Rivet Nuts? How big is too big?

[juggernaut]

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on rivet nuts? I'm currently installing the rear hangers on a magnaflow exhaust kit. I bought 3/8" rivet nuts to install in the bottom of the frame rail to bolt up the hangers. The thing the concerns me is a 17/32" (a little shy of 9/16") hole is needed. Does anyone feel that hole is too big for the bottom of a 1st gen camaro frame?

[mincharlie]

Sorry so late, but I tried the rivet nuts on my manga flow exhaust. But one pulled out after a while. I ended up welding in nut serts, they look like revet nuts but out of steel.

[parsonsj]

I just put in 6 rivet nuts for exhaust hangers. I've had good luck with them for years. Proper installation is important: here's the best tool for the home shop that I've found. And I've tried a lot of them:

[GNon18s]

Where to buy Rivnuts and install tools??

[Craig510]

McMaster-Carr has a great selection and sells the tools as well. They come in steel, stainless steel and aluminum. The steel top hat style work the best. You need to drill just the right size hole and they work well. I would never use the aluminum ones, unless you want it to pull out or brake inside the frame and spin.

[RBARNES496]

McMaster Carr has what you need. They will not come out unless installed wrong. Problem is over tightening will cause them to spin. I use knurled steel rivnuts.

[astroracer]

I use them all the time also. I use aluminum in light duty apps, like electrical panels and small brackets. I really try to avoid installing them where the application has them in "tension" such as on the bottom of your rail with the exhaust pulling down on them. I would suggest putting them in the SIDE of the rail so the hanger will pull on them in "shear". Much more likely to survive in this application.
Mark

[parsonsj]

x4: McMaster-Carr sells the tool pictured above.

[Ketzer]

Sorry so late, but I tried the rivet nuts on my manga flow exhaust. But one pulled out after a while. I ended up welding in nut serts, they look like revet nuts but out of steel.

So rivnuts are aluminum and Nutserts are steel?

Any other tips on which to use for what?



Jeff-

[mincharlie]

Mark is right, the one that failed on me was in a tension load. I made what I call a nut sert. It looks like a shaft with a large flat head, then we drilled and taped the hole to the appropriate size. After that just stick them in the locations and weld them in. I'm sure some one sells these but we made them.

[Ketzer]

I just put in 6 rivet nuts for exhaust hangers. I've had good luck with them for years. Proper installation is important: here's the best tool for the home shop that I've found. And I've tried a lot of them:

I tried to read up on the different tools after seeing this thread. It seems the only consistently positive review was on a set of $150 "pliers". They only come with one size head and you would need to buy the other sizes separately. The pliers look to be pretty big, great if you are manufacturing on the workbench, a beotch if you are trying to work around an assembled piece or in/on a car.

John's tip seems perfect. For less than the price of the long pliers and one size head, I could buy several different sizes of this tool and then use whatever combination of wrenches/ratchets I need to in order to fit the space I'm working in. The pliers might be a little faster for production, but like he says, for home use I'm buying a few of these.
Thanks John!


Jeff-

[parsonsj]

John's tip seems perfect. For less than the price of the long pliers and one size head, I could buy several different sizes of this tool and then use whatever combination of wrenches/ratchets I need to in order to fit the space I'm working in. The pliers might be a little faster for production, but like he says, for home use I'm buying a few of these.

I've installed a bunch of 1/4 and 5/16 inserts just over the past couple of days. It's versatile tool that you can get in tight places. Glad to help.

[astroracer]

If you are doing a lot of 1/4 and 5/16 you will want the tool John pictured. I have done a few 1/4 inserts with my pliers but, if I had more then a couple to do, I would get that one to do them. I borrowed that same tool from work when I built the K-member for the van floor. Made it pretty easy.
I can install #8's and #10's all day long with my Marson pliers. In fact I have been using a set I got from Harbor Freight the last few days to install aluminum riv-nuts in some electrical panels I am building for the van. Work very well...
Mark

[MonzaRacer]

Used to have some 8 mm x 1.25 with larger flat flange head, installed them(left overs at dealership I worked at when bead liner installer left them and stainless hardware,,so I kept them. Still got few out on deck, bolts that is, over decade and no rust.
But I installed those then tacked them with mig,,,might use my scratch tig if use them in other cars.

[MonzaRacer]

Used to have some 8 mm x 1.25 with larger flat flange head, installed them(left overs at dealership I worked at when bead liner installer left them and stainless hardware,,so I kept them. Still got few out on deck, bolts that is, over decade and no rust.
But I installed those then tacked them with mig,,,might use my scratch tig if use them in other cars.

[Jetfixr320]

Ordered the pictured tool from Mcmaster-carr, 1 in 1/4"-20 and 1 in #10-32. $29 ea. Installed quite a few of the #10's and a few 1/4" ones. Both tools worked great.

I bought the 1/4" ones with the intention of using them to make my radiator core support removable. With approx 8-10 of the 1/4"-20 per side be satisfactory for this or just stick with Nuts and bolts? They are the steel Rivnuts.

Thanks
Steve