| |
Labor Day Putting down your wrenches or time for
MORE wrenching? 
Plenty of places to share. | | Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | |
1 members (Shade Baby),
21
guests, and
4
robots. | | Key: Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod | | | Forums66 Topics128,009 Posts1,055,293 Members48,419 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
| | THANKS!
For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | | | Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 136 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 136 | I was reading a post from a guy who said that he needed to remove all of the "bolt on" and riveted frame members when refinishing the frame.
Do you all agree? I was just planning on leaving the bolts and rivets in place, sanding them down as well as I can, hit it with a rust converter and then coat with rubberized topcoat.
What do you all think? Do you really need to remove all of the bolt on pieces?
I want my truck to turn out nice, so I am willing to do whatever it takes; I was just surprised when I read that.
Thanks for any advice!
Ross | | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 684 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 684 | If you want to remove the bolts thats ok but stay away from the rivets. They are not meant to be removed. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | some folks just get a bit anal about their 'restoration' - no riveted frame member "needs" to be removed for refinishing, and it's a real bad idea .... I don't think you'll find any bolt on frame members, but any other bolted on parts could be removed if there looks to be any real corrosion between them and the frame your plan is the common one, and does the job fine .... remember so far the frame has lasted well enough to just need a clean up, it's likely to see more years than you will  Bill | | | | | Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 136 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 136 | Bill and 31,32,33 -
Thanks for the tips. I thought it sounded kind of crazy to remove the rivets that took tons of pressure to install at the factory.
I am also glad to read Bill's comments (again, thanks) on the bolts. I had to grind off most of the nuts and bolts that held the bed sheet metal on.
I think I will stay on my original plan.
Ross | | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 | I can only think of ONE reason to remove any of the frame rivets-And that's only if you need to replace/repair a crossmember, say one that's bent or rusted too badly to repair. If you would have to do that, you can replace the rivets with grade 8 bolts, making sure to have no threads in the hole. It would have to be a tight fit in the hole to maintain the same strength as the original rivet.
Bill Burmeister
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 576 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 576 | i had to replace the main crossmember on my 49 1/2. it was pretty rusty and wss better off to replace than repair.drillrd out the old beat it out witha bfh and bolted in with grade 8 was a pretty smooth operation.....dave
1949 Chevrolet 3100 "When this thing hits 88 miles an hour, you're going to see some serious sh%t." -Doc Brown
| | |
|
|
| |
