Rivet Removal
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,716
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From: Boston, MA
Rivet Removal
This afternoon my hanger and shackle on my leaf spring rusted thru. The hanger is attached with 2 bolts and 2 rivets. The bolts came right off but the rivets are tougher. I tried a sawsall and an inexpensive air hammer, neither was working well. I am going to get a grinding wheel for my grinderand try that. Any suggestions would be great. Thanx
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,716
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From: Boston, MA
Took me about an hour to hack the 2 rivets off. The bottom one i grinded right off and I used an airhammer punch and it popped off. the top rivet was harder to get to because the old hanger and shackle where all bent around it . i used a sawsall and airhammer to get that one off. No parts stores had the parts in stock so i ordered them from advanced and should have them tomorrow. I would suggest anyone with a truck like mine check your hanger and shackles at the rear of your rear leafssprings. my truck is not rusted bad at all. and the one just rusted tru and the other shackle is about to rust trhu. I think i will keep the hanger on that side and just repalce the shackle. I looked up the parts for a 1992 2wd and a 2001 2wd and the parts where the same dorman 722-010 and dorman 722-001. you can order them online for less than stores. I paid $26 for the hanger and $28 for the shackle. I will post after i get them installed. but again I would suggest you go check yours. much easier and cheaper to do it as maintenance then as a rush repair
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Boston, MA
I finished replacing my hangers and shackles and thought I would do a quick right up of some things that i learned. First thing I learned is that it is best to do this as a maintenance issue. When you can order the parts and get organized rather then wait for it to bust and then scramble to fix it 
I useddorman parts 722-010 and 722-001. I paid about a total of $105 including tax for 2 hangers and 2 shackles. you can get them on line for prob around $80 shipped. the drivers side hanger is held on with 2 bolts and 2 rivets, the passenger side hanger is held on with 4 rivets(I don't think this was just my truck i think it is like that on all of them).
The following work was done with the bed on. The 2 bolts came right off on one side and the bottom rivet on the other side of the hanger. I was able to grind right off and punch it out the top rivet was harder to get at because the bent hanger and shackle was all around it, but i got it off in about 30 min usingsawsall , grinder, and cheesy air hammer. Now I could not do any more work because i was waiting for the parts. The next day when the parts showed up about noon. I decide to remove the bed so at the parts store I bought thetorx 55 for the bed bolts. It is my opinion that "I" would not have been able to do the rest of the job with the bed on. To take the bed off you need a 7mm socket to remove the 3 bolts at the gas cap, you crawl under the rear of the truck and there is one connector that you disconnect for the rear lights in the bed, now you need to wrestle with the rusted on bolts. I loosened each one a little, you need a breaker bar, then i squirted rust penetrater all over them, You also can reach 4 of them from underneath and squirt them. I removed the bed with the help of 2 not very strong females. I have the car jacked up so the tires are just on the ground. I install the hanger and shackle on the drivers side, then i punch out the bolt in the eye of the leaf spring and install the shackle to the leaf spring. I then torqued the hanger to about 100 or 110, I am not sure what they should be at and i might check them later. I was told not to torque down the shackles bolts till the truck is on the ground so I did that later. I torqued them to about 80 and i am not sure what they are suppose to be. Good that side is done and went smooth. I head over to the passenger side I proceeded to grind off the 4 rivets holding the hanger on and punch them out in about 15 min. Next I go to punch the the bolt out of the old eye bushing. well to make a long story short 2 hours later the bolt is still in there it is getting dark so I call it a day. I did a little research that night for some ideas. I head out there this morning do theBFH thing for 45 min to no avail. I am about to go to the parts store to see what tool/press i could get to remove/replace bushing. right before going I decided to try and drill out the rubber around the bushing . 5 minutes later the bushing is on the ground . I greased up the new bushing and pounded it in to the eye another 5minutes ( I think a press would be best so you don't smash the metal causing the new bolt to fight a little going in). I install hanger and shackle torque down hanger. My existing shocks had disintegrated so I purchased 2 new cheapogasmatics . I finished installing those. cleaned up the frame a little sprayed a little black flat around. I had called around for a new bolt kit for the bed. No one had them but Ford could order them for $16 each x 6, no thanks, I figured out the size, and was able to get 4 of them from the hardware store and 2 i am going to order,the bolts i got where grade 8.8 metric I am not sure what the equivalent is in standard but I will probably get stronger ones later, 12m x 1.75 thread x 100mm (quantity 4) 12m x 1.75 tread x 120mm ( quantity 2 closest to the cab) I wire brushed the 2 old ones. I then proceed to place the bed back on the truck with the help of the not very strong females. I would get the drivers side closest to the cab bolt first because the gas tank impedes you from seeing the clip, I put grease in the 6 clips and dipped the old bolts in grease. I am going to remove the bed in the spring to do break lines and fuel filler hose. I tighten up the bolts connected the wire and installed the 3 7mm bolts for the fuel filler. For me I don't think i could have gotten this done with the bed on, maybe in hide sight knowing exactly how I could but it is much easier with the bed off and if you do this as maintenance maybe you could change your shocks and break-lines at the same time. I did not have the time to start with the brake lines i will do it in the spring. . so I suggest you do this as maintenance get organized order the parts and it will be much easier.
Some tools that I can think of that I used. safety goggles, cheesy air tool set, large crowbar, various sockets and wrenches, liquid wrench,torque wrench that only goes to 80lbs, sawsall, dewault grinder and 4.5 inch wheel for metal, 1/2 inch breaker bar, BFH, SFH, RFH, cold punch, cold chisel, 1 jack stand, 1 floor jack, 1/2 drive torx 55, and some more I am sure I am missing
I useddorman parts 722-010 and 722-001. I paid about a total of $105 including tax for 2 hangers and 2 shackles. you can get them on line for prob around $80 shipped. the drivers side hanger is held on with 2 bolts and 2 rivets, the passenger side hanger is held on with 4 rivets(I don't think this was just my truck i think it is like that on all of them).The following work was done with the bed on. The 2 bolts came right off on one side and the bottom rivet on the other side of the hanger. I was able to grind right off and punch it out the top rivet was harder to get at because the bent hanger and shackle was all around it, but i got it off in about 30 min usingsawsall , grinder, and cheesy air hammer. Now I could not do any more work because i was waiting for the parts. The next day when the parts showed up about noon. I decide to remove the bed so at the parts store I bought thetorx 55 for the bed bolts. It is my opinion that "I" would not have been able to do the rest of the job with the bed on. To take the bed off you need a 7mm socket to remove the 3 bolts at the gas cap, you crawl under the rear of the truck and there is one connector that you disconnect for the rear lights in the bed, now you need to wrestle with the rusted on bolts. I loosened each one a little, you need a breaker bar, then i squirted rust penetrater all over them, You also can reach 4 of them from underneath and squirt them. I removed the bed with the help of 2 not very strong females. I have the car jacked up so the tires are just on the ground. I install the hanger and shackle on the drivers side, then i punch out the bolt in the eye of the leaf spring and install the shackle to the leaf spring. I then torqued the hanger to about 100 or 110, I am not sure what they should be at and i might check them later. I was told not to torque down the shackles bolts till the truck is on the ground so I did that later. I torqued them to about 80 and i am not sure what they are suppose to be. Good that side is done and went smooth. I head over to the passenger side I proceeded to grind off the 4 rivets holding the hanger on and punch them out in about 15 min. Next I go to punch the the bolt out of the old eye bushing. well to make a long story short 2 hours later the bolt is still in there it is getting dark so I call it a day. I did a little research that night for some ideas. I head out there this morning do theBFH thing for 45 min to no avail. I am about to go to the parts store to see what tool/press i could get to remove/replace bushing. right before going I decided to try and drill out the rubber around the bushing . 5 minutes later the bushing is on the ground
. I greased up the new bushing and pounded it in to the eye another 5minutes ( I think a press would be best so you don't smash the metal causing the new bolt to fight a little going in). I install hanger and shackle torque down hanger. My existing shocks had disintegrated so I purchased 2 new cheapogasmatics . I finished installing those. cleaned up the frame a little sprayed a little black flat around. I had called around for a new bolt kit for the bed. No one had them but Ford could order them for $16 each x 6, no thanks, I figured out the size, and was able to get 4 of them from the hardware store and 2 i am going to order,the bolts i got where grade 8.8 metric I am not sure what the equivalent is in standard but I will probably get stronger ones later, 12m x 1.75 thread x 100mm (quantity 4) 12m x 1.75 tread x 120mm ( quantity 2 closest to the cab) I wire brushed the 2 old ones. I then proceed to place the bed back on the truck with the help of the not very strong females. I would get the drivers side closest to the cab bolt first because the gas tank impedes you from seeing the clip, I put grease in the 6 clips and dipped the old bolts in grease. I am going to remove the bed in the spring to do break lines and fuel filler hose. I tighten up the bolts connected the wire and installed the 3 7mm bolts for the fuel filler. For me I don't think i could have gotten this done with the bed on, maybe in hide sight knowing exactly how I could but it is much easier with the bed off and if you do this as maintenance maybe you could change your shocks and break-lines at the same time. I did not have the time to start with the brake lines i will do it in the spring. . so I suggest you do this as maintenance get organized order the parts and it will be much easier. Some tools that I can think of that I used. safety goggles, cheesy air tool set, large crowbar, various sockets and wrenches, liquid wrench,torque wrench that only goes to 80lbs, sawsall, dewault grinder and 4.5 inch wheel for metal, 1/2 inch breaker bar, BFH, SFH, RFH, cold punch, cold chisel, 1 jack stand, 1 floor jack, 1/2 drive torx 55, and some more I am sure I am missing
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 0
From: Boston, MA
I realized I barely mentioned the ritet removal, but it ireally was the easiest part of the job, as long as you can reach them a dewault fgringer with a 4.5 inch wheel for steel will grind them right off.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,873
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From: St. Peter
Just be prepared when you buy a ford to make sure and replace those hangers. It happens to all of them. Also on the F150's mainly, the front brackets for the radius arms rust through as well.
I know you used a cheapo air hammer, but you would be surprised how fast a good one can bust through them. I have and ATD long barrel air hammer that I bought for $75, and that one takes a little bit, but the MAC long barrel my coworker has will bust them off in about 30 seconds per rivit. Just nevermind the shower of rust.
Thats how I usually get them off.
I know you used a cheapo air hammer, but you would be surprised how fast a good one can bust through them. I have and ATD long barrel air hammer that I bought for $75, and that one takes a little bit, but the MAC long barrel my coworker has will bust them off in about 30 seconds per rivit. Just nevermind the shower of rust.
Thats how I usually get them off.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 2
From: central ohio
i used the torch to get mine off last march, i did dad's F250 in july and used a good air hammer with a chisel/punch bit. i prefer the air tools. i ordered my parts from stengal bros out of pensylvania, came with all the bolts. seems like the right side of both trucks was worse than the left. mine hadnt seperated yet but was close. dads truck had completly seperated on the right side. the old '77 we had had both seperated and the springs were up against the bottom of the bed. be sure to were safety gear no matter how you remove them. to get the bushings out, i just heated the spring eye with a torch and burnt out the rubber, with it still hot i used a hammer and punch to drive the bushing out. i could have used the old ones, but being as the ranger is a '93 and the F250 is '94 i thought it was worthwhile to go ahead and put new ones in.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,490
Likes: 16
From: Arizona/Texas
Out in the Southwest where the humidity is usually down in the 18-25% range it takes along time for something to rust. The problem is that anything made of rubber or plastic is destroyed in the heat.