Riv Nut?

[law.74]

Would anyone recommend for or against riv-nuts for lower door armor? I am opposed to using tek screws (ie self tappers) for this application and would like to avoid opening up the inside of the doors to hold nuts for machine screws.

Granted regardless of fastener used I will have to seal them to protect from the elements. TIA

 

[Russ Pottenger]

This looks like a good idea for installing Bushwackers.

The sheetmetal on an XJ is really too thin to have good grip from the self-tappers.

Funny...I was thinking the same thing.
Anybody with experience with this have any input for this application?

 

[mjma]

www.mcmaster.com

 

[XJEEPER]

Rivnuts are a perfect fit for this application.

 

[DaJudge]

Anyone know what the thickness is of the fender sheetmetal? I was looking at Riv-nuts and they are made for specific ranges of thickness.

Thanks!

 

[Daedalus454]

You can use rivnuts for this application, but I wouldn't. I would spend the extra time and effort to install "real" nutplates or just put hardware on it.

I used to be an airplane mechanic. Cessnas use rivnuts to hold the wheel pants and various other non-structural fairings on. It was rare to find a Cessna that didn't have at least one spinning rivnut. Like I mentioned, it is a huge pain to get a spinning rivnut out.

Why couldn't you just drill a hole and use long machine screws with a self-locking nut and a large surface area washer inside the fender? The only benefit of using a rivnut is that you can use them in blind installations, where you cannot access the back side of the sheet metal. If you can access the back side you may as well just put hardware on it.

 

[Timber]

I tend to agree with Daedalus454 on this. I have two loose (spinning) Rivnuts holding my t-case skid on and I'll have to drill them out. First, I have to tack weld them to hold them still, though.