Should I replace these fender flare rivet nuts?

[Viking Jeeper]

Installing some fender flares I painted and see these rusty factory rivet nuts. I don't like the idea of drilling them out but I think they need to be replaced. I have M5 as well as M6 rivet nuts on hand but I am hesitant to drill. I have also thought about adding rivet nuts where the factory hardware uses the plastic nut behind.

 

[Got4wd]

Leave them, put anti seize and call it a day. More effort to replace them

 

[Cheetokps]

I decided to try and replace all mine, and I must have damaged the sheet metal getting them out because the new ones did not sit right and were spinning from the start. So I have new ones, but they spin. I should have used more loctite on them

Just something to consider, it might end up causing more problems than leaving them now. I planned on replacing the plastic nuts too, but figure its not that hard to just reach behind and grab them so not worth messing them up

 

[Viking Jeeper]

As I look closely there is a hexagon in there. Do these attach in a different way than something like this?

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I planned on replacing the plastic nuts too, but figure its not that hard to just reach behind and grab them so not worth messing them up

The plastic nuts are harder to get to on the rear with the wheel well liner.

 

[Cheetokps]

The plastic nuts are harder to get to on the rear with the wheel well liner.

Yeah true, those rear ones were annoying. I was worried about putting in any more rivnuts after I messed up the front ones, but it might be worth doing it especially for the rear ones.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I decided to try and replace all mine, and I must have damaged the sheet metal getting them out because the new ones did not sit right and were spinning from the start. So I have new ones, but they spin. I should have used more loctite on them

How did you damaged the sheet metal when getting them out.

 

[Cheetokps]

How did you damaged the sheet metal when getting them out.

I'm not sure if I did, but I turned and twisted them around a lot trying to get them out. I wish I took a picture, but the metal looked a little deformed. Since I bought the right sized nutserts that were suggested on here and they were spinning, I figured I might have messed up the metal.

Maybe I just installed the nutserts wrong, it was my first time ever doing it. Although it was pretty simple and I followed the directions on the tool (I got this one with these nutserts)

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I'm not sure if I did, but I turned and twisted them around a lot trying to get them out. I wish I took a picture, but the metal looked a little deformed. Since I bought the right sized nutserts that were suggested on here and they were spinning, I figured I might have messed up the metal.

Maybe I just installed the nutserts wrong, it was my first time ever doing it. Although it was pretty simple and I followed the directions on the tool (I got this one with these nutserts)

I have the same tool and same nutserts. If I have to drill too large for the M5 nutsert I could use M6 but I would prefer to say with the smaller ones.

 

[Cheetokps]

I have the same tool and same nutserts. If I have to drill too large for the M5 nutsert I could use M6 but I would prefer to say with the smaller ones.

Yeah I thought about just drilling a larger hole for the bigger nutserts, but I did not want to mess with it too much anymore and I figured I could just reach to the back with vicegrips for the spinning ones if I ever have to take them off again

 

[Andy-WhiteTJ]

If the nutserts are tight on the fender, use a tap to clean up the threads and then use anti-seize on the screws.

 

[primetime4]

I recently redid my flares and replaced the nutserts with stainless. Mine were all rusted out and spun as I removed the flares. I just dremeled a cross into each and punched them out with a screwdriver with no damage to the sheet metal. I replaced them with the closest option to the existing hole using red locktite to install. I wouldn’t worry about the hex shape as the pressure on a new nutsert is more than enough to keep it from spinning but definitely recommend replacing them.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

If the nutserts are tight on the fender, use a tap to clean up the threads and then use anti-seize on the screws.

None of them are spinning (although I don't have all flares off), just thinking of the rust.

 

[SSTJ]

Yep, like @primetime4 said, the hex shape of the hole just helps the nutsert not to spin when it gets squeezed into place. I like @primetime4 's way of removing them without any damage to the sheet metal.

But, if they are not spinning, you could just use a bore-brush to clean out the threads well, and then use a nutsert tool to tighten them in place, to prevent slipping in the future. You could also add some loctite or something to seal/glue them into place in the sheet metal. But I wouldn't do that unless you felt good about the shape that the threads are in.

 

[Viking Jeeper]

I just dremeled a cross into each and punched them out with a screwdriver with no damage to the sheet metal.

Cant they just be drilled out?

 

[primetime4]

Cant they just be drilled out?

You can but it came out easier and cleaner dremeling because of the hex shape. Drilling would have rounded everything out a bit and mine spun easily so it would have taken some work.