Swaging D-nuts into place

[walt jones]

Our Club has a project car that we are working on for the MAFFI Museum. We are now converting a trunk lid into a rumble seat lid. There are factory punched D shaped holes in the top of the lid for D nuts that will take macine screws. These screws will hold the back of the rumble seat to the rumble seat lid.
Does any one know how D-nuts are swaged into their D shaped holes ?

 

[ford3]

a hammer held against the front of the nut and another hammer smacking the nut from behind spreading it into the hole

 

[jw hash]

it is hard enough to get the D nuts in place and not any room to buck them, I just get them in place and have a long screw in them and tack weld them or if it is painted already use some JB weld. you just need to hold them in place until you install the screws

 

[Tinbasher]

Try some 3M Panel Bond. We use it to replace 1/4 panels on damaged cars. To try and hammer the flange on the D-nut with the skin in place is difficult. Panel bond has a 80,000 PSI shear strenght. The same as a steel fusion weld. Alot stronghter then JB weld. Something I've had little luck with.
The Old Tinbasher

 

[Mike V. Florida]

To install D-nuts that are close to the edge, place the D-nut in the hole then put a large ball bearing on the D-nut flange, squeeze the ball bearing into the flange with a heavy duty C-clamp. That will spread the flange part way, then remove the ball bearing and squeeze the flange all the way with the C-clamp.

You can also use a carrage bolt, cut off the head and use it like 1930 coupe uses the ball bearing.

 

[Kevin in NJ]

The common solution is to make a nut plate that matches the hinge. Then you slide it in place. If you are using an original lid you will save a lot of trouble if you use original hinges. The repos are just wrong in all dimensions and will break with any side load.

Original hinges practically self locate. The repos will be a fight.