Install rivnuts before or after spray-in bedliner?

[GladLad]

This is probably a stupid question, but I need to install rivnuts (nutserts) in order to install the Mopar soft-rollup tonneau. They go in the top hex holes near the front of the bed.

I also plan to eventually get a spray-in bedliner, and I've heard they can be pretty thick.

Should I install the rivnuts before bedliner, or move up plans to get bedliner first?

For those who ordered bedliner and tonneau direct from the factory, did they spray after rivnuts installed?

Thanks.

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[Artsifrtsi]

Before the liner, but be sure that you either roll up some tape and insert into the riv-nuts or just put in bolts to keep the threads clean and free of liner.

 

[jeepers29]

What @Artsifrtsi said.

 

[PDACPA]

I talked to the Line X company near me and they said they put screws in all the holes so they are free of the bed liner material when done.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This is probably a stupid question, but I need to install rivnuts (nutserts) in order to install the Mopar soft-rollup tonneau. They go in the top hex holes near the from of the bed.

I also plan to eventually get a spray-in bedliner, and I've heard they can be pretty thick.

Should I install the rivnuts before bedliner, or move up plans to get bedliner first?

For those who ordered bedliner and tonneau direct from the factory, did they spray after rivnuts installed?

Thanks.

I ordered the factory bedliner. There's an easy trick to installing the rivnuts AFTER bedliner and if this was tiktok you could say I came up with a LIFE HACK!

Drill the hole, cut the bed liner out for the rivnut with a spade bit.

If it was me, I'd do before because I don't want the rivnut shoulder on top of the bed liner. I want it even with the bed liner so it's more flush and the shoulder doesn't hold out the item you are bolting in place. I've tried both and hate the rivnut on top of the bed liner.
But since I ordered mine with liner from the factory, I came up with this method of drilling the holes, cleaning the bed liner away for the shoulder of the rivnut, etc.

I did this for tonneau cover latches I made/installed and the bed rails I put in (not MOPAR)

This way anything I install is flat and not held out from the bed liner by the shoulder of the rivnut, they install flush, not sticking out, and if you use a company to put the liner in later, they protect any threaded holes with plugs so no worries there.

There is a trick to get the rivnut tool to work with thick bed liner and that was to cut the tool on my lathe to reach back into the recess.

I used a small grinding bit in the drill to make the recess in the bed liner a bit larger - that's the grinding bit you see there, from my Dremel tool assortment.

 

[GladLad]

Awesome, thank you all! It's impressive how the smallest question always has someone that's gone through it before.

I figured either was doable, but I prefer... I'm unable to not over-think things.

@ShadowsPapa That was one of my thoughts. That the liner first would be too thick, and either need to be cut away or would impact the integrity of the rivnut being crimped (too soft). But was also unsure if the liner on top of the rivnut, would then add too much thickness. The latter being the pointless over-thinking I believe.

 

[cranbiz]

Another what @Artsifrtsi said.

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