroof? What hear is it from?

I fixed mine the wrong way. I put JB weld on them to stop the nuts from spinning. Then reinstalled the luggage rack and put rubber washers between the mounts and roof. No problems yet. No leaks and not stupid rattle as you drive down the highway. Well it looks good and no noise or leaks.arty:

Click to expand...

It's an aftermarket unit (ASC, I think) and leaked like a sieve until I gooped it shut with about four tubes of RTV black and some foam insulation rod. Believe me, you don't want it! With the thing shut, it would rain inside the truck more than it did outside - Gore-Tex was mandatory, top and bottom (the seat was usually wet as well - the foam in the original seat rotted out from the sunroof leaking.)

If it didn't leak, I wouldn't get rid of it. But, it do - so I will.

Thanks for the honesty 5-90. I hear that with most. I just would like a factory sunroof for my DD. The most offroad it will see would be fire roads or logging trails.

Jeep part number 6502751 is the correct nutsert

The Mopar catalogs call that part a "NUT ROUND" and charge $4-5 each

My buddy with the body shop does not have metric bits for his rivet nut gun, so instead of having him buy a set just for me, I fashioned up a hack to get this thing installed.

First put a screw into the rear of the nutsert, so that it is hanging out the wrong end. Then put the screw+nutsert into a table vise, and crank down on it until the flare just starts to appear (too much flare and it won't go into the hole, so just a wee bit). Remove the screw, find a piece of scrap metal (I used a 2" x 8" strip of 3/16th), and drill a hole that is just big enough for the threaded screw to pass, but not big enough for nutsert flange or the screw/bolt head to pass.

Drop the nutsert into the hole (I used some silicon adhesive to waterproof it first), lay the scrap metal over the rivet nut's flange, and run the screw down into the nutsert. If you can reach the back of the nutsert on the other side of the roof or whatever, use a pair of small vice grips to keep the nutsert from spinning. Then start cranking down the screw/bolt with a ratchet, and you'll have a perfectly sealed nutsert in just a couple of minutes. The trick here is that the metal plate acts as a washer for the screw, and also keeps the nutsert from coming out of the roof since the screw action presses the metal against the nutsert's flange--essentially you are pinching the scrap metal from both sides, and the only thing that can compress is the nutsert, so it folds.

I can't believe how much trouble this one little fix-it item has been...

Jeepm@n said:

Thanks for the honesty 5-90. I hear that with most. I just would like a factory sunroof for my DD. The most offroad it will see would be fire roads or logging trails.

Click to expand...

No worries. Believe me, I have no interest whatever in salvaging the damned thing, and I'll have to replace some of the roof panel around it anyhow (cracking in the corners. The damned sunroof motor assembly has been loose for a little while, which has also screwed things up.)

For anyone still dealing with this problem, check out this page and the part number.
http://newton.tek-ed.com/tek-ed/rrack.html

Ordered some GM 6mm Roof Rack Mounting Nuts from a company on Ebay. Jimco Products. $14.60 for 15 including shipping. Tried one out, fit in the hole fine. It has raintite, instead of the rubber.

I found them, but they say they are going out of business, liquidating inventory.
Link

One thing is for sure, if you want hard to find exotic hardware fittings this guy has it! Nice find, thanks for posting.

I am surprised this seems to be the only thread on these and that it has seen little posts in a decade.

I did two roofs with the GM nutserts or jacknut as they call it, but I got my first batch from Jeep dealer around 2008 who said the old rubber-brass inserts were obsolete.

I see both on ebay and other sites if you have the right part number to search. But the newer GM part is far super and holds way more weight and handles more wind....I was having a hard time find the old info and part number but this thread saved me, then multiple google search hunting found me the GM part number and I found a place where we can buy then under .44 cents each delivered in volume.

I have several roofs I need to redo and one that never had a roof rack that is about to get one, so I am stocking up.

That said I also need to reseal the three middle runners that protect the roof between the 2 main racks from luggage... junk-stuff-spare tires on the roof damage. I am hoping they used the same sized 6x1.0mm jacknuts on then. Then I need to find the bottom side rubber and top side rubber parts for the three middle runners if anyone has any suggestions for those other than the dealers. Part numbers would be nice, as I could seach them for alt sources.

Or some other parts to attach. I am doing mine as they have started to rust and leak on a few of the holes in three center strips on 3 of my rigs. :-(

Here are the links to sources I found today and the part number is a GM # 14007940
And they are also used for the mirror mountings!!!

This is the cheapest one I found!!!

http://www.thefastenerwarehouse.com/catalog/item/570438/5979747.htm

Similar and not too pricey
http://www.shop-supplies.com/proddetail.php?prod=FN1793

and several sellers have them on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-ROOF-RACK-JACK-NUTS-M6-1-0-RAINTITE-GM-14007940-/260793415359

I paid about $1.50 each at the dealer around 2008 and had to drive across town to get them.

jerobertson said:

Ordered some GM 6mm Roof Rack Mounting Nuts from a company on Ebay. Jimco Products. $14.60 for 15 including shipping. Tried one out, fit in the hole fine. It has raintite, instead of the rubber.

Click to expand...