never used the speedway ones, always got them from my local race supplier (local being 60 miles away) they are pretty much a standard item though. buy a bunch of weld on tabs, springs, rivets and dzus "buttons". weld on the tab but don't put the spring on til after you paint. makes for a cleaner install. one suggestion I have is to buy the screwdriver to install them. they fit better and will help keep you from slipping and scratching your paint.
I aswell never delt with speedway, but most race suppliers sell them in all kinds of ways, buttons and tab, buttons, tabs. Call Kaeding performance in Campbell California its near you..1 800 KAEDING
Do some research. They come in different lengths, diameters, styles. etc. I used flat heads for dragsters. I made a tool to make the countersink in the panels. I haven't bought any for years but they were always pricey. You might try the Chassis Shop that's in Michigan. They stock an assortment of this stuff.
Some pics of a home-made tool. The angle in the 1" aluminum piece is done with an 87 degree countersink. 3/8" bolt and nut pulls a dimple into the sheet metal. Use standard bolt and nut, stainless bolt and nut will gall and creating the dimple will be difficult. Works better than the hammer driven commercial dimplers because you can do it with hood etc. on the car if necessary and no backup for the anvil is required plus you can easily duplicate dimple depth in multiple installations. Quick and easy to build, works with the Dzus style shown or the buttons without retainer plate. Look close and you'll see a dimple on each side of the body gage sheet metal. Speedway makes a nice Dzus remove and replace tool, but I use a dime to operate the Dzus buttons. Works well and doesn't slip.
av8/Mike Bishop told me about this place a couple of years back........They have a great catalog and you will find Dzus fasteners in all sizes. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/
There a lot of sizes and you need the rite one,so look at there cats. There are times that you'll not have one fit just right,they are adjustible with in a small amount,by bending or spacing the "S" wire,after a short time you get the feel for how snug they should be. If you can not take it apart with a dime=it to loaded,if you can push your fingger on it and open it's to EZ. The Bat Miami Fl.
I know that Full Bore Products offers/offered Dzus's with allen heads. And I know I have seen Dzus's with round heads and flat heads, in stainless and aluminum. They are not all the exact same!
If ya need tabs PM me, I sell 50 lightweight tabs for $35, plus S/H.. Got a few thousand in stock, I'll get spring prices in the AM.
When did they first come availble? I haven't used them cause they don't look right on a car from the 40's or 50's. Where they availble back then? Used by hot rodders? Clark
They were used on many aircraft in the early days. They still use em on the aircraft I work on..... I always shout this from the rooftops....but anyone that builds hot rods needs the Standard Aircraft Handbook. You can buy it from any book store or Amazon. It will answer 99% of hardware questions.
Clark, I suppose your now going to start looking for genuine 1932 Dzuz fasteners to keep your stuff traditional! Ha! Anyone have any first run Dzuz fasteners from the early years and do they look the same?
These aren't traditional......but these guys, Fullbore Racing have some cool hardware used by the Saltflat and drylakes fellas.... http://www.fullborerace.com/index.htm
If you're a terminal scavanger, the battery cover, behind the seats, on every MGB is held down with 5 of them.
IF you are going to use them on external panels, the flush mount (countersunk) look much better IMO. Springs are avail. in 2 different lengths If you use 1" springs with 1" self ejecting plates and align all the body plates, the spring rivet heads hit the body plate rivet tails, as they are ALL in a line. I use the longer springs on the style with plates, they let the rivets get away from each other. BTW, the long springs are also easier to adjust if you have a reach problem with the buttons. They have a VERY limited grip range for any given length button. It is possible to get a flush mount Dzus button without the rivet plate. If you shop around, you will find flush buttons with a reduced shank under the head. These are mostly used on aircraft. I made a tool a long time ago to swedge the sheetmetal shut around the shank after the button is installed in the body panel. This will lock the button in place without any pesky rivets or plates. Of course, they don't pop out, but it hasn't been a problem.
I dont mean to dredge up old threads, but i was flipping through dec 61 car craft or rod and custom, dont remember which, but it had an artical on them
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