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Roof Marker Light 'RIV NUTS' ==How do you get them out?
Hummer H3For the Hummer driver who wants the rugged look and off road capabilities of the Hummer, but in a smaller size and with a more fuel economy friendly engine.
If they are true riv-nuts, and the same style used in aviation, you drill the top flange off, then using a punch push them through the back. Same as removing a rivet.
They are not a rivet, they are a rivet nut or for short rivnut.
"A rivet nut, also known as a blind rivet nut, or rivnut, is a one-piece internally threaded and counterbored tubular rivet that can be anchored entirely from one side. It is a kind of threaded insert."
Unless stripped or the mounting surface is cracked, you unscrew a rivnut to remove it. If when you try to unscrew it it does not loosen, then you have to drill them out. If lucky, they may pull out if the mounting surface is badly damaged.
There are some threads here regarding them, problems associated with the roof marker light use, and roof rack rail use of them as well. Pics in this thread. H3 leaking without a sunroof
Im not aure why the recommendation from everyone i’ve heard from is to drill them out; but what I can tell this forum is get the M6-1.0 mandrel for a rivnut install tool and re work the installed rivnut by threading the mandrel through the nut and squeezing the handle hard.
Ive actually got a lot of experience with rivnuts, aluminum and steel, and its not rocket surgery, so im curious why no else has recommended this as a fix.
Full disclosure I have yet todo this repair on my truck, but I am nearly certain itll work
For less than double that single mandrle you can get the double handed setter and a whole range of mandrels, including the M6.0-1 for the roof marker rivnut, for $48 from Amazon
