Well nuts! No jokes have roof rack problem!

[Metrodps]

OK who here has experience with well nuts? The one on the burb pulled out on three brackets and I suspect it was due to the rack twisting from the crappy welds.

The ones that came with the brackets were rubber and a few cut in half and failed. Did we not do it right when we put them in? I put tape over the holes for now but need to fix this.

Is there a tougher type or did we not pull them down tight enough?

 

[sweetk30]

you need the bigger 1/4" rive nuts the body shops and others sell . metal on metal like a giant rivet but threaded. heck I think some can be had in 5/16 or 3/8 even .

 

[tRustyK5]

I have a riv-nut set, aluminum and threaded with an install tool that looks like a pop rivet tool. They would only come out of your roof with pieces of the roof still attached to em. Largest in my set is 1/4-20 but they make bigger.

I'd guess the body flex at Moab was what done the rack mount in. It's amazing how twisted these rigs get without leaving creases.

 

[diesel4me]

Dorman sells "Nut-Serts" that you install much like well plugs,you put them in a hole and use a grade 8 bolt to tighten up on them and expand the part under the sheet metal...
Basically they are like pop rivets with a threaded hole in them,and they do come as big as 3/8"..the only drawback is it might be a challenge to seal them up so no water sneaks by them,being metal,they aren't watertight like a well plug is..maybe an o-ring can be put under the flange on it before you tightened them in place..

 

[readymix]

I've got a ton off 1/4 x 20 rivnuts. If you need them just let me know and I'll send some to you

 

[kennyw]

www.mcmaster.com

 

[kennyw]

mcmaster has riv nuts with o-rings to seal against the sheetmetal.

 

[Blue85]

I use these:

Once installed, you can mount anything in the threads. A little pipe dope seals them up.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240634

 

[kennyw]

This is the style McMaster has.

 

[ktmoutfront]

I have been using them for a long time. I have 5/16 and 3/8 if you need some.