ckshen

hi all,


i bought an scion xA rear spoiler from a dealer. and i am trying to install it on the car. i read through the instructions and have trouble with one part.

it says that i am to drill 4 holes on the body and then install 4 riv-nuts in the holes with a riv-nut tool. i tried to find such a tool in local hardware stores but had no luck. does anyone know how exactly the tool works, where i might be able to find it, or, whether i can substitute it with other more common everyday tools?

thanks!

UnFocused

Your dealer is your best bet. the tool makes the nut spread open and secure correctly.

If you screw up, you pay the consequences. If you have the dealership do the install- the results will be much better!

you may want to try a metal supply place for the tool.....

scootn_low

ckshen...

I have an OEM spoiler that I want to install too. These tools from Harbor Freight might help in attching the spoiler using nutserts.

Nutsert riveter

or

HEAVY DUTY HAND RIVET TOOL

Still doing more research. Anyone know how much the dealers charge for an install? I may have them do it...for lack of free time.

scoot'n low

flowmini98

you need an NUTSERT tool. it basicly like a rivet tool only it inserts a threaded sleeve. MAC ,SNAPON or MATCO tool trucks will have it but they are upwards of 150$

ckshen

i looked everywhere without much luck. i haven't tried the snap-on trucks, etc because its just a little steep to spend $150 for just four nuts. problem with these nuts is that they are metric and the rivet tools you suggested, scootn low, is english. unless i go find some matching english bolts. but then the new nuts might not fit well in the holes i already drilled..!

turns out to be a much bigger problem than i originally thought. and i thought it would be an easy job! (it sure is with the right tool)

i also will try to call up a body shop to see how much they charge for putting those 4 riv nuts in.

flowmini98

a body shop will probly charge an horly rate which could be anywhere from 65-100 per hour. plus you will have ot pay for material which isnt much but its still something you will have to pay for.
your better off getting the tool and do it yourself. if you buy the tool and you think you will never need it again sell it on ebay or something.

jamesgang

I wonder if AutoZone would have a loaner?

$150.00 is way too much for the nutsert tool - especially if you never use it again.
I just looked it up - I can hook myself up with the tool and the 1/4" adaptor for under $50.00. With 6-36 through 5/16-18 it is less than $100.00

ckshen

i looked around the web for the tool. the tool with the english adapters isn't expensive, in the $30-50 range. though it is somewhat annoying that there seems to be no one selling ones with metric adapters, unless it is a lot more expensive.

jamesgang

You can fashion your own metric instalation tool.
You'll need a metric bolt of sufficient length.
" serrated flange nut of the same dia and thread pitch
-face the flanges of the sert and the nut toward each other
-the serrated nut should keep the sert from turning
-put these on the bolt and insert into drilled hole
-tighten bolt until you feel the sert is secure
-back the bolt and the serrated nut off
-you should have the insert installed

There is an old 'crank' style insert tool that works on this concept. Some users still prefer it, as it seems to be heavier duty. I've also had customers use the homemade tool per above.
Good Luck

ckshen

like what they are doing here?

http://www.fjr1300.info/howto/rivnut-tool.html

http://www.discoweb.org/ladder/

tried that actually. i put a long bolt with a hex nut and a metal plate into the riv nut, and tried to tighten the hex nut. but it doesn't seem to collapse the riv nut no matter how hard i tightened the hex nut...!

ckshen

today i tried further and it actually took the most force for the compression to get started, and after that it got a bit easier. the two url are of the same method.

i put three riv nuts in, successfully. i destroyed a few grade 8.8 m6 bolts and hex nuts that i got from the hardware stores along the way. the fourth riv nuts unfortunately started to have some problem in the threads (when a bolt bent while in it) and no bolt could fit. so i am going to the dealer parts department to see if i can get some riv nuts there and i am quite optimistic that a riv nut is a lot easier to get from them as i am sure they deal with it quite a bit.

although my concern now is that, even though i put rust coating around the holes drilled for the hex nuts, most of them came off when i installed the hex nuts as there were quite a bit of scratching and moving/rotating involved. so now i have to think about how to rust proof it better.

DoggyStyle

I bought the riv nut tool from Harbor Freight and also a 100 pak of there standard riv nuts. Spent around $30. I drilled the holes as instructed. I took one of the new riv nuts I purchased to a Home depot and bout the correct standard screws. Worked like a charm!!!. I bought the ebay spoiler for my xA.

Only issue I had with the whole project was the wait time on shipping from Harbor Freight.