There is nothing wrong with the tool, it works fine. However, there is one additional "tool" that really helps, as described below. A few 5 cent star washers! I would definitely recommend ECS add it to the tool kit.
I should have done a DIY before, but better late than never. Hope this helps.
I started the install by searching and reading old posts on AZ and VTEX about the install (since no detailed instructions are provided). Most of the posts I found were rants about difficulty with the tool and having problems. The difficulty comes during installation and attention to detail is needed. I spent an hour or so being confused and wondering what I was going to do before I figured it all out, and honestly it turned out to be easy, but required care. I'm going to focus this DIY on where and how the due level of care is needed. The rest is simple and straightforward.
See this thread for general reference.
https://www.project-build.net/chapter/642/rs4-jack-pads
There are three steps during the installation to exercise high degree of attention to detail. The first is the marking and drilling the rivnut holes. The second is the proper use of the tools and star washer during rivnut installation. And the third is the torquing of the rivnut just enough so it seats firmly but doesn't break. General guidance for these steps is below.
The installation is relatively simple, but requires precision and some care/caution. Before starting the installation, I also decided to source a few star washers for good measure, these >
http://stainlesstown.com/image/cache/data/Washers/stainless%20external%20star%20washer-500x500.jpg"] As described below, this spacer is placed between the spacer nut of the ECS tool and the rivnut during installation, and helps to keep the rivnut from spinning. ECS probably should provide these with the install, they are simple, cheap, and make the tool work better. Just take one of the rivnuts and the ECS tool to your local hardware store and get about 4 of them. The size of the star spacer should be selected so the bolt of the supplied installation tool slides though the center of the star washer, and the sharp edges of the star are roughly the same diameter as the outer flange of the rivnut so they lock together during install.
1) Drilling- Once you have determined the location where the jackpad will be installed, and have used a sharpie or other method to mark the
exact locations to drill the two holes into the car's underbody (where the rivnuts get installed), its time to get out the drill and several drill bits. The main importance during the drilling is: a) make sure you drill the holes exactly where you've marked them (assuming you marked the holes properly), and, b) drill in a 3-step process, starting with a very small bit, then with an intermediate size, then with the final size. Using this 3-step drilling procedure keeps the holes as close to where you marked them as possible. Make sure you use good drill bits as well so they make a very precise cut. Its very important that when you drill the last step with the last drill bit,
DO NOT go in and out of the hole to clean it up. You risk making the hole too big and causing a problems during rivnut installation (see below), which can cause the rivnut to "spin" while trying to install it. See step 2.
2) Rivnut Install - The next step after drilling the two holes (per each jackpad) is to install the rivnuts. If you were precise in the drilling process, when you insert the rivnut into the hole, you will not be able to press it all the way into the hole with your fingers (if the rivnut flange is already seated against the underbody, your holes were drilled too large/overdrilled, this did not happen to me, praise jah). To seat the rivnut flange in the hole, use a solid block and hammer and give the rivnut a price blow or two. The rivnut flange should now be seated squarely against the underbody. Now, using the supplied installation tool, first
lubricate the installation tool bolt with assembly lube, then slip the spacer nut over the bolt, then slip a star washer onto the bolt, and hand tighten the assembly into the rivnut you just seated. The star washer should now be between the spacer bolt of the tool and the rivnut flange. Now, you simply securely hold the spacer bolt in place with a box wrench, and slowly tighten the bolt as you apply a moderate amount of pressure to help seat the star washer against the rivnut as the assembly starts to tighten. The rivnut should not spin at all at this point. If it does, you will not be able to proceed with torquing it down to seat it properly.
3) Torquing/Seating the Rivnuts - I don't recall off hand the amount of torque that was recommended to use to seat the rivnut, I find that you can feel the rivnut seating while you tighten the install bolt. In the beginning of tightening, it will feel tight. Then, as soon as the rivnut begins to collapse and start seating, you will notice the tightening starts to become a lot easier, almost the same feeling as when you start to strip a bolt (we've all been there!). Then, after a few more revolutions, you'll start to notice more resistance and it will get harder to turn. At this point, you only want to tighten about 1-1.5 revolutions more. If you go too far, the rivnut can brake and you'll need another one (keep in mind, they are made of aluminum!). Luckily, this didn't happen to me. Once you have seated the rivnut, simply back the took out of the rivnut, install the other rivnut for the jackpad, and then install the jackpad using the supplied hardware.
The only other thing that is needed to be done is to cut/trim the plastic under tray in order to install the two rear jackpads (thew two in the front do not require any trimming). This is a straightforward process, and for the most part is self explanatory when you get under the car and size up the install. Basically, you first determine exactly where along the frame rail the jackpad need to be installed (the bottom of the rear jackpads have a shape that matches the shape of the underbody, so the proper location can easily determined). The, you trace the jackpad holding it against the plastic undertray. Then you cut the tray. I removed both sides of the plastic undertray and cut it with a dremel to make sure I cut the minimum amount of the tray so it doesn't look hacked, then re-installed them.
I had no issues seating the jackpads. Follow the recommendations in the thread posted above and you'll have no issues either. Being an OEM product, the end result looks factory installed, which always makes me happy.
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Originally Posted by Turbavanttro
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