Rivet Nut for Dash Mount?

Has anyone ever tried using a rivet nut through the radio surround as a dash mount? Thinking a single one in 1/4-20 to mount a RAM ball for my cell phone mount. I'm tired of replacing magnetic plates and other solutions every few months when they come off the dash.

It seems like there are plenty of solutions out there that mount to the radio surround in some capacity, usually just securing the plate with a couple of screws with no backing.

 

You think maybe hitting the rivet nut with some sort of epoxy on it to give it extra strength?

 

Definitely could work. Where abouts are you thinking on the dash?

 

that was actually exactly what I was thinking. You can put as much as you want on the backside around it.

I’d like to put it on the flat(ish) vertical piece to the right of the radio between the vent. On the lower portion.

 

I like this idea. I typically hate drilling into the surround of the dash but this seems like you’d have enough clean finish that it wouldn’t bother my OCD. I like that it has the possibility of being strong enough to easily hold a phone or small tablet.

 

I’m actually going to get out of bed and go look at my truck dash.

 

I have the original surround for my 2009 in my office downstairs. I currently have a 2015 in my truck to go with the retrofit stereo.

I threw my last “clutch-it” magnetic plate on this evening. I’m sure it won’t last too long given there isn’t a TRULY flat surface to mount it to.

I’d likely go about even or just below the bottom of the radio from a height perspective.

 

How well is the rivnut gonna bite into the plastic w/out spinning?

 

May I make a suggestion and use a Composite Nut Plates. They can be bonded to the underside with Epoxies or VHB tape. You really only need the plate to stay in place while fastening the ball mount down. The positive is you will have a very flush mount and I have had Rivnuts spin and sometimes crack plastics during installation. Another plus is you dont need the Rivnut tool. Just a suggestion and I have not used it for this application.

https://www.electricalhub.com/click-bond-cn614cr420p-cn614cr420p-adhesive-bonded-nutplates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns6EB8idnpQ

 

I wouldn't use a rivnut. Get a ball mount with a 1/4"stud and put a fender washer behind it. The weight of the phone bouncing around is gonna stress the plastic out. You want something behind it to distribute the load over a larger surface area.

 

BINGO! Rivnuts are for when it’s difficult or impossible to get to the back side and you have multiple fasteners holding something onto metal. Using 1 rivnut in plastic is just asking for failure.

 

It's most likely going to require some sort of 3 dimensional sheet metal backing plate regardless. There isn't a large enough flat area back there to use a fender washer of significant size. You could use a thing gauge sheet metal and trim to fit to disperse the weight over a large surface area.

 

Sort of what the bird dawg guys use on the tech deck heavy duty version.

 

Basically, that is my thought, whether I go the route of a rivet insert of just bolt one through.

 

@justinh I'm using this. It's a lil bouncy sometimes but the phones never popped out
Check this thread out.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ram-mount-feeler.476890/

 

I know sometimes it feels like I (we) are re-inventing the wheel, but sometimes it's just worth exploring the other possibilities. I had the teck deck and it was by far the strongest ram solution I've seen for the 2005-2011 2nd gens. I just didn't love the location. I know it works for most guys and I could probably adapt. I just didn't love it. I have a panavise with a ram mount for my phone, but I do want a solution for an iPad mini so that I can have it available while exploring trails and using All Trails or GAIA GPS. I wish the expedition essentials TPM solution worked on my 2007.

 

@Larzzzz those aren’t available any longer, right? I’ve seen those and long considered them, I have this complex with blocking the removal of the HVAC controls (regardless of how frequently I actually remove them). It’s definitely not a big deal but has been enough to keep me looking for better options.

@trdtacojef - agree. Mounting location has been my issue with all the other solutions. I’m not really interested in cluttering up the center stack or blocking parts of it.

May the moment I’m using a clutch it mag mount which has by far been the best solution I’ve personally used. My magnet is placed just below the passenger side center vent and the double articulating arm allows me to position in a great spot where I don’t have to look too far down to see it like you would in a cup holder mount and it doesn’t block anything.

 

My solution for my iPad.

I didn’t want to clutter the console either because it’s a 6 speed











It’ll flex up to radio height

You can see my phone mount in the last picture too

 

4 screws isn't much to get at the HVAC controls. He provided mounting hardware and the nut was actually a plate, dropped and tapped.

@Lostsheep you got any of those mounts left?

 

Rivnuts and glue on ClickBond fasteners, I have installed many, and replaced many that failed on aircraft.

If installing a rivnut in soft plastic, pretty much you will need a washer on each side and cinch the plastic as a sandwich, both for extra support and friction to prevent the Rivnut from spinning.

ClickBond fasteners do work well. They will glue to about anything, but how long they remain attached is a bit subjective of the material being bonded to.

The recent post with the goose neck mount looks sweet. No doubt more costly, but also more versatile.