Member Since: 28 Jun 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 89
Upper tailgate gas strut problem, AWOL captive nut.
The ball/socket fitting that the upper tailgate gar strut attached to on the body of the vehicle has become detached. The captive nut that used to hold it is no longer captive. Is there an insert of some kind that I can use to fix this? Recommendations? There's no physical way to access the back of the hole.Smoked swooshy side repeaters
LEDs
Sill protectors
Tinted lights
GAP IID BT 3
LRP Tailgate release
RedTiger Dash Cam
Can't picture it but would a rivnut do the trick?.
Dean
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2011 D4 XS - OBD port protection, RLD spare wheel protector, All LED interiors lights, Timed Climate enabled, iiD tool paired.
2011 D4 Landmark - Stolen from same dealer before I paid for it
2011 D4 GS - Stolen whilst at dealer ... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
1996 300Tdi - Eaten by tin worms
6th Apr 2022 2:01 pm
jamesj74
Member Since: 28 Jun 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 89
Member Since: 28 Jun 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 89
Wonder if I can find the old nut with a strong magnet...Smoked swooshy side repeaters
LEDs
Sill protectors
Tinted lights
GAP IID BT 3
LRP Tailgate release
RedTiger Dash Cam
6th Apr 2022 2:49 pm
jamesj74
Member Since: 28 Jun 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 89
Rivnut lasted a few days and then failed again. Quite a lot of load here I guess. The hole is now 16 mm as the rivnut failure did some damage and I then cleaned it up with a cone cutter. If I stick my finger in the hole I can now feel the reinforcement that the captive nut was using and I suspect the rivnut was only holding against the panel - not strong enough. Will try the coat hanger, washer and nut trick at the weekend... Failing that I think a mig weld or two will be needed.Smoked swooshy side repeaters
LEDs
Sill protectors
Tinted lights
GAP IID BT 3
LRP Tailgate release
RedTiger Dash Cam
Member Since: 09 Jul 2011
Location: Central
Posts: 1787
Remove the tail light unit and have a 'poke' up towards the fixing, what you can do is buy a nut (flanged or plain) glue or weld it to an oversize washer and a wire coat hanger or even welding wire and position it via the tail light area up to where you need it.
When you have it in position you can re attach the pivot bolt using loc-tite. I made a couple of wired/washer/nuts up in different sizes but the first one was perfect, just leave the wire attached inside(I bent it in case it rattled-it didn't)
I've done it, it was a lot easier than I thought and it was still in place when the vehicle was sold after8yrs
14th Apr 2022 3:27 pm
nigethecat
Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4157
Hardware wrote:
Can't picture it but would a rivnut do the trick?
As Dean says, the right size Rivnuts should do the trickI want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!
Corris Grey D4 Commercial SE 2016
Zermatt Sliver 2007 D3 SE manual (gone)
Indus Silver D4 HSE 2015 (gone)
Bonatti Grey D3 HSE 2006 (gone)
White D3 S (LHD) 2007 (gone)
Firenze Red D4 HSE 2014 (gone)
Black RRS 3.6TDV8 2008 (gone)
Rusty Green Defender 110 1997 (gone)
Black FL2 HSE 2013 (gone)
14th Apr 2022 3:54 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Rubber rivnut no good for that job, alloy or steel rivnut is strong enough, but the cars skin is to thin for that sort of loading, so it simply wont last and most likely will cause even more damage.
I reckon Biffysun has the only workable solution.
14th Apr 2022 8:31 pm
jamesj74
Member Since: 28 Jun 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 89
No knuckles were scraped during this procedure. Didn’t have a wire coat hanger, but some 13 amp 3 core did the job. Rubber grommet on order 👍
Smoked swooshy side repeaters
LEDs
Sill protectors
Tinted lights
GAP IID BT 3
LRP Tailgate release
RedTiger Dash Cam
15th Apr 2022 3:22 pm
Biffysun
Member Since: 09 Jul 2011
Location: Central
Posts: 1787
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... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
.
good job, well done 
