Remove Nut-cert from rocker panel

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

MikeRaphon

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Posts
4
Reaction score
1
Ram Year
2014
Engine
Hemi 5.7l v8
Remove rivnut from rocker panel

I'm trying to install a set of Iron Cross 4" tube nerf bars on my 2014 Ram 1500 Crew Cab and of course get stopped at the very first step! It looks like the previous owner removed whatever side steps he had on it before he traded it in. The attachment points for all four brackets have nut-certs installed already, which won't work for the hardware Iron Cross provided.

Go to 0:26 of this video to see what I'm talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbFtb0zCwmQ

I'll need to remove these nut-certs in order to use the mounting hardware that came with the nerf bars. Any suggestions? Drill them out? Pound them out?
 

14hemiexpress

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Posts
3,654
Reaction score
1,196
Location
Texas
Ram Year
2019
Engine
6.4l
Can you source new bolts with the same thread as the nut cert? It'll be easier to new new bolts than to remove the nut cert unless the holes don't like up in witch case I would probably drill it.
 

Duhhsteedohh

Junior Member
Joined
May 13, 2016
Posts
27
Reaction score
20
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7 hemi
They are called rivnuts and the best way to take them out is to drill them out with a bit the size of the bolt or a tad bigger then the bolt that would fit.
 

popjim52

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2014
Posts
120
Reaction score
85
Location
Baltimore,MD
Ram Year
2014 Tradesman 2500
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I took a small die grinder and grinded off the outside lip and they fall right out. I was worried if I drilled them out some how some way I would mess up the shape for the rivnuts to fit in .What I did grind into on the inside of rocker I simply touched up with some of PPGs DP40 and epoxy corrosion protection type primer.
 

LiteraCola

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
22
Reaction score
2
Location
King George, VA
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Right after I bought my 2012 Sport I installed a set of Raptor 4" oval bars. The mounting system they use has a flat plate with an M12 stud welded on one end and an M10 nut welded on the other. The plate is mounted inside the rocker at a 45 deg angle BUT you use an M8 bolt that threads into the rivnut in the rocker and goes inside the M10 nut but obviously doesn't thread in since it's smaller. Duh. So basically the M10 nut is unusable. Recently my gf snagged a curb and ripped the riv nuts right out of the rocker. To repair it, I pulled all three riv nuts out and sandwiched a large flat washer between the mounting bracket and the rocker panel for some extra strength. Now I'm actually utilizing the M10 nut with a bolt and flat washers. In my opinion the riv nuts are a terrible way to mount nerf bars ESPECIALLY if you're only using one of them on each bracket.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piXMSGM3okk


Here's what I was talking about. Although mine had riv nuts instead of open hex holes.
 
Top