**** CLOSED **** Redline Tuning 20% off Hood QuickLIFT systems Group Buy! Ends May 31th!

Are they rubber coated? If not? Yes they’ll work but you’ll mare the crap out of the surface area it kisses once the hole is bored...if it’s metal, then imagine a circular mare, that’s the same diameter as the drill stop. I actually am glad I used the thick gorilla tap. Held on just fine, did all 4, and it probably only mashed about 1/32 of the tape...pretty much worked perfectly. However, a centerpunch tool is highly recommended, I’d almost say mandatory to get this right. I center punch each hole mark before drilling about 3 times to make sure the drill bit never wanders..don’t even try it without it. Maybe a couple small taps with a sharp nail and hammer (very light taps as to not bend any sheet metal) may also work if it can put a tiny dimple on your mark..

 

Will a cheapo rivet gun work ok for these?

 

Ordered. I just had to pull the trigger on this. The savings will be going towards extra beer for the upcoming long weekend.

 

Way cool @jayrobot !!!! Thanks for posting up. I ran outta time, had some too many other things on my plate. This Friday is my day unless I get home early one night before. So it sounds like it was a complete success. How did the rivet gun work out for you? Did you eat any spinach before Popeye?

 

It sounds like any rivet gun will work as long as you have the strength. These are 3/16" steel rivets, not 1/8" aluminum.

 

Yup! I ordered one off Amazon linked above for $12 but you can get it from harbor freight for $4.99 and then apply thier 20% offcoupn they have all over the place...however, you need a lot of strength, I was using two hands and had to take a break after doing the first 7 of 8...hands felt like they got carpe tunnel.

Seems like you’ve riveted before...spinach wasn’t enough...I think I had divine powers that day...

This is true.

 

anyone know if these will interfere with a fuse panel mount? thinking of mounting a switchpros on panel and wondering if they will hinder the panel mounting. Thanks

 

They mount pretty flush to the fender so if you're not up on it you are good. I have seen them interfere with the CAI, but they just modify it to make it work.

 

Yea, I have done some, and even the aluminum ones will wear you out if you do enough of them, and you are not use to it. Just like anything else I guess. This weekend was the first time since last year using the weed eater. I am getting too old for this crap! Time to look for a condo and let someone else do the yard work. LOL

 

So there is a little more clarity, you tried to tap the rivet into the hole with a hammer? Or you did what the guy in the video did and used a flat head to tap the rivet on the flanged collar part to get it into the hole? I expected them to be tight but not that tight! I mean, no one should be reaming the holes out to make them fit easier because rivets are all about tight tolerances but damn. Oh, I know what I wanted to ask, did you prep the holes with paint or anything? I have some touch up paint I was going to use. Or silicone.

 

Think he means the little metal collar that is on the shock parts top and bottom. These collars are what hold the shocks to the little balls you just riveted on the truck. Generic photo I found online showing the metal collar/clip I was talking about. It will clamp onto the metal balls. You can see a little slot where you can put a screwdriver in and pull it back a little so that it goes on the ball easier then you can release it to let it clamp on.

 

Ok, that makes more sense now. I thought there was a clip retainer or something that locked onto the ball. Cool, thanks!

 

Bingo, that’s exactly what I was talking about, don’t try to pop them in, you need to use a flat head to pry the clamp collar then insert in, then release the flat head.

 

I ordered the struts the first day the GB was open. I just received my struts today and was excited to install them.. Worst install instructions I have ever seen for something that should be so simple. I guess I expected more from a manufacturer that has been in this business for so long. I find it hard to believe I am the first one to have any problems with this installation.
To start with, who takes installation pictures of black components mounting on a black truck? Pictures were totally useless.
The brackets are unmarked so its just a guess as to which one goes where, hood or fender. I installed the first one on the hood and noticed it did not span the crush zone, so yes it was the wrong one. Looking for some steel rivets so I can correct that. I decided to go ahead and install the fender brackets, but I cannot determine where on my 2013 to begin the fender measurements. Again black on black photos, no visible point of reference for the measurement
The only good picture was on the last page, and guess what, white truck with black struts so you could actually see how they go on, big picture wise.
I am looking for some steel rivets now and I may attempt the install again, but not sure if they are really worth the trouble.They may be on the "for sale" thread later.

 

That’s a whole different issue that I experienced. The tolerance on some of the rivets versus the holes on the bracket hardware is too tight in some cases to insert by hand, let alone the drilled hole, so yes, I used a flat head and hammer to tap the rivet surface (black part) into the holes on half of them. For those new at this, do not hammer them in using the steel pin on top of the rivet. To me that part was common sense but not be to non engineers/technical people. In the video posted earlier in this thread, the guy even makes that clear.

 

Nice, glad you brought this up!!!! I would have screwed the pooch!

 

Damn Bro, sorry to hear this. I guess shit can go wrong for anyone, not just me.......I would find those rivets and try again.
I did like opening and closing my buddies hood with them installed a lot more than the OEM setup. Don't give up. You should be able to drill the rivets out and start over.

 

Ok, just wondering about this as well. Thanks!

 

Yea I can't believe @RedlineTuning totally forgot to mention that in the second to last step...I'm not sure how many others made this mistake as well and potentially boched their install...I mean I was nearly at the finish line and then spent the same amount of time measure, drilling, painting, letting paint dry, riveting as I did trying to rebend the collar clamp...I was VERY pissed.

So advice to all, look at the last step, that is also how YOU INSTALL THEM, NOT ONLY REMOVE them. I was under the impression they pop on, but to remove, you would use a flat head. WRONG. Flat head required to PUT THEM ON and TO REMOVE THEM...am I the only idiot here that experienced this? I don't know about others but I normally follow instructions VERY WELL, to a TEE, and unfortunately in this case, I followed it TOO WELL.

 

I ordered a set of 3rd gen struts for mine and 2nd gens for my uncles and will agree that the 2nd gen instructions leave a lot to be desired. They did wise up on the 3rd gen instructions as they used a red truck. It is also important to note that there are some subtle difference between the 2nd and 3rd gen instructions. Both seem to have the longer bracket on the hood and the shorter on the fender and both use the hood hinge for the starting point for the hood mount the but the similarities pretty much end there.

- The ball on the hood mount is facing the engine on the 2nd gen and outwards on the 3rd gen.
- The fender mount location is measured from a bolt on the 2nd gens and the 3rd gen uses the fender support as a reference point.
- The 2nd gen kit uses screws for the fender mount where the 3rd gen is all rivets (instructions say you CAN use rivets on the 2nd gen but they're not included as they feel it's difficult to use a rivet gun there).