The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk rear fender brace rivets

I don't know if this is the right place for this question, but here goes. Does anyone know if you can get the rivets for the rear fender braces? Mine have been sanded down by the previous owner while attempting to take out some dents. The fenders are worth fixing, but I need to remove the rivets to straighten the sheet metal.Thanks in advance

I'm not sure if the rivets are available or not, here's what I used on mine, its a small stainless steel screw with a oval head, it didn't have any slot for a screw driver in the head, I just primed & painted it, here's a link to the pic of it. http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/2/2877/4121/19692060166_large.jpg

i had my truck redone and new fenders and they replaced the rivets but i wish they had welded the fender to the brace. i am always getting asked what they are for. ron

I think you can find the rivets at McMaster or Grainger Industrial Supply places. I'd at least give it a try. Maybe someone else will chime in that has found them.... but I agree. A good oval head bolt will work just fine.

I looked years ago,no luck.I had my body man weld the brackets to the fenders,then welded the holes solid.I wonder if damage will occur to the fenders setting the new rivets.The rivets are a very solid steel if i remember correctly.

Thanks Guys for the info. I think I will use the small round head bolt to replace the rivets, I sure don't want to put any more dents in the fender trying to set the rivets.

I buy rivets from these two sources:

http://www.mcmaster.com
http://www.bigflatsrivet.com

McMaster has a very good selection and good prices.
Big Flats Rivet Co. has a better selection and higher prices.

I've seen these folks at a trade show, looks like they have a good selection of all sorts of rivets and rivet setting tools. Expect I'll give them a try next.
http://www.bylerrivet.com/

Grigg

If you're a purest then the original rivets were 3/16" brazer head semi-tubular rivets with a 13/32" head diameter.
McMaster does not have semi-tubular rivets, Byler Rivet is all pop or blind rivets, Big Flats has some rivets that are close or that you might be able to modify and get by with. Jay-Cee Sales http://www.rivetsinstock.com/rivet22.htm has semi-tubular 3/16" with a Truss head diameter of 3/8" that are about as close to the original rivet as your going to find.
The brazer head has a shallow radius and tapers to a sharp edge, the truss head has a shallow radius and has a small shoulder at the edge. You can put the truss head in a lathe or drill press and file or sand the shoulder away and it will be very close to the original brazer head rivet.
The only draw back to buying from Jay-Cee is you have a minimum order which will be enough rivets to do several hundred AD trucks. And you will need to buy the setting tools for the 3/16" semi-tubular rivets. The proper way to install these would be with a rivet squeezer. Hand squeezers are avalable from Jay-Cee (not cheap) and as you noted, setting the rivets by hand with a hammer will most likely bend something.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL