The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Missing rivets on wheel rim - what to do?

1939 1.5 ton fire truck. Bought a new Firestone 700x20 tire to replace a blown one. Took it and the new tube to the tire store to change.

They called to tell me that they noticed upon removing the old tire, that "4 or 5 rivets in the rim are missing". Well! That's a new one on me. I haven't seen the wheel yet, but I assume he is speaking of the rivets that connect the web to the rim. I don't know if they rusted away, but he didn't indicate that the rim was trash - just that the rivets were gone.

Any ideas on what to do about it? I assume that, if the rivets went in once, they can be replaced, but never been down this road before . . .

-Michael

The only place rivets might be is to rivet between the rim and the center. If they have to be replaced, I would drill out the holes to a standard size hole and order some steel rivets from someone like these guys.
http://www.bylerrivet.com/products/solid-rivets.aspx?cat=41

I am in the trucking business and we set rivets all the time. A semi trailer repair shop should be able to buck the rivets for you. They probably wouldn't have steel rivets on hand. Only aluminum. But you would want steel.

I agree, if the wheel is otherwise in good shape (odd that its missing rivets though) then get some replacement rivets and set them properly.

Grigg

Got the wheel back today. 5 rivet heads "failed". Round heads on the inside of the rim are gone. Rest of rivet body still in the hole. Rust pattern on some would suggest that at least some were already gone. Some may have "given up" during the beating on the tire to get the old tire off the rim.

The rim otherwise shows some light rust, but not a lot of deterioration otherwise. Ring ledge looks healthy.

Guess I'll be learning how to buck rivets!

Thanks fellas,

-Michael

Check out this rivet company

www.bigflatsrivet.com/

They have a How To page on their web site...

Mike B

Post-Mortem:

My mechanic used a punch to remove the four head-less rivets (I'd drilled out the first one, it took forever!). He purchased rivets locally, though they're a size larger than the original - I think 5/16ths versus 9/32ths - so he just drilled the holes out some.

Then, he created a jig to hold the wheel upright on the workbench. He placed a 4x4 block in the inside of the wheel, and a small bottle jack on that. The head of the bottle jack happened to have a dimple in it that matched the rivets (close, anyway), so he put the rivets in, used the jack to hold them firm, cut the tails down some (too long from the store). Then he fired up the gas wrench, heated the rivet up to red hot, and beat the snot out of it with a hammer! A little clean up with a grinding wheel, and done! Went very smoothly.

The replacement rivet heads are a little larger than original, so a show-restoration wouldn't approve, but the same size could be found with a little research, if needed. Worked great!

Thanks all for the help and support, as always!

-Michael