The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors window roller rivets

I bought nylon rollers with rivets for the window regulators on my 1953 pickup. I don't really know the proper method, or proper tool to use to peen down the rivet. It's strange that I've worked on lots of vehicles for many years, but I never really knew the correct way to use rivets. HELP

Mike, my originals were peened in place with a cold chisel. The rivets were solid at the end, not tubular, and an "X" was made in the end with the chisel that expanded the end of the rivet enough to secure it. IIRC, the replacement rivets were semi-tubular rivets. I bought a set of rivet setting tools similar to THIS to do them (see attached pic). Or you could zap a weld dot or two.

Walmart has a seven piece for under $20. I looks the same or similar. HERE. You'd get free shipping if you have a $35 order. Get the rivets and nuts while you're at it.

From Walmart page:
Air Hammer Rivet tools Kit perfect for Hollow, solid, half-hollow Rivet.
6 PCS different heavy duty Air Hammer Chisels tool, perfect to meet your different needs.
Manufactured with Heat treated high carbon steel for necessary hardness and durability.
colour:gray
Material:40RC steel
Size:Length:116mm,116mm,116mm,116mm,116mm,110mm;
Package Contents:
6 * Pneumatic Rivet Hammer
1 * Spring
Only the above package content, other products are not included.
Note: Light and different displays may cause the color of the item in the picture a little different from the real thing. The measurement allowed error is +/- 1-3cm.

Also, very easy return. It's encouraging to see how much stuff Walmart carries these days. We check around for prices when shopping for just about everything.

Thanks folks. I appreciate that very much. I'll pick up a set of those setting tools.

do you use a hammer with those rivet setting tools, or do you use a C-clamp to squeeze them or what?

Hammer, or if you really want to get-er-done an air hammer. I suppose you could use a C-clamp, but you might have trouble with larger rivet sizes in getting them rolled over.

These rollers are not under a lot of pressure. No need to employ nuclear plant technology to set them.
I just use a fat center punch which has a large cone below the point which works well for spreading the hollow end of the rivet.
I set it up on a hard level surface to support the head of the rivet and hit the punch until it mashes the hollow rivet into place. I them mash the rivet some more so that the petals of the rivets are flush. The petals will not likely be symmetrical, but they will never come out or get loose.
Just my 2 cents, which will not even buy one piece of "penny candy."