Quote Originally Posted by firebird77clone View Post
Who has a good trick for dealing with rusty sheet metal clips?

I had a couple break on me tonight, but got lucky using needle nosed pliers to grab the back side.
Now I know what you're talking about, I thought you meant the clips for trim/moldings. As "Shine" said best luck is to tighten first to break the treads loose without spinning the clip. I always put a little mystery oil (or equivalent) on the treads and let them soak for a day (when I have the time).

There are several different types of these, be careful with the gaged nut type (nut is held by a small crimp), they tend to break the easiest. I prefer the the extruded nut type (the treads are in the extruded part of the clip), they seem to hold up the best for me. I use this type with fender bolts (bolt has a shoulder and the end is milled to align them easier) all the time in places where I can not reach the back side to hold the nut.

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You can also use riv-nuts, these go in like a rivet but have threads in them. Although they can spin a little easier.