Rivnutting 853 Frame?

[highlandsflyer]

How happy are folks to use rivnuts on thin gauge (853) frames? Needing water carrier fittings on seat and down tube. At some point I'll silver solder them properly, but don't want straps meanwhile. Unless someone can recommend good options?

 

[winjohn]

https://freshtripe.co.uk/velo-orange-handlebar-to-bottle-cage-clamp/?setCurrencyId=1&sku=BT-0002

 

[bikeworkshop]

Just steam in there and solder them in.
Aligning and drilling the holes will take longer, you might as well just do the job once

 

[highlandsflyer]

Thinking of converting it to internal dropper too. Not done that before so I'll have to think about all that. I'm not set up for brazing for now. I know, I know..

 

[novocaine]

Hmmm, a funny one. I'd say Ali rivnuts (less force required to set) but then it's galvanic reaction concerns so you have to stay in steel.


I think I'd be tempted to overdrill the I
Holes so all the pressure is front and back, maybe with a preshaped washer front (and if you can get to it back) to spread the load.

If its a temporary fix though, I'd print a mount that zip ties to the frame. I say this, because that's what I do on the gravel bike when I use it for touring. A peice of inner tube behind it stops it slipping to much.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Thinking of converting it to internal dropper too. Not done that before so I'll have to think about all that. I'm not set up for brazing for now. I know, I know..

You can probably silver solder with mapgas, so cheap and easy to get the kit.

 

[highlandsflyer]

You can probably silver solder with mapgas, so cheap and easy to get the kit.

You certainly can, but I'm not up for the paint work at the moment. Frame needs 'altering' and some other paint as well, so I would do that once I've done all the destructive work needing done. I have at least a dozen frames needing paint. Who am I talking to though! Cry me a river!

 

[Lucidone]

My only contribution to this is my experience with Raleigh frames and rivnuts. They seemed happy to use them in both steel and titanium '97 frames but on my '99 853 frame they used brazed cage mounts. I can only imagine Raleigh liked rivnuts for economic reasons and if so why wouldn't they use them in the 853 frames in their financially precarious later years?

 

[bikeworkshop]

- Rivnut in 0.4mm hardened steel -
A warranty repair or replacement is much more expensive.

 

[danson67]

Also..M5 rivnuts would require a 7.5mmØ hole, while M5 brazed fittings typically use a 6mm or 1/4" (6.3mm) Ø hole and a have an 8mm head flange. Consequently, you'd have a really loose fit and alignment trouble if you just reuse the rivnut holes later for silver brazing.

I'd go for clamp-on fittings as a temporary fix until you're set up for brazing.

Zefal make some 'Jubilee Clip' style fittings which looked OK on the bike compared to the chunky aluminium hinged clamp ones.
Zefal Gizmo universal, which will work with luggage fittings as well as bottles:




But if you can find them, they used to do a smaller, neater version rater for bottles only:



Also some similar mounts by Minoura, the BH-95X:

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All the best,