I see these build threads where the guys take apart everything down to the frame and then remove all the factory riveted brackets and crossmembers off of the frame rails. I realize things like the shock rear mounts trap debris and rot out the framerails so they have to have the rivets removed to remove/repair the mount&area, but for the the other pieces is it necessary?

I have removed the front cab mounts and bolted on a good pair but the original ones could have been welded shut and the holes recut...

I have taken my share of these trucks apart for parting out and those rivets are phenomenally strong and stubborn to get out. There are crossmembers that are riveted on that it is possible to sandblast around both sides and edges of them where they meet the frame and recoat. But there is another crossmember in the rear that is also a design issue like the shock mount where debris gets trapped and rots out the bottom part of the crossmember...

So is removing every rivet necessary or is it just for "completeness" sake?

 

I figure the factory riveted them so they wouldn't be criminally liable if they used bolts and nuts which loosened up over time...

And you know some knucklehead and their ambulance chasin' lawyer would grasp at straws and file a lawsuit based on such a claim.

Am I cynical? Yes.. because I have studied human behavior (fascinating are these carbon-based units!) and I don't put anything past anybody.

 

There's rust under them ribbets.



Rust can lead to rusticles, those contain Leptothrix bacteria that consumes iron. That same bacteras can infecht himans.

 

I saw a post on here a few days ago where someone was removing rivets and replacing them with bolts. I had the same question. I would think the rivets would be a better joint than bolts. I like original restorations, so replacing the rivets would be a big no-no for me. I am curious what the other members have to say.

 

Oops. Double Post.

 

What is so bad about re-riveting?

 

There are situations where a properly installed rivet is a more suitable fastener than a weld for any number of reasons. Every fastening method has its own set of advantages in pull strength, shear strength, etc. and I can easily envision situations where maybe a well-attached solid rivet could be a preferable joint to something like a weld. Maybe where there is vibration which over time could crystallize the weld but the slight give of a rivet would tend to minimize? I kinda figure whoever designed these things probably designed for both ease of assembly and durability, and my making a radical change could cause me more grief later than I might anticipate. Just my $.02

 

Well, there is more to this rivet-ing discussion than I thought!

I figured that trucks in the rustbelts would probably have trouble with rust under the rivets, but all the rivets I've ground off (when removing mounts or brackets to save them from the scrapper) seemed to be solid metal and it was impossible to see a seam where rivet ended and frame began...

I hadn't thought of re-riveting things back together.

I wonder if riveting the frames gave these trucks the flexibility and durability to enable them to last this long, there are way more of these Fords on the roads up here than chebbies or dodgies of the same era

(When I started this thread I didn't realize the pun-tential of a reply, so glad I got to say it! )

 

Actually for the longest time, at least through 1996, new frames from Ford did not come with the any spring hangers or perches. When you changed one, typically from a hard collision, it was necessary to cut the brackets off. We always used an air chisel to bust the rivets and bolted them back on. We would use grade 8 bolts and never had an issue.

Ironically the estimating system we use, Mitchell, did not include labor to swap the hangers when changing the frame. This often became a point of argument with insurance companies. Until you have to do it you don't realize how much effort it takes.

 

Removing rivets is easy when done the right way; cut an "x" through the head with a cutoff wheel, knock the head off with an air chisel and sharp bit, then knock the rivet body out with a punch. Presto chango!

 

when i stripped my 1978 f250 4x4 frame i removed all that i could as far as brackets and cross members. you have to remember that after 30-40+ years the metal between the two will start to rust and rot from moisture, no better way to find out if you have any rust issues or rot then to take everything apart. luckily my frame was in good shape and now all metal components have two coats of primer and 3 top coats of protection on them.

 

Good thread, I've always wondered about this as well. I need to replace the upper shock mounts on my 77 & would really prefer to have them riveted back on for originality's sake. Who does hot riveting these days? Is it still a common practice? Are the tools available to do it yourself?

 

That's a good question, I wouldn't even know where to look in my area. Had to bolt the shock mounts on mine and it does look kind of out of place, but they have not loosened yet. Rivets were tight when I removed them after 275000.