6 replies to this topic

[pawn256]

I need to take off the front side panel of my car. I took off all the bolts I could find (most at difficult spots to get to), but...

There are fasteners of some kind connecting the panel to the wheel well. They aren't screws... They are little metal things with a rubber piece on the outside. How do I get them off?

Thanks!

Looking at 3 from the "backside" of the wheel well.


Looking at a different 3 of them from the outside.


PS: If a larger (closer up) picture would help please let me know and I can take more.

Edited by pawn256, 30 March 2006 - 02:32 AM.

[Che'_Moderator]

They are pop-rivets. Drill them out or use nippers to cut the back ends of them off.

[pawn256]

Thanks for the response. (sorry about the wrong forum... my final goal has to do with rerouting an air intake, but yeah, this post shoulda been here).

How do I replace these? (assuming i need too.)

[Che'_Moderator]

Thanks for the response. (sorry about the wrong forum... my final goal has to do with rerouting an air intake, but yeah, this post shoulda been here).

How do I replace these? (assuming i need too.)

You need to buy a pop-riveter and some rivets. You can do that pretty cheap though. Under 20 dollars on ebay or if you shop around for a hand one. Very easy tool to use and loads of uses.

Did a quick search for you:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/POP-RIVET-G...625253599QQrdZ1
And NP about the wrong forum. I do it all the time. I just move my own posts though

[MadeInJapan]

I've seen the pop-revit gun and revits sold as a kit at BigLots....of all places! Cheap too. If you have these stores where you live, might be worth a little trip to their automotive section.

[DVolvoguy850T5]

I've seen the pop-revit gun and revits sold as a kit at BigLots....of all places! Cheap too. If you have these stores where you live, might be worth a little trip to their automotive section.

True that MIJ, $7.99 and comes with the rivets.

That being said, easy way to remove those rivets is to take a chisle wedge it under the head of the rivet and knock it off with a hammer. How ever those rivets are designed to just take a punch and push the centre of the rivet shaft upward and pull the rivet out with a pair of pliers or wire cutters.

You can use aluminium rivets but you will be takeing them out with a drill motor for sure.

^5s

[mbsl98]

best cheap answer for the replacement rivets is actually the dealer. They have the correct black ones with a wide lip(like a washer) that helps keep head from pulling through the plastic. I bought eight of them for around $2. total from the local dealer last year. A cheap hand gun is fine for installing them. Be sure you pick the right size compression fitting - most guns come with two separate fittings that look like hex nuts with a small hole in center. One of those is screwed onto the body of the gun as a storage spot, while the other is installed in the spot where you insert the rivet stem into the compression arm of the gun. If the hole there is not large enough for your new rivets, you just need to swap to the other size. Mostly, two sizes take care of most rivets in the size ranges we use.