What Type Of Fastener Is This?

[Guest shadetree77]

These are found on the top of the front wheel well on my '52 Special. They are attached to the screws that hold the inner fender to the outer fender. Anyone know what these are called and where I can get replacements? They are too rusty to re-use and half of them crumbled during removal.

[jpage]

They look like a type of speed nut. Call Restoration Specialties @ 814-467-9842 (9-5 Est) and they should be able to fix you up. Jim

[old-tank]

More like a nut plate, but not riveted to item. It just saves some assembly time in corners (just get the bolt started and the nut is prevented from turning by the corner). You can just use standard nuts and washers --- nobody will see it anyhow. Or you can make your own with 1/8" or 3/16" steel strips --- just drill and tap.

Willie

[FLYER15015]

Shadetree,

What you have are first generation "Tinnerman Nuts" or as Old Tank calls them "plate nuts".

They are made of something just next to spring steel, and have 2 tounges that stick down and conform to fender bolts (which are really big screws with a "bolt" head) as the bolt is tightened.

They can still be bought at any good hardware store, or a reasonable replica can be used. Search on line.

We used them by the thousands back when I worked on the assembly line at John Deere combine works. Should have saved some.......

Mike in Colorado

[Guest Rob McDonald]

I think they're really meant to be captive nuts, which would normally be fastened - screwed or riveted - to the backing piece of an assembly. Sort of like clip-on license plate nuts. The idea was to pre-attach the nut, so that the assembler wouldn't need to hold both the screw and the nut. Sometimes that's just not possible with big pieces like fenders.

I was surprised to find these things in my Buick's fenders, too, without being pre-fastened to the inner fenders. Like Willie says, they made the job easier anyway, by not allowing themselves to spin while the screws are driven. Seems to me like a slightly costly solution - when you're talking hundreds of thousands of units - to a simple problem. I guess labour costs were already starting to overtake the cost of assembly line consumables.

[Guest shadetree77]

Thanks guys. I was thinking that they were a speed nut/tinnerman type deal but I've never seen one that had sides like that. It's also strange that the hole is made all the way to one side instead of being in the middle. I'll look around at some hardware stores as well as online and see what I can find.

EDIT: I just checked out the PDF catalog from the Restoration Specialties website and I think they may have what I need. Thanks for that suggestion Jim. They have a huge amount of original hardware! I'll contact them soon and see if what they have is what I need. If not, it also says that you can send them one of your fasteners and they can make you new ones! Rob, on page 215 of the catalog they have a speed nut listed specifically for '57's if you want to check it out. Part number is TN96R. I think I may be able to replace mine with part#TN107. It looks almost the same with the only difference being that it has a hole in each end instead of just one. I think it might work though.

Edited January 17, 2013 by shadetree77 (see edit history)

[Guest Rob McDonald]

Having the hole on one end (or both ends) makes this device more effective - it has a longer "tail" to foul on something to keep it from spinning. The ones on my car are in pretty good shape and I won't be replacing them. Remember, I live a thousand miles away from anyplace likely to host a sophisticated car meet, so I have no temptation to build my car for a judge's benefit. I just want it to be robust enough and comfortable enough to drive that thousand miles and back. And passably pretty along the way, too.

[buick5563]

Don't go to too great an expense, Robert. If you can get a wrench on it, you can just use regular nuts.