Removing bolt from riv nut - keeps spinning - Help

[95Fantasma80]

Hi all,

Noob question, but I always manage to make easy jobs hard.

I'm trying to install a rear wind deflector I picked up from a member here, as i was trying to remove the existing bolts I found that 3 of them don't come off and just keep spinning. The original owner had a rear wind deflector but for some reason it didn't come with it but it did come with the 4 bolts installed.

I wish I could use vice grips like the video below, but the washer makes it impossible to be able to do this. So how can I hold the riv nut in place to allow me to unscrew bolt? Some very thin pliers possibly?

Thanks

View media item 80740View media item 80739

 

[FxFormat]

This is a nightmare, happened to me, you'd have to cut it out now, not sure if you can bore a hole from underneath the tailgate to hold the nut while you spin it out.

 

[NHouston]

I have the same issue on my 99. Poor design here by Toyota.

One thought might be to JB Weld a nut vertically on top of the bolt head. You could maybe fashion a strong hook with handle of some sorts to pull and turn counter clockwise simultaneously to remove bolt. Might be able to pull rivnut out of hole. Might also be able to drill the bolt head out. Just a couple thoughts I had, but not sure if any would work.

Worst case would be take to body shop to shave off bolts. That would require some paint and body work however.

 

[NHouston]

This is a nightmare, happened to me, you'd have to cut it out now, not sure if you can bore a hole from underneath the tailgate to hold the nut while you spin it out.

Removed the hatch trim and can’t access.

 

[sleepycruiser]

Same thing happened to me. I just want to take the whole thing out.

 

[gatormark91]

Take one us those small flat head eyeglass screwdrivers and wedge it under the rivnut to apply some friction to keep it from spinning

 

[95Fantasma80]

Take one us those small flat head eyeglass screwdrivers and wedge it under the rivnut to apply some friction to keep it from spinning

Yes, i tried that one but still keeps spinning. Either im not strong enough or need another pair of hands.

Worst case might be to take an auto shop and hope some experienced guy is there to save my day.

Thanks all for tips and please keep them coming...

I'm going to try add a pair of hands while i spend all force pushing flat head screw driver on riv nut and someone wrenches the bolt.

Will also try finding a really thin pair of pliers.

 

[NHouston]

I bought a pair of surgical hemostats, tried, and no luck.

 

[vcheng]

I bought a pair of surgical hemostats, tried, and no luck.

Dremel a notch in the rivnut to make a slot for a small screwdriver inserted from the side. It should hold it easily. If the nut itself is cross threaded, use two opposite notches and use needle nose locking pliers to grip them, and persuade with penetrant fluid.

 

[jLB]

Poor design here by Toyota.

While I agree it is a "poor design", I really don't see how Toyota has any part in the design, considering that this is a 3rd party port or dealer installed item (much like the Bushwacker flares).

 

[cmck]

A standard pop rivet can be removed by drilling it out with the same size bit as the original hole. If that same principle was used it would likely work.

If it was me I would work thru every idea that I could think of before that.

Drilling the bolt or grinding, cutting so close to paint is the risky point. If grinding I would make a metal protection plate that only the bolt head showed thru. I would also blue tape about three layers also. I don’t think I would cut with anything but a dremel. Slow but accurate......

 

[suprarx7nut]

I'd see if you can attach a slide hammer to the bolt somehow. I'm thinking if you pull hard enough that rivnut will gouge into the sheet metal again. It'll either wedge and grab or you'll pull it out entirely. It'd likely pull the sheet out slightly, but that's more easily fixed than cuttign into the metal, which seems like you other option.

Good luck!

 

[95Fantasma80]

No luck! I'll likely search for a shop who is willing to remove and salvage existing riv nut or remove and replace so i get this nice wing on.

I did Google "spinning riv nut" and found countless threads in many auto forums, off road forums, military forums all saying the same, its a pain in the ***....