A-Pillar Grab Handle

[jessetischauser]

Hey Guys & Gals,

I recently purchased a '68 F100 4x4 with a lift on it. The wife needs a trampoline to get into it. I was trying to find some sort of grab handle for the passenger side A-Pillar but was unsuccessful. Anybody out there have a good solution before I start trying to make my own?

Heck maybe ill just put a big old piece of rope over there with a few knots tied into it for grip.

Thanks in advance!

[MikeB]

Im in the same boat.I’ve seen the chrome grab handle mounted outside left of door and the grab bars for jeeps and 4x4. I was thinking of having a leather strap hangermade by a leather craftsman that I could bolt to Pillar like the first pic or one mounted above the door like the second pic. They won’t look stock so I figured custom made dyed the color of my interior (red). Got to be quality to prevent wifey from busting her .......

[jessetischauser]

Im in the same boat.I’ve seen the chrome grab handle mounted outside left of door and the grab bars for jeeps and 4x4. I was thinking of having a leather strap hangermade by a leather craftsman that I could bolt to Pillar like the first pic or one mounted above the door like the second pic. They won’t look stock so I figured custom made dyed the color of my interior (red). Got to be quality to prevent wifey from busting her .......

I like that idea! I wonder how string that A-Pillar will be when screwing something into it. There isn't anyway I could figure to get a large washer or even a nut on the backside.

[MikeB]

Well I think it’s mostly a sheer force situation so it may depend on the fastener more than the sheet metal. I was going to check out rivet nuts (blind nut) because of their size and strength. It’s not a seat belt so it’s minimal force.

If you go with above the door type handle you can get behind the sheet metal from the top by removing headliner. Same thing if wanting to get behind pillar just would be aggravating trying to fish it down but not impossible. Then you could uses a seatbelt bolt retrofit kit.

[sargentrs]

I was going to check out rivet nuts (blind nut) because of their size and strength.

Definitely the way to go. We use a lot of them at work installed in several customer's mounting panels. Very strong and come in a variety of sizes. 1/4" would work fine for the application.

[MikeB]

I was going to check out rivet nuts (blind nut) because of their size and strength.

Definitely the way to go. We use a lot of them at work installed in several customer's mounting panels. Very strong and come in a variety of sizes. 1/4" would work fine for the application.

Good to know.

Thanks

[MikeB]

I was going to check out rivet nuts (blind nut) because of their size and strength.

Definitely the way to go. We use a lot of them at work installed in several customer's mounting panels. Very strong and come in a variety of sizes. 1/4" would work fine for the application.

Randy
Does Installing rivet nuts require the tool or can the nuts be expanded by the bolt?

Thanks

[sargentrs]

You don't need a special tool but there is a technique to it. You want to screw a nut and washer onto a bolt, spin the rivnut up on the bolt until you have about 1/4" of bolt thread showing, insert it in the hole and then use the bolt to squeeze it from the bottom up. Here's a video showing what I mean. https://youtu.be/AfQIYLSKGwI

[MikeB]

You don't need a special tool but there is a technique to it. You want to screw a nut and washer onto a bolt, spin the rivnut up on the bolt until you have about 1/4" of bolt thread showing, insert it in the hole and then use the bolt to squeeze it from the bottom up. Here's a video showing what I mean. https://youtu.be/AfQIYLSKGwI

Excellent! Thanks

[Zorm]

I've got on of those guns, more like a pop-rivet gun, never thought about the nut and bold idea, that's brilliant!!