Plastic rivets and rivet gun-must have tools for the WK

[Scottina06]

Plastic Jeep rivets-used in various locations on the WK. Mostly on the bumpers, side skirts and wheel wells. You will need both of these parts if you remove your bumpers, side skirts, wheel well liners, fenders etc. The ChryCo part # for the rivets is 6500911.
plastic rivet(some websites call them nylon rivets)
http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt209/scottina06WK/rivet.jpg
Plastic rivet tool needed to set the rivets-
http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt209/scottina06WK/rivetgun.jpg

[White WK Swagga]

I was thinking of doing this thread too Scott. Kudos to you. Great minds think alike. I popped one off then I was doing my hid fogs. I got a plastic push rivet from lowes for now but nothing beats the OEM. I just ordered 50 rivets off of ebay but I want to check Lowes to see if they sell the gun.

[Scottina06]

I checked everywhere here locally...finally ordered from ebay for $25

[B.P.O.D]

this deserves a sticky:)

[Scottina06]

we have too many stickies in this forum....the first page is gonna be ALL stickies....LOL

[robpp]

x2 on that

[DirtyBlackJeepSRT]

I hate plastic rivets! :slapfight:

[TimmyB]

I was looking for the plastic rivet gun awhile back. I found one from a supply warehouse by googleing plastic rivet tool seliing for about 20 shipped. But I was too impatient to wait for shipping when I got my side skirts I set them by hand. They all came out very tight, still in the tight from months ago no issues. If your either cheap, or cant wait for shipping, which I happen to be both, it can def be done by useing pliers and a closed end wrench.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC01956.jpg

I worked the rivet first to soften the plastic where the tabs bend.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC01955.jpg

Held the head of the rivet tight up to the piece being riveted while pulling the pin out with pliers.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC00045.jpg

All installed, leaveing the pins on where the rivets dont show. The visible ones I clipped off the pins.

[TimmyB]

When I was doing my grill swap I ordered new fasteners off someone on ebay, he had all types and sizes of fasteners. I got a box of 50 of the same fasteners for about the same price of 2 oem fasteners. I even emailed him with the part number and he found me the exact ones I needed. I also got a box of 100 interior panel trim fasteners from him too cheap.

[Scottina06]

yeah....theres websites that sell the rivets a lot cheaper than the dealer.....

[NHWK05]

we have too many stickies in this forum....the first page is gonna be ALL stickies....LOL

Do a sub forum for the Grand Cherokee section just for stickies.

[TimmyB]

Is there even a How-To section on here? A section to go in and find accurate info, like diagrams and install instructions would be great. For example i was in a thread recently and someone happened to post a link to a mopar site where you type in the year and make and it had the complete wireing color code for the whole WK basically. If I didnt stumble up on it i'd never of known about it. I already used it twice in a week.

http://dto.vftis.com/mopar/main.asp

[TeamCherokee06]

Can you use aluminum rivets?I've been using them for years working on stock cars and I know they hold like a champ.

[TimmyB]

Can you use aluminum rivets?I've been using them for years working on stock cars and I know they hold like a champ.


The metal rivets they sell at Homedepot and hardware stores have small heads, the plastic rivets are typically larger. The holes on the plastic parts on these WK's are large diameter. I came across the push in pin type plastic fasteners, like the ones on the grill on the WK just different sizes and lenghts that would prob work just as good. Just have to know the hole diameter and depth when your ordering.

Zip ties and duct tape works wonders as well. Lol. On my last 95 GC the weld along the front edge of the hood was so rusted the upper and lower seperated so I ran duct tape across the front to the sides, to keep the hood from popping up. I happen to find a hood the exact same color at a junk yard for like 75 bucks so i got that after awhile. :thumbsup:

[TeamCherokee06]

The do make a small,medium and large head rivets as well Timmy.

[TimmyB]

The do make a small,medium and large head rivets as well Timmy.


I know, but when I was looking around at the metal ones the back part of them, where they compress and split did not appear to be that wide enough to be able to catch around the large holes in the plastic parts. meaning if you use a metal rivet the piece will just fall off basically because the metal rivet is not wide enough. Thats only going off the sizes i found at hardware stores, and even grainger. You can tell the difference of the sizes between plastic and metal rivets just with the guns/setters they use. The ones for metal rivets are too small to accept the pins of the plastic rivets, I tried them all.

Look on the packaging of the metal rivets, and they list the hole needed to be drilled for the rivets to go thru and be set. The sizes are no where near those on the plastic parts.

[TeamCherokee06]

Ok,I get what you are trying to say...I just don't trust plastic lol.

[Scottina06]

you better gid rid of any vehicle nowadays then

[TeamCherokee06]

I know Scotty,I know that it's just impossible to get away from plastic but when it comes to fasteners I rather replace with metal.

[Scottina06]

all the metal rivets like your talking about have small heads....and wont they rust?

[White WK Swagga]

Knowing myself I'll prob will remove things to do mods or clean and I'd rather cut the plastic ones off and replace them than the metal. But I know what you mean with the security of metal rivets. But if something goes wrong, the plastic rivets will break off and sometimes will do less if not any damage to your vehicle. But if the metal ones hold stronger you may tear/crack the bumper/fender/etc...

[TimmyB]

Not sure why you want to use metal, but ok. Usually arent the metal rivets used when fabbing body panel and welding then together. I'd luv to see a metal rivet the size of these plastic ones on the side skirts, would need alot of pressure to set those suckers on, and then a grinder to ever remove them.

[TimmyB]

all the metal rivets like your talking about have small heads....and wont they rust?


They sell different kinds, galvanized shouldnt rust out. I dont think aluminum will either. But I really dont think he has actually removed a piece off a WK to see what we are talking about, how the holes to set the fasteners thru are large.

[TimmyB]

Ok,I get what you are trying to say...I just don't trust plastic lol.


Well you should trust plastic. The whole WK is held together with plastic fasteners. I went thru the trouble of find a few specs on the plastic rivets noted above. pull out resistance is around 50lbs and shear load is around 75lbs. So thats a typical fastener of that size, times 9 I think for the total number of rivets used for the side skirts, so 450lbs. Thats plenty to hold the side skirt on.

http://www.itw-fastex.com/panel-fasteners.html


Last week I pulled into a spot then some guy came and parallel parked in front of me, no word of a lie the guy hit me 3 times because the spot was the same size as his car basically. At first I was turned around reaching into my laptop back in the back seat and thought I felt the car move but didnt think anything of it, then when I turned around sure enough the guys backing up again and pushes my car back a little, I lay in the horn and get out and as im walking to his window the guy backs into my car again. I start screaming and he looks at me and says he didnt even know and asked if theres any damage, as he is still pressed against my bumper. Told him to get off my bumper so i can see, but there didnt appear to be any damage since he hit my licence plate. Boston sux because of ignorant people like him that cannot drive and doesnt get you shouldnt be pushing cars when trying to fit in a spot. Ok, enough of my ranting. The point of my story is I had a guy pushing my bumper in with his car and none of the plastic fasteners broke, so they def can handle alot of pressure.

[TimmyB]

Here's one place online that sells all types of plastic rivets. If you get the dimensions of the part your attaching im sure you can find a push pin type of locking fastener instead of the rivet type, like the ones used on the grill.

http://www.itw-fastex.com/panel-fasteners.html

[B.P.O.D]

wow crazy story!!!

my stupid question of the day- why do u have to replace the rivets if they aren't broken? do they get weaker every time you take them in and out? thanks:)

ex. rivets that hold the grill on. removed those a few times and reused them and no issues for me

[Scottina06]

look at the rivet Irf....you insert it in the hole and the rivet setter pulls the center rod up and that expends the rear of the rivets making it spread out and tighten against whatever your trying to keep attached. You then break the center rod off flush with the cap. Believe me...these babies if installed properly arent going anywhere. I had to cut them off my front bumper I just removed. They are a one use item....

[TimmyB]

wow crazy story!!!

my stupid question of the day- why do u have to replace the rivets if they aren't broken? do they get weaker every time you take them in and out? thanks:)

ex. rivets that hold the grill on. removed those a few times and reused them and no issues for me


For some reason when I took my grill off the first time to see if the trim can be removed I guess when I put the fasteners back in place 3 of them got screwed up and the part that flares outwards got bent. But like with the door panels I had them off already and the plastic clips are fine to use again, I went and bought a box of 100 just in case. Think it was like 10 bucks shipped off ebay. They are after all plastic, and plastic isnt made to be bent back and forth, so removing and re-installing them alot will cause them to fail.

Oh, and to clarify, all "rivets" will need to be cut off and replaced, because how they work and are set. The fasteners and clips on the other hand can be re-used if removed properly.

[B.P.O.D]

ok cool sounds like ill have to buy some:) hehe thanks guys!

[lll2for3lll]

Here you can get 50 for $13.

http://www.autobodysupplies.com/rivets3.htm

[eltroker]

Thanks!

[Yadkin]

They sell different kinds, galvanized shouldnt rust out. I dont think aluminum will either. But I really dont think he has actually removed a piece off a WK to see what we are talking about, how the holes to set the fasteners thru are large.

Galvanized may bust the plastic parts that you are assembling. Aluminum on a steel body will corrode quickly as it will become a sacrificial anode.

Resistance is futile! Accept the plastic collective.

[guitarguy2186]

harbor freight has the tool and rivets for under 20$, or you can just get allot of rivets and use a interior molding tool on the top of the rivet and angle pull off that with some wire cutters then cut off the excess. Just easier to use the tool

[Yadkin]

I'd rather spend more and get a quality tool.

[guitarguy2186]

depends on the tool. id never pay extra for something like a plastic rivet tool, not really something that gets abused enough to need "high quality"

[lll2for3lll]

I bought the rivet gun from the site in the first post. I think I paid $20 or $15 for it. It's pretty solid. For real.

[Yadkin]

I just bought a dozen bags of push-on plastic fasteners and now they come up with something new....

[DAVY27]

I was looking for the plastic rivet gun awhile back. I found one from a supply warehouse by googleing plastic rivet tool seliing for about 20 shipped. But I was too impatient to wait for shipping when I got my side skirts I set them by hand. They all came out very tight, still in the tight from months ago no issues. If your either cheap, or cant wait for shipping, which I happen to be both, it can def be done by useing pliers and a closed end wrench.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC01956.jpg

I worked the rivet first to soften the plastic where the tabs bend.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC01955.jpg

Held the head of the rivet tight up to the piece being riveted while pulling the pin out with pliers.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/tdiglar78/DSC00045.jpg

All installed, leaveing the pins on where the rivets dont show. The visible ones I clipped off the pins.


this man is a genious!