DIY rivnut fitting kit

Wayners

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 5, 2023
417
93
55
Gloucester
I'm not the best presenter in the world! Nor the best video editor..But I thought I'd do a quick video of how I fitted the rivnuts to my bike.
Just used a flat bracket from DIY store bent a bit to hold it all together and drilled frame with 7mm bit.
A mate worked this out after watching many videos on YouTube but could not work out how to hold it all together. Get a purchase on it as he says. He couldn't get a grip of it all but this worked.


 

egroover

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 12, 2016
1,050
635
57
UK
Or just get this kit like I did, and practice a couple on some sheet metal or similar (I used a aluminium step ladder) before drilling the frame

 
  • Like
Reactions: thelarkbox

PC2017

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 19, 2017
1,319
334
Scunthorpe
Which type of battery is it? I have dolphin, and for years was contemplating a rivnut, as the 3(by) drive train was in the way, even with a DIY 1(by) using the 3(by) and removing the derailleur. But then I adopted a folding bike 1(by) drive train & mav-rigged a conversion, now only 6 speed, one had to make sacrifices for progress.

With one cog instead or 3 at the pedals I was able to move the battery mount down to align with both my bottle cage holes, still as per the holes in the rack didn't align but the the screw holding the battery connector to the rack did align so I replaced that with a long bottle cage screw. (if that makes sense) I was one bottle cage hole and a ziptie for about 6-7 years tbf I min issues a part from it slipping and loosening.
20230907_091209 - Copy.jpg20230907_091209.jpg
 

jokskot

Pedelecer
Jul 14, 2018
159
47
76
Or just get this kit like I did, and practice a couple on some sheet metal or similar (I used a aluminium step ladder) before drilling the frame

£14 for a one off seems a lot to spend. I much prefer the OP's solution, which I have used in the past, though I would argue the bracket is unnecessary and I have used just a washer between the rivnut and the nut on the threaded bolt.
 

Wayners

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 5, 2023
417
93
55
Gloucester
I have a yose power battery.

I wondered If I needed the bracket and just tighten up a bolt?

Anyway. It gives an Idea on one way to do it
 

PC2017

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 19, 2017
1,319
334
Scunthorpe
I wondered If I needed the bracket and just tighten up a bolt?
What does the battery look like on, pics; just rack no battery & battery on [close up & full bike] assuming you've got that far.
 

thelarkbox

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 23, 2023
1,252
385
oxon
£14 for a one off seems a lot to spend. I much prefer the OP's solution, which I have used in the past, though I would argue the bracket is unnecessary and I have used just a washer between the rivnut and the nut on the threaded bolt.
when you have a m5 hex headed machine screw perhaps, all mine are 3mm hex key screws, neither me or a manual or an electric impact driver could exert the required torque, I even started looking at the car and motorbike looking for a donor for a hex headed screw.. ended up embellishing the tool collection instead..
 

thelarkbox

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 23, 2023
1,252
385
oxon
my not at all sporty boneshaker of a donor bike had zero bottle holders so i had to add them all :) without securing the riv-nuts a big cable=tie came in handy,

when the lever tool arrived it took seconds to fix what i had spent hours bending allen keys attempting..

when hardware shopping i went for SS and did ask for hex heads but didnt get em and had 3mm allen key screws instead,, Pre-covid i could have wandered the bins selecting my bits n bobs, now you have to ask the lad to go and get em and the back end of the shop is closed off

circa £10 a weeks wait ton get setup for riv-nuts indefinably vs, £0.5-1 a 10mile rnd trip, and having to be the bloke asking for 1 machine screw!!

so i got a new tool ;) and its a treat to use- zero hassle.. and comes with more bottle holder sized rivnuts that u need too.. Horses for courses ;) .
 
  • :D
Reactions: PC2017

Wayners

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 5, 2023
417
93
55
Gloucester
To buy a rivnut tool or make one is just a preference. I've got loads of tools I've only used once like a watch strap link remover. Sometimes it's fun to spend half hour masking something Vs buying.
 

Bikes4two

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 21, 2020
1,016
436
Havant
I spent less than £12 on a rivnut tool so that when I drilled holes in my £££s worth of bike frame, I was confident in the end result - money well spent I'd say.

On the second frame I used the tool on, the frame triangle was tight for a normal power drill so I also bought an angled drill attachement - I might never use either tool again but that matters not as I've got a sound result from using the tools that I did.

53891 53892
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
7,005
3,241
Telford
I'm not conviced by your rack. My spider senses are going off every time I see it. if you were going uphill and hit a big bump, would those cable ties hold? What about a slight re-design:

Squash the end of the tube flat;
make an L-piece out of 2.5mm x 12mm steel strip;
fix one side of the L-piece to the flattened tube with two 6mm screws and bend the other side in line with the front of the seat stays:
drill a hole in that side close to the horizontal line of the flattened tube;
cut two more pieces of the steel strip about three inches long and drill a hole in the middle;
put each strip horizontal either side of the seat stays to make a clamp;
put the L-piece on top of the rearmost horizontal strip and bolt right through so that it's clamped to the seat stays.
53901
 
Last edited:
  • Agree
Reactions: PC2017

Wayners

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 5, 2023
417
93
55
Gloucester
@saneagle
I bought a topeak bicycle pannier rack off eBay. My current rack will get scraped when I get around to swapping it. Was not a good buy.
Thanks for Idea though.

It is solid though with rivnut through bottom. It's the legs that are not good and rack collapsed last week while on rough ground as legs slid down. Was a bodge job tbh. Unlike me..
53902
 
Last edited:

PC2017

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 19, 2017
1,319
334
Scunthorpe
original bottle mount was so low
Aye, mine are too, I got my battery in the early days just as Hailong was appearing, I started with a 36v Dolphin and it took me ages to find a 48v so I could repurpose my 36v if needed. My original trouble with going 48v hailong, a part from trying to sell two ageing 36v's, was bottle cage hole location. Maybe consider a 1 by and remove the front mech, I never used any other gears and it freed space on the left handlebar.
 

Related Articles

Advertisers