Rivet Bonding Is Just For Aluminum - Right?

Rivet bonding is a standard repair method for aluminum-intensive vehicles like the 2015 Ford F-150, Jaguar XJ, and Audi A8 whether it's replacing welded or rivet bonded parts. You may be thinking that aluminum vehicles are the only ones that require rivet bonding. Are they? There's a vehicle maker that has been requiring rivet bonding even on their steel body vehicles.

That's right; BMW requires rivet bonding to replace many of the factory spot welded panels on their vehicles. So even on a steel vehicle, just because it was originally built using one attachment method, doesn't mean that same attachment method should be used for part replacement. How do you know what to use? Check vehicle maker repair procedures on a regular basis keeping in mind procedures can change. As always, keep a copy of the repair procedure in the damage report file so there is written documentation of why a particular procedure was performed.

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