|| Richard Brookman wrote: || ||| Anyone know anywhere I can buy or borrow a rivnut setting tool? ||| ||| I've spent all day trying to fit the access ladder to the rear door ||| and have ruined 6 rivnuts (all I have) using the non-standard ||| technique (loose bolt/washer/flat metal strip and tighten until it ||| crushes). All 6 rivnuts crushed beautifully, but each time the ||| expanding bit was too close to the rim at the top and they squeezed ||| out of the hole rather than lock themselves in. I'm sure my ||| technique isn't perfect, but I need to do a good job, so I'm now on ||| the lookout for the "proper" tool. Instead of the "proper tool" ||| who has mangled it so far :-) ||| ||| Willing to pay hire charge if anyone has one they would care to ||| lend... || || I'm a lttle hesitant to comment on this without knowing which || version of Rivnut we're talking about and/or whether we're talking || the generic sort of thing or the genuine.
These were M8 rivnuts from Richard Beamends, Defender heater box for the use of.
|| If the 'Rivnut' is the type with a very small flange that is || designed to be almost flush with the surface, they are very || sensitive to the hole size into which they are being installed. It's || very difficult to achieve a decent result unless the Rivnut just || fits the hole before you start. If the hole is oversize even the || proper tool won't help.
I drilled the holes so that I had to tap the rivnuts in with a light hammer.
|| If, however, the expanded bit falls outside the hole it's || likely that the components were not fully in contact before you || started the installation.
I thought they were, but obviously not. Given the torque you need to apply to crush the rivnut, it's pretty hard to keep things lined up and in contact, I suppose. The tools I used were the same as those supplied by LR as a fitting kit with the ladder when I fitted it to the last Disco (basically a metal bar with an 'ole in it).