Best fasteners for metal on metal
#1
11-02-13, 09:51 PM
Best fasteners for metal on metal
I have a Ford E-350 and I want to put a piece of sheet metal over the back windows on the inside so I can put hooks for tools. What's the best way to screw something to metal? Rivets?
I have a box of metal self-drilling hex cap screws
or drilling holes and tapping them?
I will put the fasteners all around the window frame to hold the sheet metal panel really secure the suspension on the E-350 is not the smoothest!!
I have a box of metal self-drilling hex cap screws
or drilling holes and tapping them?
I will put the fasteners all around the window frame to hold the sheet metal panel really secure the suspension on the E-350 is not the smoothest!!
#2
11-03-13, 12:30 AM
Group Moderator
Self drilling screws like the ones you use for ductwork should work fine.
The only problem is you may have to pre-drill or you will have to press hard when putting the screws in. When the screw passes thru the sheet metal it will try to push the sheet metal away from the window frame.
The only problem is you may have to pre-drill or you will have to press hard when putting the screws in. When the screw passes thru the sheet metal it will try to push the sheet metal away from the window frame.
#3
11-03-13, 06:43 AM
RivetNuts!
Check out some of the rivet nuts. Drill a hole, insert, compress, and you have a nice threaded mounted nut embedded in the panel.
Rivetnutsonline.com and Amazon.
If you end up using a lot of them for other projects, the RiveDrill works perfect on just about any drill to set the nuts.
Rivetnutsonline.com and Amazon.
If you end up using a lot of them for other projects, the RiveDrill works perfect on just about any drill to set the nuts.
#4
11-03-13, 07:23 AM
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 4,294
Received 0 Votes
on
0 Posts
Trying to picture how any form of hooks is going to work on a piece of thin sheet metal.
Plus the safety issue of hooks stick out right where you heads going to be slammed back in an accident.
Plus the safety issue of hooks stick out right where you heads going to be slammed back in an accident.
#5
11-03-13, 09:48 PM
I guess I'll go with the self-drilling screws. Seems the fastest way to do it but I love those rivnuts I will have to read more on it and see if I would need some special tools to do it. And regarding the other post those hooks are mostly to hang electrical cords and they are way back in the cargo section of the truck.
#7
11-04-13, 05:29 PM
Not knowing what kind of weight is involved, nor how sound the metal feels in that particular area, if you do use screws, I have sometimes used a small punch to make a pilot hole, rather than a drill. Reason being that a a drill removes metal, whereas a punch flares it back, providing more surface area for the screw to bite into.
