riv nuts

[james butler]

has anyone got any experience with rivet nuts?
i want to put removable panels into my van and rivnuts seem a great idea and look properly fastened in rather than using self tappers into the vehicles structure.
there are allready perfect sized holes in the vehicles frame so the rivnuts should fit straight in.
they seem to be put in with a special rivit gun which i presume is similer to a normal rivit gun?

there also seems to be a lot of different material types of rivnut- any advice on what are the benefits of using steel vs alloy or brass?

cheers

james

 

[123hotchef]

rivnuts are great I dont know much about them so will be watching this thread, I have a tool and selection or rinuts they have got me out of trouble a few times

 

[landyman1]

i have done the same with panels in my van,use aluminium ones easiest to fit BUT copper slipping screws makes it easy to remove and refit later,also dont overtighten any fixings.

cheers

Phil

 

[rtbcomp]

I'm sure I've fitted them with a setscrew, a couple of nuts and a few washers - although I can't remember how I did it!

Rivnut is a brand name, similar items come under the name Nutserts (if you slip fitting them your nutsert)

https://www.beal.org.uk/hardware-fasteners/pop-rivets-standard.html

https://www.beal.org.uk/assorted-boxes/pop-rivets-nutserts/assorted-nutserts-4mm-8mm-200.html

https://www.beal.org.uk/hardware-fasteners/pop-rivets-standard/nutserts-tool-kit.html

 

[anto44]

if you get a bolt, screw a nut onto it folled by a few washers and then the nut insert. then push the insert into the hole, hold the head of the bolt with a spanner and tighten the nut with a second spanner it'll work if you haven't got the proper tool to hand. it's a lot slower than using the tool but works in a pinch.

 

[rtbcomp]

^^ - that's it, I remembered having to use 3 hands.

 

[Swift&Bold]

Funnily enough I've just bought some Rib nuts (rubber riv nuts) to mount an ECU, the advantage is they insulate from vibration and other nasties, don't need the installation tool and can be re-used, they are more expensive though.
The conventional metal riv nuts can be installed without the tool ( a modified pop riveter) with a bit of stud and some nuts, there are plenty of posts and YouTube vids to show how.

 

[the black box]

Use these quite a lot mostly steel put in with a air powered tool in a production type setting. What thread size will you be using if m8 you'll struggle to pull steel by hand so Ali ones for this size rest can be Ali/steel depending on main material bit of overview on different types. If you've not got many to set then you can make your own tool with a bolt and some nuts. I'll find a pic of one these take ages though or you can use a rattle/air gun to speed it up

Body types

Open ended and closed ended. Refers to other end to the entrance majority of easy to get are open ended self explanatory what this refers to

Serrated/non serrated-refers to if the body has splines these stop them turning in the hole mostly when they are installed with air. Not so important by hand as you tend to thread the rivnut onto the mandrel then install into the hole.

Then get different head types

Reduced head/countersunk

These sit flush to the hole once pulled up

Large flange

Big head great for thin material or where you need to spread the load out would sit a mm or to above the material once pulled up

I won't worry about going into the different shapes as you'll most probably use round also get hex and half hex nuts to fit into punched hex holes means you get no turning.

Hope that all makes sense I'll find some pics which lol make it easier taken me long enough to work them out! there's various interchanged names used which don't help.

 

[james butler]

cheers everyone
i wernt sure if they were just a gimmick so im glad i asked
i will give it a go and will report back with some piccys of how i get on.

thats good food for thought "the black box" and makes perfect sense, i didnt realise they made so many different types.
all im going to be doing is bolting thin ply to the steel internal structure of my van so will most probably use M6 button head socket bolts.
the serrated ones might be a good idea seeing as the vans metal is quite thin and dont mind the head of the rivit sticking out a bit as im going to put some double sided foam strips behind to prevent it rattling betwwen metal and wood.

one last question, i take it you buy rivits according to how deep they need to go i.e same fashion as pop rivits or are they all a general set length?

 

[Swift&Bold]

^^^
Depth, hole and shank size.

 

[james butler]

^^^
Depth, hole and shank size.

cheers

 

[the black box]

Yes more types than ever taken me a while to get my head around it.

And also material thickness. Some don't go for very thin material. 9mm hole needed for m6 iirc. Be careful these can vary I use m8 drill an 11mm hole have had some which are very loose in the hole making them spin and others need a good hammering to go in. (By air install in material first then onto mandrel by hand is the other way around as easy to thread onto mandrel) Especially between head types. So worth looking at spec from supplier

In that case go large head serration literally helps when you set but these seem to be more common than plain aluminium will be easier to set than steel but the thread is less robust and if you overtighten easy to strip

For suppliers

Dafra.co.uk
Kay fasteners
Most fastener suppliers

Also goes with out saying don't use stainless bolts in Ali rivnuts!


To add
http://dafra.co.uk/RNLFSSE.html

Can see on the chart on the above link there's three m6 all with different grip ranges

 

[Sean]

i managed to break the mandrel on my cheapo Internet purchase setting tool. Now its insert in place, a nut of the next thread up ( so that a bolt passes through it easily) 2 greased washers then fit an allen setscrew of the insert thread hold the nut with the spanner and rattle the allen screw in with the makita impact screwdriver.

 

[123hotchef]

i broke mine too

 

[armalites]

Have a look at
http://www.memfast.co.uk/

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Put thousands of the sods in over the years, if you have a few to do , and certainly if they're over m6, buy yourself an air rivnut tool, unless you have a hand like a lobsters claw...

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Got this on ebay a few years ago for £21.

The bolts in these nuts all sheared off or spun and had to be cut off.

Replaced like this.

 

[123hotchef]

if i can get to the work piece like that i prefer to weld new nuts onto the work piece rarther than use riv nuts

 

[james butler]

if i can get to the work piece like that i prefer to weld new nuts onto the work piece rarther than use riv nuts

true but wouldnt the metal be a bit thin to risk welding?

 

[123hotchef]

no not really if it is welded right stronger than riv nuts IMO anyway