Skid plate Rivnut fiasco

Curious Chris

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 11, 2001
Location
Pineview GA
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2003 RIP Rockford IL
Sigh, I screwed up the first rivnut, then had five successes in a row. I then bought more rivnuts to complete the job on the intercooler side, botched them big time so now the hole is too big for rivnuts.

So for now the passenger side front support is held on with 3/8" toggle bolts. So far so good, pretty solid. Now I am thinking I should make it more solid, and my first thought is to weld the bracket to the frame rail: 2" of bead should be plenty.

But will I ever need to take it off?? Right now my solution allows me to loosen it a bunch and move it out of the way......what should I do?
 

Magellan01

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2001
Location
Detroit, MI
I am glad (not really I feel for you)somebody else had a problem. I botched one of the seven and need to remove it (one of the rears). The others aren't tight yet so I plan on not screwing them up and just welding them to the chasis. I hate rivnuts.

By the way mounting a ballast for HIDs (OEM)uses rivnuts. They are hexagon shape so the rivnut will not spin as you tighten the bolt. Maybe it is because of the bolt diameter, but I wish they would have done the same for these.
 

Curious Chris

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 11, 2001
Location
Pineview GA
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2003 RIP Rockford IL
The actual problem with this entire project is that the hole for the rivnut is supposed to be just big enough for the rivnut to fit through. Oh yeh, I was able to get 5 to work but the holding power is not as much as the design. I know someone will disagree with this statement, I just hope they are an engineer like me, then I will send them the tech data sheet!!!

Oh, well, I figure the amount of bolts holding the 32 lb skid plate are more than enough. The rear 3 hold some weight, but more importantly they prevent the plate from being driven back. The front posts are to lift the car up and that is why they are so big.

Sigh, the project is done though....
 

MOGolf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Location
underneath something
TDI
2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
I just put the skid plate on mine. I had no problem with the rivnuts.

The secret (well, not any more) to my good fortune was that I put the screw through the hole of the metal piece to be attached, then put a 3/8 inch internal tooth washer on the screw (I couldn't find any proper 10mm ones), then screwed on the rivnut. On the posts I did this for both holes and then inserted rivnuts through the holes.

The posts weren't going to twist with both bolts in the holes. I applied pressure straight up to the post, and used my impact wrench to tighten the bolt. It was quicker than trying to use a socket wrench. The washer kept the rivnut from turning.

On the rear clamp parts, I held them with a vise grip tool while tightening the screw.

My other suggestion, if you don't have a helper, is to use a floor jack with a rubber saddle such as
.

Balance the center of gravity of the skid plate on the jack saddle and putting it into place is reasonably easy.
 
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