Question #1, Yes. Question #2, You will have to determine how long the shank of the Dzus will have to be to get it to install through the carpet and panel and still have enough tension on the Dzus to hold it all together. Shank to long, it's going to be loose, to short and it won't reach the spring. As far as a counter sink, I've used a carrage bolt and spacer, (thick washer). Drill the hole for the Dzus shank, place the spacer under the panel, (I glued the spacer to the bench top, and put a dot in the center with a magic marker so I could line everything up and keep it centered. Using the head of the carrage bolt against the hole in the panel, give it a rap with a hammer to make the counter sink. Experiment on a scrap piece to see how hard you have to tap it, it's easier to make the countersink, than to get it out if it's to deep. Rap or tap, not smash and bash!