The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk hub to drum rivits

59' 1/2 ton...While installing my new aftermarket wheels, I noticed the 3 rivits on the mounting surface. These rivits wont let the new wheels set flat against the hub...(the original wheels recede in these rivited areas)... can and should these be ground down?

I'm concerned with this because I put on about 40 miles yesterday stopping every 5-10 to retighten the lugs. They didnt start staying tight till about the end of the trip...

wellll, GM put'em there, and went to the trouble of designing wheels to suit .....
maybe you can grind notches in the new wheels?

it is necessary to cut those rivets to replace a drum, without a way to replace the rivets, so I'd say it'll work if you make sure no bits wind up inside

Bill

You can grind them down or wack em off. The lug nuts hold the drum on tight. Don,t ruin those wheels.

I agree with red and wrenchbender. Cut the rivetts off. The wheel has to be flush with the mounting surface to be seated properly. Also, if you have access to a torque wrench, tighten the lug nuts up with that for the final tightenign. About 65 ft/lbs shoud do with the stock studs on a 1/2 ton.

I don't have this arrangement on my 1 Ton so I am curious as to the function of these rivets. Why are they there?

I think I read somewhere that the hub and drum was riveted together to elimanate a task in the assembly line....????

Better yet lets just drill them completely out counetrsink the hole and install countersunk rivits. We do it all the time here at Lockheed where I have been working for the last 35 years. :p