[JustAnotherUser]

Installed a **** ton in my van and found that I'd get the occasional spinner if I didn't first run a tap through the threads. To remove the occasional spinner it was a simple matter of just using some vise grips to hold the lip of the cross nut and then simply drill it out.

 

[Sparky961]

So no fancy tool. I suppose you did some trial and error to find the right torque setting?

Not really. I went mostly by sound and you can also feel when it snugs up. I could, anyway.

 

[ranxerox]

Buy a good quality tool, I installed 42 of them and none of them spun.

Did not link right, The wrench driven tool.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[Vanpackr]

Here is the tool I have used with great success. Amazon.com

 

[tngw1500se]

Just wondering for FutureVan - has anyone used something like a little MIG or Arc spot weld to tack the edge of one of these nuts to the body to keep from spinning?

I don't want a welder even close to my van that's full of electronics.

 

[orton]

Used 1/4-20 Plusnuts in two conversions. Two different Plusnut manufacturers. Do not recall for sure but maybe one spinner in the Sprinter van. No spinners in Transit. Had to use a tap on about 6 to clean up the treads. All installed by hand with $30 McMaster-Carr tool. Torqued correctly by "thats about right" by hand. No torque wrench or fancy tool.

Did not use star washers but after the discussion on this site explaining the flange under the Plusnut head not fitting in the hole, I would now use a star washer if I did any more.

 

[Hein]

A little drop of CA glue (super glue) will often secure a spinner.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan

 

[TransitFocus]

Regular rivnuts have serrations on the backside to grip the sheet metal once they've been set.

I've never found plus nuts to be a better option than rivnuts, not sure why they're so talked up in the DIY van world. Not to mention the exorbitant cost.

 

[surly Bill]

Rivnuts and plus nuts are different animals.

Yes, and the rivnuts, especially soft aluminum, are flimsier. Thus the astonishment on my part that plusnuts aren't working.

EDIT: retraction. Plusnuts are flimsier than steel rivnuts. Probably NOT flimsier than aluminum rivnuts.

 

[surly Bill]

Until replying a bit ago, I had forgotten the difference between riv and plus nuts!
Time to revisit the tutorial and comparison:

Lessons Learned: Rivnuts Vs. Plusnuts – Points Unknown

www.pointsunknown.com

 

[skTransit]

Early in our build we posted to the "Plus Nut Tutorial" thread of a DIY plusnut setter. Since then we have used 1/4-20 and 6mm plusnuts in a variety places including the transit van project using our cordless drill DIY setter. The plusnuts were purchased from rivetsonline which is the same as Jay-Cee sales which was the amazon supplier which @jrneale sited in the original post. So far it has been pull the trigger set them and move on. Touch wood, we have not had any spinners.

We preferred using the cordless drill because...

• The clutch can be adjusted to a desired torque which can be fine tuned with one or two practice runs. (I suppose if you have the knack, you could use an impact driver but I would be afraid of over torqueing)
• You can put a 90 degree attachment on the drill to help get into tight spaces
• Pretty fast setting the plusnut and backing out the setting bolt and then ready to set the next plusnut
• Not a lot of effort is needed to squeeze the trigger on the drill to set the plus nut ;-)

PS What @JustAnotherUser mentions, I feel is good general practice. IE If one encounters a lot of resistance threading in a fastener, try chasing the threads with a tap first.

 

[Jimm]

How do you use star washers with Plus Nuts? Do you use them as part of the installation process (with a tool), or do you put them on the Plus Nuts somehow?

Just put it on before you insert it between the wall and head acts as a lock washer.

 

[AlexG]

I worked in design and manufacturing of auto products based primarily of aluminum extrusions. Fasteners in closed sections are common. I have the following comments:
1) We never used plus nuts, even in the most demanding applications.
2) Strict adherence to grip range, allowing for manufacturing of metal.
3) Strict adherence to hole size. Super tight holes are not the best, as the transition radius of flange to body of the rivnut is not zero.
4) Keep insertion direction during setting perpendicular to metal surface.
5) More robust operations with pull type of tools. Screw type tools can lead to failures (deformed threads, loose nuts)
6) the best torque out performance is obtained with this type of nuts:

 

[Jagster]

Almost done our build and have only had one spin. Always paid attention to putting them in flush to the surface they are mounted in. Also - we DID have to shorten the threads on the tool with a dremmel cut off wheel to allow access to a few that were "shallow" due to there being another panel behind the one we were nutting.

 

[orton]

Almost done our build and have only had one spin. Always paid attention to putting them in flush to the surface they are mounted in. Also - we DID have to shorten the threads on the tool with a dremmel cut off wheel to allow access to a few that were "shallow" due to there being another panel behind the one we were nutting.

I just did the install in two steps where I had obstruction behind the hole. Insert Plusnut in as far as it will go. Partially collapse the Plusnut wings and then push Plusnut further into the hole to complete the install.

 

[natecostello]

Could you post a link when you have a chance. I did not see on specifically with the long mandrels needed for plus nuts.
This one that looked like it used standard cap head allen bolt. Funny thing was the photo the listing for that one showed a photo plus nut with a "do not" symbol over it. (The AstroPneumatic looks like it uses a proprietary mandrel.)

Yep, thats the one. And then we picked up these "mandrels": Socket cap, Alloy steel black oxide finish, 1/4"-20 x 2-1/4" - Bolt Depot

It takes a few trials to get your pressures set right, but once you do its very repeatable. Also recommend running a tap through all of them, just to ensure good threads.

 

[OldMadBrit]

I installed >100 M6 Rivnuts in my build. I got 3 spinners, the first was a learning error. The next 2 were down to me not realizing that you have to use thread anti-seize when installing S/S fasteners into S/S Rivnuts.

Everything sourced on Amazon.

 

[ranxerox]

I used Rivnuts and everyone on this forum told me I was nuts, They all swear by Plusnuts.
42 Rivnuts installed and none spun.

 

[coguzzi]

I used Rivnuts and everyone on this forum told me I was nuts, They all swear by Plusnuts.
42 Rivnuts installed and none spun.

i only use plus nuts for areas that need "heavy duty" and rivnuts everywhere else. think a plus nut is rated at 750lb where rivnut is much lower, like 250lb maybe (dont quote me), so plusnuts if I know a cabinet is going there etc. between my job building expedition trucks, sprinters and now my interest in transits i have probably installed 2000 rivnuts and 300 plus nuts. ive had exactly one plus nut spin and maybe 10 riv nuts. its always when your in a hurry and try to put bolts in under power. i always start them by hand

 

[ranxerox]

i only use plus nuts for areas that need "heavy duty" and rivnuts everywhere else. think a plus nut is rated at 750lb where rivnut is much lower, like 250lb maybe (dont quote me), so plusnuts if I know a cabinet is going there etc. between my job building expedition trucks, sprinters and now my interest in transits i have probably installed 2000 rivnuts and 300 plus nuts. ive had exactly one plus nut spin and maybe 10 riv nuts. its always when your in a hurry and try to put bolts in under power. i always start them by hand

According to the Bemm the sheet metal on the Transit walls is rated for 30 Kg per hole, There are places on the walls where the sheet metal has a double layer so it might have more pull out strength there but for the most part it is a single layer of sheet metal rated at 30 Kg.