Fancy Fasteners
 

I am about to start installing my trunk lid with dzus fasteners, and thought that some of you may like to share your experience. Wouldn't hurt to see other fasteners options as well.

I just purchased some Allstar weld on tabs, springs, and self ejecting quarter turn fasteners from Summit Racing.

What's wrong with the traditional aluminum hoodpins and springy clamps? Not fancy enough?

I had hood pins on the 'hood' for a while. I wanted a new look, clean with a hint of the racecar that it is.

I've been using Harwood Dzus fasteners and I bought the tool. So far I have 30 of them and I will be buying 20 more.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hrd-192

There's also the quik latch, significantly more money than dzus, significantly more baller. QL-25 S Quik-Latch Mini Latch Fastener

Dzus work great for about a year. Then you'll need to grease them to keep them working well. My homemade CF trunk lid is held on by them as well as the front bumper. No complains.

I'm a bigger fan on the pre-assembled weld on tabs. One less step to screw up. Don't ask my why :facepalm:

Looks a lot heavier.

In practice, especially once you put all the dzus bits together its only an ounce or two different. And the speed, toolness, and strength differences may make up for it.

I have learned a few things while doing this project. When I ordered the parts, I had a choice of the longer spring or the short spring (the copper colored ones shown in the pic above, it is what the fasteners hold on to). I ordered the shorter one. You know, shorter would be lighter right?

Well, it occurred to me that the longer one probably has more give when you tighten it down to hold the body panel. With the short one, you better have it just right or it will be too loose or too tight.

One thing I did do right when I ordered the parts is get the correct weld on tabs. I ordered both left and right hand tabs, for which the spring attaches to. I wanted the heads to all face the same direction when fastened. You will notice that the spring holes are at a 45* angle on the tab. This makes the head face parallel to the edge of the body panel depending if you have a left or right. There are tabs available that make the head face a 45* angle to the edge of the panel.

The tabs I got have to be trimmed to the desired length as well. So far I have a just a few tabs welded in place. It has been raining like hell here.

You didn't look at the Aerocatch system?

i have my front and rear bumpers dzus'd on. they work fine for me, i bought the weld on tabs with the springs installed already. They should work really good for the trunk. How ever i have stock hinges on my carbon trunk and dzus toggle latches holding it shut.

dzus fasteners are awesome. A lot of formula car bodies are held on with them.

Plus, you get to use a special wrench that looks like a dick:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1370574501

although a big flathead works as well if you fear the D

Nothing about that fastener system resembles a penis. I fail to see the point of it.

I knew going into this that as soon as we start talking about screws it would turn full on gay.

Ask this question on Club Ricer, the thread would fill up faster than Faes thread.

Im sure on CR they would know about some rare fastener used only on JDM racecars during the late 80s.

I have considered either solution for the hood, but for consistency, I think I am going to stick with the dzus.

It is on my list of things to put in my box.

This is a formal request for a picture of your box.

Actually that tool looks like a dick with a condom on it. That really is "safety first"

Just something to keep in mind with the hood being dzus'd on - any time you need a tool to open your hood, especially when you're talking a lot of them around the perimeter, you risk burning your shit to the ground, as there's no way to open the hood in an emergency.

That is a very good point, and is seriously on my mind. I had something like that happen to an old race car I had years ago. It was an 82 Camaro with a huge hood and lots of dzus fasteners. Come to think of it, I still have that hood in my shop.

If I do decide to go with dzus on the hood, I plan to at least keep a tool taped somewhere in the car for such an emergency. Of coarse, we all know that it will actually be lodged in some inaccessible crevice somewhere when it actually happens.

Use explosive bolts to get the hood off in a hurry.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1370707681

This thread is awesome

Thanks for this thread guys. Just got some dzus toggle latches for my bumper.

Very userful for them D0r1ft0 cars where you gotta drop the bumper.