The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Rivet removal

Hi all,

Anyone have any suggestions on rivet removal?
I have found a new pinion seal and have buttoned up my rear axle for good I hope. My frame cross members and overload spring perches have some pretty good corrosion going between them and the frame and I would like to remove them and do the POR 15 treatment. Some have pretty tight spots to get a grinder into and I don't have a torch so any good suggestions?

Thanks,
JMH

Center punch the middle of the button. Then drill it out.

You can also grind the heads off the rivet and center punch the rest out

IF...what a big word...IF you can at lest get to the rivet heads to grind a small flat spot it will help when you center punch it to drill it out. Otherwise it will a "hit and miss" to get a punch mark dead center.
So, if you can grind, grind them flat and then drill them out, if you can't grind then center punch then and drill them out.
Even if you can grind the heads off you will be surprised how tough they can be. Thats why I like to grind flat and still center punch and drill out to almost the size of the rivet....then take a punch and knock them out.
Some time I like the EASY road rather than the fast hard road.

I like a 1" cold chisel about 12" long, and an engineers hammer with a 18" handle.
I used to grind and drill frame rivets, but can't remember the last time I did. Have removed dozens and dozens with the hammer and chisel, much much faster.

Grigg

Air chisel works good, first cut the head off then switch to a flat punch.

From my experieance the air chisel elongates the holes to much. On small rivets they work OK but not the bigger ones. I suppose a large enough one would work, but I didn't have any luck with the largest Snap-On offers when used for 3/8" rivet heads.
Worked great with a punch for pushing them out though.

It'd like to find a good air rivet hammer, they look about like a jackhammer only half size, at least the size I could use. With a chisel it would probably be great for busting rivets, and better than the Snap-On air chisle for setting hot rivets.

Grigg

Rivet removal sounds easy enough. I'll try some of these methods and hopefully get them out. Now for the replacement fasteners. What would be the best type to use? I found a post that recommended "flanged bolts" ? Can you give a source ? What grade,length etc...
and do I need to oversize to clean up any damaged (elongated)holes. I think the original sizes are 3/8 so do I go to 1/2?
One last thing. The rear most cross member has taken a pretty nasty hit at some time and really needs replacing . What should I use for replacement? I have a piece of 4 inch channel. Any ideas? As always thanks for the info.

JMH
JMH

This is where I get my flange bolts. http://www.imperialinc.com/grp308.shtml The length depends on the thickness of the of your material. Drilling the holes out to 1/2 is an option if the holes are elongated. Channel would work, but it sure makes the job look unprofessional. How big a truck are you working on? If its a larger truck with a 34" frame, a cross member out of any old truck will work and look more like it belongs there.

For what it's worth, I've tried all the methods listed above (torch, air chisel, drilling, grinding, cold chisel with engineer's hammer). For me, the easiest, fastest and least damaging method is Grigg's method of a big cold chisel and a big hammer (mine looks like a short handled sledge hammer). My personal record is five whacks on a cross member rivet -- the rivet came out on it's own )

Just be careful on that last swing ...

John

....that works great for big fellows like John but for the little guys like me it would take 10 or 12 blows and then it'd be Pepsi time. ....not to mention the time to nurse a busted hand!! The easy road, the easy road...the

a good chisel in a hammer gun worked great for me, just love those power tools

I used the drill and punch method, it worked well for me.

All of the above are good,it just depends on what technique you prefer, and what physique you have.
I used the brute force and ignorance approach.

I drilled the heads after grinding a flat on the surface(as Alvin)mentioned and progressively went up in drill size 'till I matched the rivet shank size,the rivet head literally fell off,then pounded them out with a flat punch.

Try to use a punch as near the rivet size as possible to avoid 'mushrooming' the rivet shank.