I wanted steps from Jeep when I got my Wrangler. But after they were on
order for over a month the dealer here told me they were in the middle of a
manufacturer change and they weren't going to come in (Mar-Apr). I ordered
the plain black steps from Quadratech and those collapsible nuts are
garbage. I only got one to work right and finally took it to a muffler shop
and had the things welded to the frame. As long as an elephant doesn't try
to get in, I should be okay.

One would think if they can create a wheel cover that spins when you stop,
they could design a better system than those stupid crush nuts.

Ed

--
oo oo
,[____],
_-o||||||||o-_
()_)ŻŻŻŻ )_)
1998 Wrangler
2002 Liberty
"Ree-Yees" <ree-yees@forgetit.com> wrote in message
news:H8GcneEPXLvXkpmiXTWJgA@comcast.com...
> The key that finally worked was long bolt->big nut->rivet. It was rough
> torqing that thing to collapse the rivet!
>
> There were only 4 holes on each side to put the rivets that would like up
> with the steps that I saw, and the dealer verified that I would only need
4
> rivets on each side.
>
> So once I held the steps support bars up there the back support bar holes
> didnt line up close enough to get both bolts in :-( Only the far back
hole
> lined up. So I have two bolts on the front of the step and one on the
> back.
>
> I jumped up and down on it and it seems rock solid and it didnt seems to
> move at all undedr my feet, but what do you guys think about only having 3
> bolts in :-( My only other alternative is to drill an extra hole in the
> step bar peice and in the frame.
>
> One step down, and one more to put on. After buying these extra peices I
> only end up saving about $40 from just buying it from jeep, but thats not
> including the $150 for 2 hours of labor they wanted to install them.
>
> Thanks for the rivet nut installation ideas!
> --C
>
>

 

On or about Thu, 3 Jul 2003, Ed of epersons@nospambellsouth.net wrote:

[on rivetnuts]
>
> One would think if they can create a wheel cover that spins when you stop,
> they could design a better system than those stupid crush nuts.

They're a fine system -- if you use the proper tool to set them. I've
tried to do it both ways, with the tool and the use-a-bigger-nut method.
The latter _almost_ works, the former is expensive for an owner with no
other use for the tool.

Harbor Freight, BTW, sometimes offers a setting tool at about 1/3 the
price of the authentic tool -- which is little more than a pop-rivet gun
with replaceable mandrels.