Rear Crossmember Rivets on 58

[Brandon T.]

Re: Rear Crossmember Rivets on 58

Thanks John, i plan on using a air hammer to install mine with a snap-on rivet tool. Thanks for the information on which way the rivet goes in. I was confused because a friend of mine is restoring a 57 and he showed me his and it was installed from the top. I was surprised that he was wrong because he is very knowledgeable about c1 vettes but that goes to show everybody can make mistakes. I'm going to show him some pictures some people sent me and let him know it looks like he may have installed his backward.

[Donald H.]

Re: Rear Crossmember Rivets on 58

Brandon,

I replaced the crossmember in my 1960. I took a large Grade 8 bolt (can't remember the size) and ground a concave shape into the end of the bolt. Used the bolt sitting on a steel plate on the garage floor and the bucking tool with the head of the rivet sitting on the bolt. With the concave shape, this help prevent distorting the rivet head. Also used an air hammer as you indicate, but I think you will find that you need to have something to heat up the rivet end that you are peening. We used an acetylene torch to heat the tip to cherry red. Made beening much easier.

[Brandon T.]

Re: Rear Crossmember Rivets on 58

Thanks, that sound like a good idea grinding a concave in a bolt or I think I have a shaft that would work good to fit over the round end of the rivet. I plan on heating it like you did and using a air hammer with a 3/16" rivet tool. From all the feedback I received on intalling it from the bottom or top sound like from the bottom is correct even though a friend of mine just finished installing the rivets in his 57 said his old rivet was installed from the top.

Thanks for the help.

[John H.]

Re: Rear Crossmember Rivets on 58

Most of the strength (shear strength) in a riveted joint with two pieces of steel is a result of the shank of the rivet expanding to fill the holes in the steel parts during the peening operation; that's why they're cold-set instantly under thousands of pounds of pressure with hydraulic tooling.

[Brandon T.]

Re: Rear Crossmember Rivets on 58

The rivets are in but i'm not totally pleased with the results from using an air hammer. They came out flatter than the above picture of the originals. Not sure how to get it any closer to the original I went around and around as I hammered down on it with the air hammer to give it as much of a round finish like the originals as I could and it looks and feels ok but wish it had turned out closer to the originals.

anyone have pic of how theirs turned out for comparison? I may cut all 4 out and do it again not sure yet.