VANS strobe and elt mounting brackets

RickWoodall · #1 01-10-2008, 06:04 PM

I figured it was wise to buy these brackets vans sells. I have them all fitted and drilled and went to rivet them in and cant figure a clean way to rivet the bottom??? Anyone done this and have a trick. Best I can come up with is a few screws in the rivet holes on the bottom, but dont like it. Vans tech support is taking to many days to answer my email so wanted to try here.

The issue is the F786C-L longeron and the bottom skin tucking around on an angle leave no room to get the rivet gun in there. I dont want to jam it and risk denting the floors. Great brackets, but puzzled on what I am missing. Tried bending them open and putting in the bottom rivets that way but not going to work. SOMEONE must have done this properly. Thanks.

jlfernan · #2 01-10-2008, 08:42 PM

I did it by bending the pins on the rivets. This allows the puller to get in there and pull the rivet. They dont set perfectly flat, but it's just a bracket for the strobe. It comes out plenty strong enough.

MTBehnke · #3 01-10-2008, 08:43 PM

Just did this not too long ago. I made a bent in the blind rivet mandrels to an angle I could get the rivet puller on it with the head of the rivet still seated against the bottom of the stringer. Seemed to work okay.

Noah · #4 01-10-2008, 08:50 PM

Do the bottom row of rivets first. Pull them from the inside, while bending the bracket inboards. Then do the top row. There are several previous threads explaining how to do this in greater detail than I have provided, and with photos. In the search function from the main page, try entering "elt strobe".

Highest Regards,

mike109g6 · #5 01-11-2008, 01:14 AM

If the nose of your rivet puller will not reach between the 'J' channel and skin as mine didn't, I used 2 RC airplane wheel collars slipped over the mandrel so I could put some pressure down on the blind rivets to get a good seat with the bracket/channel/rivet. Worked really well with no dents in the side skin. DuBro makes 1/8" diameter wheel collars available at any Hobby store. You will still have to pull the panel away from the side skin to get in there to do the bottom blind rivet first.
Mike H 9A/8A