Self-piercing rivets (SPR) join two or more pieces of material using a rivet without a pre-drilled hole. Self-piercing rivets are a semi-tubular rivet driven at high force through the material layers to be joined, into a die which causes the tail of the rivet to… read more »
Comparison Chart for Screw Size, Inch Fractions, Decimals and Millimeters
When looking at body bolts, sheet metal screws and related U-clips, and even automotive fasteners, such as push pins or Christmas trees, the nomenclature used by each manufacturer to describe the size of the fastener, or the hole size that it goes into, can sometimes… read more »
The Primary Types of Heat Shrink Tubing Explained
Heat shrink tubing is used to help protect an electrical connection from vibration and moisture. Depending on the type of heat shrink tubing, it can be used for applications ranging from industrial to automotive. Our primary focus is obviously on the automotive end, so we’ll… read more »
Bolt Head Grade/Strength Identifiers
You can usually figure out the grade, or strength, of a bolt by looking at the markings on its head. English bolts (U.S.S. or S.A.E) are categorized by grade, from grade 2 to grade 8, where the grade represents inch strength. The higher the grade,… read more »
Automotive Rivets Explained
Rivets provide an effective way to fasten two materials together without welding, adhesives, or any specialty tools or skills. They can be used in automotive and non-automotive applications, but for this article we’re going to focus on automotive rivets. Automotive rivets can be used for… read more »