Rivets on side bags

[HaulinAshe]

Flame away! I know there's bound to be a pre-existing thread about the rivet sizes, replacing them etc.

I recently posted a suggestion to use stainless steel rivets when replacing the side bag hinge rivets. That was bad advice and what I learned in the process seemed almost worthy of a separate repost. So here it is with some revisions.

Being the good friend and all that I am... I went out to the garage and proceeded to tear apart one of my working perfectly side bags. (Actually, it has a scratch that I was considering repainting, but don't tell Heidi that!).

The Yamaha rivets are metric, no surprise there! They are 4.0 mm aluminum. I'm sure someone has the Yami part number and some people find it very easy to obtain such a part.

[SIZE=10pt]*** Revised - Back of my rivet gun case says Arrow makes a RMA5/32 (rivet-medium-aluminum 5/32") that would be a perfect replacement for the metric, if you can find it.[/SIZE]

1/8" rivets are way too small, 3/16" are way too big. If you want to use an easily available 3/16" aluminum rivet, then you must, IMHO:

A. Drill out the existing rivets using a 5/32" drill bit (closest fractional size).

B. Use a large flat screwdriver or similar object to fish out the inner metal reinforcing plate. Note - It is stuck to the inside of the panel with a pretty darn good doublestick tape.

C. Drill all three surfaces (hinge, metal inner plate, sidebag plastic lid) with a 3/16" bit. Drill each of the three separately. I would not recommend trying to drill the plastic and the inner plate in place. You really need to clean out all the debris from the old rivets and get new, accurately sized holes.

I'm going to replace my experimentally screwed-up hinge rivets with 3/16" aluminums. It would take my Yamaha dealer six months to get metric rivets and all the auto parts stores I called said "Huh, metric wrenches???".

 

[twowheelnut]

Er, OK, I'll bite...

Why would you wanna replace the rivets in the first place? Too, all that additional weight of the ss v. al is really gonna slow you down...

 

[SkooterG]

Er, OK, I'll bite...
Why would you wanna replace the rivets in the first place? Too, all that additional weight of the ss v. al is really gonna slow you down...

Repaint Thread

Do try and keep up, okay?

 

[twowheelnut]

Crap, Skooter, that was like a week ago. Do you really expect my Geritol slurping self to remember that long ago? Well, do ya Billy?

And just to do a preemptive strike, don't no one go and smart-ass edit the 'Geritol' spelling.

 

[HaulinAshe]

TWN, I think Scooter is being harsh.

Some folks, myself included, are considering removing the side bag outer cover(s) and shipping them for repainting. Hence the need for anti-riveting. Plus, even if I was considering painting them locally, I would much prefer to have the outer cover removed for painting, than to deal with masking off all that plastic.

 

[Grumpy]

So Jeff, would you consider some color other than BLUE!

Jim

 

[blackarrow]

[SIZE=10pt]*** Revised - Back of my rivet gun case says Arrow makes a RMA5/32 (rivet-medium-aluminum 5/32") that would be a perfect replacement for the metric, if you can find it.[/SIZE]

So what length should the 5/32 rivet be? I've never riveted and would appreciate any tips/gotchas.

 

[RsvlFeej]

Probably exposing my mechanical ineptitude, but why screw with the rivets at all? When I cracked one of the flanges on the back (black plastic) part of the bag, I bought a used bag, moved the hinge keepers out of the way and drove the hinge pins all the way out. Swapped broken for good piece, drove the hinge pins back in, bent the hinge keepers back in place (JB welded the one I managed to crack completely off), and was back in business within half an hour.

 

[blackarrow]

[SIZE=10pt]*** Revised - Back of my rivet gun case says Arrow makes a RMA5/32 (rivet-medium-aluminum 5/32") that would be a perfect replacement for the metric, if you can find it.[/SIZE]

So what length should the 5/32 rivet be? I've never riveted and would appreciate any tips/gotchas.

Duh...I think I understand...medium length. It threw me that it didn't have a numerical value. Bear in mind I have yet to even see one much less have the foggiest idea of how it "works". When I finish this project I'll probably write up a detailed how-to for total newbies to this kind of work like myself.

 

[garauld]

OK, when using pop rivets, you need to ensure that the rivet is long enough to properly fasten all the layers of material. From looking at my bag, it looks like the thickness of the lid, hinge, bag and backing plate combined is approx. 1/4". In looking at the McMaster-Carr catalog, a .545" long rivet (p/n 97447A040) has a grip range of .251 - .375" - this is what I would have chosen. So, in summary, I would look for a 5/32" dia aluminum rivet that has a body 1/2" long under the head. B)

 

[ELP_JC]

Haven't scrutinized a bag, but if I was to drill out the original rivets for whatever reason, I'd find a way to install allen bolts with nylock nuts (can't be removed without a wrench on each). Even if space is at a premium, the allen head inside the bags should clear IMO, although the nut outside wouldn't look pretty, but who's going to look under there? And disassembly would take minutes thereafter. Just one more point of view. Later.

JC

 

[sumotony]

OK, when using pop rivets, you need to ensure that the rivet is long enough to properly fasten all the layers of material. From looking at my bag, it looks like the thickness of the lid, hinge, bag and backing plate combined is approx. 1/4". In looking at the McMaster-Carr catalog, a .545" long rivet (p/n 97447A040) has a grip range of .251 - .375" - this is what I would have chosen. So, in summary, I would look for a 5/32" dia aluminum rivet that has a body 1/2" long under the head. B)

I can speak with authority having just replaced a "Garauld" painted lid that the rivets I used are a perfect replacement. They are approximately 1/2" - 5/8" long under the head, and they are 5/32" diameter and have a grip range from 3/16" - 1/4". $1.99 Ace Hardware brand for a package of 20 aluminum rivets.

BTW, excellent paint job on the '07 black cherry lid by Garauld. If you have a scratched lid, save yourself some $$$ and send to Gary.

 

[Groo]

Haven't scrutinized a bag, but if I was to drill out the original rivets for whatever reason, I'd find a way to install allen bolts with nylock nuts (can't be removed without a wrench on each). Even if space is at a premium, the allen head inside the bags should clear IMO, although the nut outside wouldn't look pretty, but who's going to look under there? And disassembly would take minutes thereafter. Just one more point of view. Later.JC

That's exactly what I just got done doing. I got Garauld to repaint my lid (he did a great job), and in place of the drilled out rivets, got 8/32 -1/2" button head SS screws and Nylock nuts. I Dremeled out a bit of the inside liner to give me better access to the inner surface, and the button heads on the outside look almost identical to the rivet heads. Needed an odd sized allen head wrench for the screw, but they only cost $0.40 ea. at the hardware store. Total fixture costs were about $3. A dab of black paint and you'd really have to be looking (and know what to look for) to notice any difference whatsoever. Then, if they ever get scratched again, I can take them off in a flash.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Axeman]

Thanks for the posts everyone. I am putting a new cover on my 1st gen hard bag. The rivets are 5/32 or 4mm. Thanks

Axeman