removing rivets
Marmon-Herrington Man
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,984
Likes: 444
From: Central Illinois
Agree but I've needed to go a step further by drilling into the center of the rivet to about 1/4" depth or close, then have used a drift to drive the rivet out. Drilling the hole allows the remaining wall of the rivet to collapse in toward the drift thus releasing its grip on the surrounding hole. Stu
Welder User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 50
From: northwest MT
More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 555
Likes: 5
From: Marysville, WA
I have removed the head completely with a cold chisel then punched out the rest. Normally use a three pound hammer on the chisel.
Later I used a cut off wheel to grind an X in the head of the rivet and remove the rest with a cold chisel, much easier and saves on grinding disks. With the X cut it can be much easier to remove the rest of the head and might not even need a 3 lb hammer.
Later I used a cut off wheel to grind an X in the head of the rivet and remove the rest with a cold chisel, much easier and saves on grinding disks. With the X cut it can be much easier to remove the rest of the head and might not even need a 3 lb hammer.
Marmon-Herrington Man
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,984
Likes: 444
From: Central Illinois
I've had rivets that held so tight in the holes that I bent a frame rail trying to get them out without the pilot holes. Others have come out fine with just the BFH. Have also had some where the holes didn't line up right at the factory but the rivet got squeezed in anyway. The rivets were put in cold and set under huge hydraulic pressure. Stu
More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 555
Likes: 5
From: Marysville, WA
I've had rivets that held so tight in the holes that I bent a frame rail trying to get them out without the pilot holes. Others have come out fine with just the BFH. Have also had some where the holes didn't line up right at the factory but the rivet got squeezed in anyway. The rivets were put in cold and set under huge hydraulic pressure. Stu
Yes I have seen them where they mushroom out a little inbtween the frame rail and cross member. Makes them much harder to remove.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 2,580
Likes: 29
From: in a barn
This is my home made rivet buster. Grind off the head, drill a hole in the center of the rivet and smack it. Rivets come out much easier with the hole drilled in them and there is less frame distortion as well.
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