Round Body Rivet Nuts (Smooth)
What are round body smooth rivet nuts? Round body smooth rivet nuts have a plain cylindrical shank with no ribs, knurls, or flats. They install into an ordinary round drilled hole and grip by friction, with the collapsed bulge behind the panel clamping the material and the compressed body pressing outward against the hole wall. That simplicity is the appeal: no special hole preparation, no hex punch, just a drill bit. AlbanyCountyFasteners.com stocks thickwall smooth rivet nuts with large flat heads in aluminum.
When is a smooth body the right choice?
When hole preparation matters more than torque resistance. A smooth body goes into a plain drilled hole, which is the fastest hole to make and the only option if you are working with existing holes you did not drill. That covers a lot of retrofit and field work. The tradeoff is spin resistance: friction alone holds a smooth body, so a bolt tightened hard enough can turn the whole insert in its hole, at which point you can neither tighten nor remove it. Thickwall construction helps considerably, since more material means more radial pressure against the hole wall. For high torque joints, or softer panel material, a ribbed or half hex body is the safer specification.
Why choose round body smooth rivet nuts
- Installs in a plain round drilled hole with no special preparation
- Works with existing holes where a hex punch is not an option
- Thickwall construction gives higher strength and better grip than thinwall
- Large flat head spreads load across the panel surface
- Smooth body will not scratch or gall a finished panel during insertion
Common applications
- Retrofit work using existing drilled holes
- Field installation where only a drill is available
- General sheet metal and panel fastening at moderate torque
- Equipment enclosures and access panels
- Automotive and trailer accessory mounting
- Applications where a finished panel surface must not be marked
Where the joint sees higher torque, ribbed and knurled rivet nuts bite into the hole wall to resist spinning. For positive mechanical anti-rotation, half hex rivet nuts key into a matching hex hole.
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Round Body Rivet Nut FAQs
Will a smooth body spin in the hole?
It can, under enough torque. Friction is the only thing holding it, so an oversized hole, an under-set insert, or a hard panel material all increase the risk. If your joint will be torqued firmly, choose a ribbed or half hex body instead.
What is the difference between thinwall and thickwall?
Wall thickness of the body, which changes both strength and grip range. Thickwall carries more load, resists spinning better, and suits heavier panel. Thinwall collapses more readily, which makes it better in very thin sheet where a thickwall insert may not form properly.
What hole size do I drill?
Specified per insert size and closer tolerance than people expect. An oversized hole is the single most common cause of spin-out, since the body cannot generate enough radial pressure to grip. Check the specification rather than using the nearest drill to hand.
Why a large flat head?
It spreads clamping load over a wider area of panel, which matters in thin or soft material where a small head would pull through or dimple the surface. It also gives a flat bearing face for whatever bolts down onto it.
Can I install these with a hand tool?
Yes, with a rivet nut hand tool sized to the thread. Larger sizes such as 5/16-18 take considerable effort by hand, so a ratcheting or pneudraulic tool is worth having for repeat work.
Are these reusable?
The thread is, once installed. The insert itself is not removable without drilling it out, so treat installation as permanent even though the threaded joint can be assembled and disassembled repeatedly.