no, the spike goes into the end of the rivet gun and the round part is inserted into the predrilled hole, and when squeezed the shaft part collapsed, its a softer material and then the spike is cut off inside the rivet gun and thrown away. i don't know if i explained that correctly but it's a great invention.

I've provided a screenshot of the installation instructions right out of the Service Manual. Do you see any mention of pre-drilling? Look guys, I've had this done. My mechanic brought his rivet gun over and did it right in my garage. I watched him. There was no pre-drilling. I was snap snap snap done. Took him about 2 mins., literally. 1 minute to make sure he understood where the rivets were supposed to get punched through, and another minute to actually punch them through. If it makes you feel better to pre-drill, then pre-drill. Knock yourself out. It's not going to hurt anything.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wheee!
Correct me if I am wrong, but the "spike" is merely the gripping mechanism of the riveter to pull the "ball" end of the rivet into the "cap" creating a mushroom head that seals the hole and the parts together. Nothing gets driven thru as it is only the black cap end that goes into the hole. Again, the "spike" remains in the riveter as a gripping mechanism..... therefore, a hole IS required for a riveter to function.


Exactly what I said...... :icon14:

I will have to take your word for it. Never done it that way before but maybe I have been missing something....

Well, like I said, you can still pre-drill if you want. It won't hurt anything. Heck, at a minimum it'll make it easier as you'll need less pressure to get the rivet through, right?

Screw the rivet crap. Dont know if this will hold out long term, we will wait and see.