Hey everyone, I’m Jake, and I’ve been working as a rivet nuts supplier for the last 8 years—spent most of that time troubleshooting install headaches with clients, especially when it comes to rubber materials. Let’s be real: rubber’s not like metal. It stretches, it compresses, and if you rush the install, you’ll end up with loose rivets or cracked rubber that’s way worse than not installing one at all. I’ve seen so many people skip key steps just to “get it done fast,” and that’s where mistakes happen. Today, I’m breaking down how to do it right, using stuff I’ve learned from fixing other people’s botched jobs and testing our own products on different rubber types. Rivet Nuts
First, let’s cut to the chase: rubber’s a weird material. It’s flexible, so it doesn’t hold a threaded hole like aluminum or steel. That means a regular bolt won’t grip it tight unless you use a rivet nut (also called a blind nut or rivnut—yeah, we use “rivnut” around the office all the time) to create a solid thread anchor. The goal here is to deform the rivet nut’s flange or barrel so it locks into the rubber without tearing or compressing the rubber too much. I’ve had clients come to me after using a standard rivnut on EPDM rubber for a truck canopy, and it pulled right out when they tightened the bolts. Turns out, they didn’t pick the right rivnut for the rubber’s hardness. That’s step one: pick the correct rivnut for your rubber.
Wait, let’s get specific. Not all rubber is the same. There’s soft stuff like silicone or neoprene (that’s the squishy gasket rubber, super common for seal applications), medium like EPDM (truck parts, window seals), and hard stuff like nitrile or butyl (hoses, automotive mounts). For soft rubber (Shore A hardness under 60), you want a rivnut with a wide, flat flange—this spreads the force out so you don’t punch through the rubber. For medium rubber (60-80 Shore A), a standard flange works, but make sure the barrel length is just a little longer than the rubber’s thickness. For hard rubber (over 80 Shore A), go with a toothed or knurled barrel—those little teeth dig into the rubber, so the rivnut doesn’t spin when you tighten the bolt. I keep a cheat sheet at work for this, and it’s saved so many guys from wasting money on the wrong parts.
Next, prep work. This is the part most people skip, and it’s the difference between a install that lasts 6 months and one that lasts 5 years. First, measure your rubber thickness exactly. If the rubber is 1/4 inch thick, a rivnut with a 3/8 inch barrel is too long—you’ll have extra barrel sticking out the back that can’t deform, so it’ll just pull through. If it’s too short, the flange won’t sit flat, and you’ll get a gap that lets water in (huge for outdoor stuff like RVs or boat parts). Then, mark your hole location. Use a center punch—don’t just draw it with a pen. Rubber’s slippery, so the drill bit will wander otherwise. I’ve had a guy drill a hole 1/2 inch off because he didn’t mark it right, and he had to patch the rubber and start over.
Drilling the hole. This is where a lot of people mess up the size. You can’t drill a hole that’s too big or too small. Too big, and the rivnut won’t grip the rubber. Too small, and you’ll have to force it, which stretches the rubber and makes it crack. What size do you use? That depends on the rivnut’s diameter. For example, a 10-24 rivnut (super common size) needs a hole that’s .281 inches. I always tell clients: check the rivnut’s spec sheet (we give this to every customer who orders, no extra charge) for the recommended drill size. If you don’t have a spec sheet, a quick rule of thumb is: for the rivnut’s minor diameter, drill a hole 5-10 thousandths of an inch smaller? Wait no, wait—wait, no, for rubber, it’s the opposite. Rubber’s elastic, so you want the hole just a hair smaller than the rivnut’s barrel. For soft rubber, make the hole about 90% of the barrel’s outer diameter. For example, if the rivnut barrel is .312 inches, drill a .280 inch hole. Test it: push the rivnut through the hole by hand. If it won’t go, drill 1/32 inch more. If it goes too easy, you need a smaller bit. Trust me, test on a scrap piece of rubber first—don’t drill your good part.
Also, slow down when drilling. Rubber melts if you spin the drill too fast, especially soft silicone. Set your drill to low speed (around 1,000 RPM for small holes) and go easy on the pressure. If you feel the rubber start to tear, stop—you’re pushing too hard. And wipe the drill bit often—rubber shavings build up on it, which make it slip. Once you drill the hole, deburr the edges, both front and back. Use a deburring tool or even a small piece of sandpaper. Burrs on the hole will catch the rivnut and make it hard to set, and they can tear the rubber when you do.
Now, the actual install. There are two main ways to set a rivnut in rubber: hand tool and pneumatic tool. I use hand tools for small jobs, like a guy who’s putting a few rivnuts in a kayak. Pneumatic is for big production, like a factory making window seals. Let’s start with hand tools, since that’s what most hobbyists or small shops use.
First, insert the rivnut into the hole. Make sure the flange is sitting flat on the front side of the rubber—if it’s sticking sideways, it won’t set right. Grab your hand rivet tool (the kind with two jaws that clamp onto the rivnut’s internal threads). Squeeze the tool until the rivnut’s barrel deforms. Don’t squeeze too hard—wait, how do you know when to stop? Watch the flange: once it’s pressed tight against the rubber, and the barrel on the back side is expanded evenly, stop. If you squeeze too hard, you’ll crack the rubber, especially soft silicone. I’ve seen a guy squeeze so hard on a neoprene gasket that it split right next to the rivnut—cost him a whole gasket. If it feels like the tool’s not moving, stop, release, and try again a little lighter.
For pneumatic tools, it’s similar, but faster. Line the tool’s mandrel up with the rivnut, pull the trigger, and it pulls the mandrel, expanding the barrel. The same rules apply: stop when the flange is flat and the barrel is expanded. Pneumatic tools are good for consistent installs, but don’t crank the pressure too high—100 PSI is usually enough for rubber. Higher pressure will just damage the rubber.
Wait, what about adhesive? Some people add a little rubber adhesive to the hole before inserting the rivnut. Is that a hack? Yeah, for soft rubber that’s super stretchy, like silicone. The adhesive adds extra grip, so the rivnut won’t pull out. But don’t use too much—if adhesive gets on the rivnut’s threads, it can make it hard to put bolts in later. I recommend a thin coat, just enough to coat the hole walls, not glob it. Test it on scrap again, obviously.
Now, common mistakes to avoid. Let’s list these because I’ve seen every single one. First, using the wrong rivnut length. Too long, and the back of the barrel sticks out, so when you tighten the bolt, it presses on that extra barrel and can crack the rubber. Too short, and the flange doesn’t sit flat, so water gets in (if it’s outdoor, that’s rust city). Second, drilling the wrong hole size. I mentioned this, but it’s worth repeating. A hole that’s too big means the rivnut can’t grip, so it spins or pulls out. A hole that’s too small means you force the rivnut, stretch the rubber, and it tears over time. Third, not deburring. Burrs catch the rivnut, make it set uneven, and tear the rubber. Fourth, rushing the install. I’ve had guys set a rivnut in 2 seconds, and it’s loose 2 weeks later. Take your time, check the flange is flat, the barrel is expanded evenly.
Another thing: testing the install. Once you’re done, push the rivnut side to side. If it moves, you messed up. Either the hole was too big, or you didn’t expand the barrel enough. If it spins, that’s from the barrel not deforming evenly—you probably squeezed the tool at a weird angle. If the rubber is cracked, you either used too much force on the tool, or the rivnut was too long. Fix that before you put the part into service.
Now, when do you need a specialty rivnut? If you’re working with super soft rubber, like foam rubber for exercise equipment, you can use a rivnut with a nylon insert? No, wait, no—use a blind rivnut with a heavy flange, or even a threaded insert that’s made for soft materials, but we sell rivnuts that work great for foam too. For hard rubber, like nitrile hoses, a toothed barrel is non-negotiable—those teeth dig into the rubber so the rivnut doesn’t spin when you tighten the clamp. I’ve seen a hose clamp come loose because someone used a standard rivnut on hard rubber, so trust the spec sheet here.
Wait, let’s talk about maintenance, too. Once the rivnut is installed, you don’t have to do much, but if you’re in a harsh environment (saltwater, extreme temps), check it once a year. Rubber can degrade over time, so the rivnut might start to get loose. Tighten the bolt a little, or if it’s really loose, drill it out and install a new rivnut. Don’t just crank the bolt harder— that’ll crack the rubber.
I know a lot of people think installing rivnuts in rubber is a pain, but once you get the hang of it, it’s way easier than gluing or using bolts that won’t grip. And if you mess up, don’t panic—we sell replacement rivnuts, and we’re always here to help if you’re not sure. A lot of suppliers will just send you a product and leave you to figure it out, but not us. We’ve got a team that’ll answer questions at 7 PM if you’re working on a project last minute.
If you’re working on a project right now—whether it’s a boat, a truck, a custom kayak, or even a piece of exercise equipment—make sure you’ve got the right rivnut. Don’t guess on size or type. If you need to grab some, hit us up for a quote, and we’ll send you the right ones, plus a little cheat sheet specific to your rubber type. No weird hoops to jump through, no hidden fees. Just a good product and a team that knows this stuff inside and out.
Wait, let’s wrap this up. Installing rivnuts in rubber isn’t complicated, but it does take a little attention to detail. Pick the right rivnut, prep the hole right, drill at the right speed, set it evenly, and test it. Skip those steps, and you’ll end up with a headache. If you ever get stuck, reach out—we’re here to make this easy for you. Don’t waste time messing up a good project; get the right rivnuts from people who’ve been doing this for years.
Hex Fasteners References
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers. "Fastening in Elastomeric Materials." Manufacturing Processes for Engineering Materials, 7th ed., 2020.
- Rivet Nut Technical Association. "Best Practices for Installing Rivnuts in Soft and Hard Elastomers." Technical Bulletin 114, 2021.
- Rubber Manufacturers Association. "Guidelines for Hole Preparation in Elastomeric Components." RMA Technical Report 42, 2019.
- Automotive Body Parts Association. "Fastening Solutions for Rubber Seals and Mounts." ABPA Workshop Manual, 2022.
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