FinishLine

Hi,
I'm getting ready to install a double DIN HU and saw that there are radio and possibly HVAC support brackets that have to be removed and/or relocated. Instructions say to cut them out.
I'm curious how exactly people got these out. Cutting rivets out? If so, how? Cut them out? If so, how? The opening seems small to get power tools in there.

jcgunn

I used a 90 degree drill. Took about five minutes to drill the rivets out. make sure to put some shop towels under the bracket to catch the metal shavings

TheProsecutor

mini-hack saw from lowes.

joezr2

sawzall with a metal blade..... yeah, seriously....a sawzall. it sounds much scarier than it actually was.

Don't forget to bend those metal tabs at the top back before mounting your HU in there.

02BlownZ06

Agreed! Makes short work of it, just need to be careful.

joezr2

You should have seen my wife's face when I was going into the dash with a sawzall... "What the hell are you doing to our car?!?"

The way the bracket bends up and away from the side brackets basically makes a little slot fo rthe blade to ride in all the way down and through the rivets. YOu just have to watch the end of the blade from bonking the back wall but you have lots of room there. Also, as mentioned above- put shop rags down to catch as much of the metal shaving as possible. You'll thank yourself later.

Sailbill

A Dremel tool with a right angle and a cutting disc.

jdmvette

ChrisLSx

I used a drill to crack the rivet heads off and remove the brackets. Once the brackets were out, I punched out the rivet "core" (leaving only the hole) and ground the "frame" flush to avoid any sharp edges.