Nutserts to mount roof rack?

[hidesertwheelin]

Has anyone ever used nutserts to attach a roof rack to a vehicle? I currently am using sell tapping screws to attach the roof rack to my 89 Suburban, and am not happy with the results. Some of the screws have worked out, and it just doesn't seem all the secure. Someone suggested using nutserts. Has anyone ever done this? Were you happy with the results? Any particular size I should use? Any recommendation for a good tool? Or should I just try and rent one?


This is the roof rack I am using. It's mounted on my old Suburban.

 

[tarditi]

A lot of OEM factory roof racks have nutserts... my Xterra, for instance.

I would think you're fine as long as you have enough roof integrity to bear the load and strain of movement

 

[HenryJ]

Mine is attached with Nutserts. I also do as the OEM installations do and use the 3M foam adhesive tape. This seals and also adds another level of adhesion

 

[mike the welder]

Nutserts are only going to be as strong as the sheet metal you install them into. You'd be better off putting bolts with lock nuts thru to the factory cross members or adding a cross member or thicker backing plate with bolts to spread the load.

 

[life_w_vagabonds]

Ive had good luck with them. Put a rack on a Subaru and mounted my tailgate table on my Jeep.

You can make your own tool pretty easy. I had a how to link from a rover forum but it's dead. There are others on the interwebs...

 

[cyclic]

If you have the head liner pulled, you can also add washers to the inside side of the nutserts to help spread the load.

 

[bat]

If you have the head liner pulled

forget the nutserts and bolt it up with a backing plate to spread the load.

 

[hidesertwheelin]

forget the nutserts and bolt it up with a backing plate to spread the load.

Don't have the headliner pulled, but I am thinking about doing it.

 

[RyanHeller]

If you aren't willing to pull the headliner to nut and bolt the rack, I would HIGHLY recommend using a high-quality two part epoxy when you install the nutserts. Every nutsert I install gets a coating around the base of Hysol 9460 before being set in place. This seals the nutsert as well as added insurance that the nutsert will not spin when trying to remove the fastener.

 

[Arclight]

You can get high-quality rivnuts from McMaster-Carr:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rivet-nuts/=v6r4tp

They also have the tools, ranging from simple to expensive:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#rivet-nut-installation-tools/=v6r5gp

Arclight

 

[elyon]

I bought a roof rack from ORU before they sold it to a Smitty built. It came with well nuts. I questioned using them, but ended up doing so. 2 years and so far so good. It does require a larger hole than a rivnut.

 

[robert]

My brother used the Yakima PlusNuts when he installed tracks on his '85 Suburban back in '04. I know he put a lot of weight up there and last I heard they're still going strong (he sold the truck two years ago but it's still around town).

 

[zscott]

Try Plusnuts vs. strandard rivnuts. They will give you much more back strength. I have used them in a variety of cases with good results.

http://www.rivetsinstock.com/rivet-nuts-threaded-inserts/plusnuts.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eggvOhqKNR0

 

[hidesertwheelin]

Try Plusnuts vs. strandard rivnuts. They will give you much more back strength. I have used them in a variety of cases with good results.

http://www.rivetsinstock.com/rivet-nuts-threaded-inserts/plusnuts.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eggvOhqKNR0

Thanks. I'll check them out.

 

[rlrenz]

If you aren't willing to pull the headliner to nut and bolt the rack, I would HIGHLY recommend using a high-quality two part epoxy when you install the nutserts. Every nutsert I install gets a coating around the base of Hysol 9460 before being set in place. This seals the nutsert as well as added insurance that the nutsert will not spin when trying to remove the fastener.

100% right. I use a bit of JB Weld on every Riv Nut I install, all the way from 8-32 to 3/8-16. It also helps to but the heavy duty ribbed Riv Nuts. I use them on my ambulance after my emergency vehicle mechanic friends confirmed that they even use them to install light bars (but I am using them on a Freightliner instead of a Suburban, so I probably have a heavier roof panel.