Anybody know the best way to get rivets off frame,with out messing up frame or to much heat in one area

 

A grinder will work if you have the room.

 

Drill and chisel

 

thank yall

 

grinding wheel make a X in the head then chisel the top off then punch it out . Piece of Cake .

 

1 : Use a cut off wheel to slice an x into the head of the rivet, then an air hammer with a chisel blade to remove the rest.

2 : Drill into the rivet head instead of using a cutoff wheel.

3 : Cutoff wheel and hand chisel.

The idea on these three is to remove metal from the rivet head so the edges have a place to go when you hammer it through.

4 : Drill a pilot hole, then use larger and larger bits until the head comes off entirely. Use a punch to hammer the rest of the rivet through. It helps to start with a center punch on top of the rivet head to keep the drill from wandering off the rivet and messing up your frame.

 

Good timing on this thread. I'm about a week away from starting to remove rivets on my 4x4 frame. I know simplysmn I should be done by now....

Couple questions I have about this are....do you cut the large or small head on the rivet? Or does it matter what direction you push the remaining body through?

 

cutting an x and airhammering out the stub is easiest, that said I just did the rear brackets and shackles on my pile....no air at home. I used a 4 1/2 angle grinder with a cutoff disc, cut/grind em flush, a little heat courtesy of some mapp gas and they came out pretty trouble free.

 

You can do it either way....whichever side provides the best access. What I found easiest for the rear shackle brackets was to grind off the inside heads and used what was left of the shackle bracket as prying leverage to pop the rivets thru the frame.

 

I Do it from the bigger side of rivet just easier then laying under the truck or Frame doing this .

 

The best method is to take a torch and heat the rivet head up red hot. Come in with a air chisel and the head will pop right off.

The X method works well if you have limited tools though

 

I just shave the head off with a hot knife and then pierce a hole through it. It takes a little practice to get all the head and no frame but it's the fastest.

 

Though this might take an extra person helping, this is the absolute BEST way, right here, especially if you can get a direct shot of the head of the rivet.

Take a socket that fits tight to the rivet's head.
Now, use a transfer punch that fits the hole in the socket and mark the center of the rivet's head.
Take a drill bit the same size, or slightly larger than the rivet's shank diameter and drill until the head pops loose on the drill bit, then punch the remainder on through.

Works slick and you don't have grinder hack marks on your frame pieces.

Mark.

 

The socket and punch used together to get the center of the rivet is GENIUS!!! Never thought of that...Thanks!!