I bought rack to mount my motorcycles to that bolts to the front of the bed. I can not get between the bed and cab because of all the insulation and plastic shielding.. It uses an M12 size bolt. Normally I would just put a Rivnut in and move on, but you should not mix steel and aluminum. I searched for aluminum Rivnts, but can not find them in an M12. I did find stainless. They say that stainless may also have a problem, since it is steel with nickle added to it.

Has anyone tried this or have a solution to mounting brackets to the front of the bed with bolts?

Thanks!

This is the rack. https://www.discountramps.com/motorc...BoChFcQAvD_BwE

 

Try looking at aircraft supply companies they will have aluminum for sure. Here is just random Fastener supply place that has M12 aluminum https://www.jhpfasteners.com/1.75-ri...4157-l-en.html

 

That's a lot of weight to put on the front bed skin. I'd be concerned about tearing the aluminum, personally.

 

Does the bike support vendor have any recommended instructions on installation?

Part of me says look up taking the bed off - as I don't know it's all that complicated.

BUT - to your specific questions. 1) If you look up an aviation hardware group like Aviall for example - they will sell AN/MS or BMS labeled hardware. Anything that has a BMS number on it should be plenty safe for AL. (BMS = Boeing Material Spec, MS mean Mil-Spec). MS hardware most likely is safe for AL too but some MS hardware is not for aircraft use - reason why I caution that.

M12 it a touch big. OH another reason why you are having some trouble most aviation hardware is SAE sized - so I would consider getting new bolts too that are also MS, BMS, or AN style. To match your new rivnuts.

For your M12 I would suggest using something like a 7/16 - 20 thread bolt and rivnut.

Now I know they make blind rivnuts but they don't have the hold and girp strenth of a standard rivnut plate. So how many bolts goes into this thing?

Next is your bed coated with liner or currently bare? I would want it coated as if it was bare I would suggest some faying compound between your bracket and the bed anyway. (like a light layer of silicone sealant or something. I would use a SS bolt if possible - and look for something that either shows CRSS, or Passivated. or some variant like that. And even then I would dab anti-seize on the threads.

 

Focusr3 Thanks! I just called them, they don't actually stock them, but he did have a product that would work, so thank you!

 

If buying from that company linked - I'd make sure their SS product is a 300 grade product. But I would still want a yellow zinc coat since they seem to offer it.

On thing you can do - after drilling your hole. coat the inside of the hole with chromate primer. you can still get this it's still used in aerospace. Might even come in a spray can. I would use a brush in this case. If you can't get that - get something that is a purpose made AL primer. coat that hole.

wait till dry - put in your blind rivnut.

Pics of the bracket and the mount. ALso where are you thinking of putting this on the bed. There are good and bad places but I suspect you've thought of that already

 

3/8 aluminum rivnuts are available at McMaster. Would be very concerned about using them in the bed front though. Curious what you source has that they say will work? There isn't a blind fastener out there that I would trust. Doing it right would require some reinforcing material on the front of the bed.

 

Yeah I'm not a fan either but provided the holder isn't tieing the bike down and it's only there for stability it might not have so much against it. Still want to see pics of it.

There are places in the bed that are stronger and thicker which would allow for a properly tapped insert (look at how the box link plates are put in). If it was going to hold and tie down the bike - I would want to take the bed off and put a backer or something. Maybe put a full up nutplate in there on a doubler

 

Agree. Pics would help. Without doing a stress analysis, M12 is a lot of bolt so one can only assume it is designed to have a load to match.

 

i use stainless hardware with zinc plated rivnuts never had a issue, i do have some stainless rivnuts as well but i find i cant get them to crimp near as well and for a bit of added security i add some red locktite around the flange so it will never spin (never had one spin with or without locktite) i use rivnuts all the time any questions happy to help.